This recipe does cook slowly, however, it's simple and sure to please the pickiest of eaters.
Course Side Dishes
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Dairy-Free, Gluten-free
Essential Ingredient beans
Servings 4cups
Calories 549kcal
Author Diana
Ingredients
2cupsdried pinto beansor any other variety dense meaty bean
1oniondiced
4-5piecesbaconsliced
1/2cupcilantropacked
3clovesgarlic
1ham hockor brisket, optional
Salt to taste
Instructions
Soak 2 cups beans overnight. (Make sure to rinse your beans and rid of any dirt or small pebbles)
The next day, drain the beans and rinse.
In a thick bottomed pot or cast iron dutch oven, add the beans, onions and optional ham hock or brisket.
Add enough water to the pot to cover the beans by 2 inches. Add salt to taste.
Bring to a boil.
Cover and drop the heat to low for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are soft and the meat is tender and cooked through. Throughout the cooking time, make sure to check the beans and add more water if necessary.
With about a half hour left of cooking time you can begin to cook down the remaining flavors of bacon, garlic and cilantro.
In a pan or cast iron skillet, add the sliced bacon and cook until most of its fat has been rendered. There is no need to brown the bacon.
Once most of the fat has been rendered add the garlic and cilantro and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Add all of the contents in the pan to the pot of beans and simmer for an additional 15 minutes to infuse the flavors.
If you added pork or brisket, remove from the beans, shred and set aside for tacos.
Serve the beans in a bowl topped with freshly grated Queso Fresco, or any other soft cheese, and cilantro.