Texas-Style Pinto Beans

[RCWRTR]

In a effort to make healthy food in large quantities for very little cost, I decided to make 8 lbs. of Texas-Style Pinto Beans today.

Last night, I soaked 8 lbs. of dry pinto beans overnight, then cooked them at a slow boil in 4 separate stock pots for 2 hours this morning. I drained the beans, then added 1 quart of homemade chicken/vegetable stock, 1 quart jar of canned crushed tomatoes, 1 T minced garlic, 1 tsp. salt, 2 T cumin, 3 T chopped jalapeño peppers, 2 cups diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, 1 chopped white onion and 1/4 large bottle of Crystal's Hot Sauce to each of the 4 stock pots and let them simmer for about 4 hours over medium heat.

When I've made this same recipe for 4 stock pots of Texas Style Pinto Beans previously using canned beans, it cost me approximately $51.00 for ingredients ÷ 13 quarts = $3.92 per quart + electricity for cooking.

I calculated the cost for making the beans as follows: approximately $23.00 for ingredients ÷ 13 quarts = approximately $1.77 per quart + electricity for cooking. That's a savings of approximately $2.15 per quart!

You can't beat that with a stick!

Oh, and did I mention -- they are AMAZING! :)

[Gina]

Wow, that's a lot of beans. And quite a nice savings!

Coincidentally I'm making a big batch (lol, or so I thought) of beans today too. The dry beans are cooked now, later I'll saute lots of onions and chopped chile peppers, then add some diced tomatoes, and flavorings. Cayenne, oregano, and cumin. I use this in soft tacos. Freezes great. I love it with beef too, but don't happen to have any on hand.

[RCWRTR]

That sounds yummy, Gina. I wouldn't have thought to add oregano. I hope you enjoy them!

[Gina]

Thanks, they are simmering away to get a bit drier, but already tasting great. I want to use more dry beans, but don't as often as I would like.

Soft tacos here we come. http://www.ez-smilies.com/smilies/character00104.gif

[RCWRTR]

I really think dry beans have a better flavor and texture than canned beans. I tend to like them a bit firmer and prefer them to softer canned beans. I like to eat the Texas-Style Pinto Beans I make with steamed brown rice (which I make in an electric rice cooker) or with toasted homemade bread I make using the recipe on this website from NY Times. I will definitely give the soft tacos a try and also thought of using them in burrito and enchilada recipes.

[Gina]

Hmm, with rice sounds good. I know that's a great combo, but I only have it in Mex places.

I make my soft tacos with fresh corn tortillas plus some cheddar cheese. You indeed can make a heck of a burrito with them too. Lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion and especially nice big dollop(s) of real sour cream on a nice, large flour torilla. Mmmmmm!

I also prefer dry beans to canned ones. They just taste fresher or something. I'll use canned in a pinch, but I now try to keep a container of cooked (dry) beans in the freezer for any emergencies (like making a hearty soup)

[RCWRTR]

I love sour cream, so that sounds awesome to me, Gina. I've been substituting nonfat Greek-style yogurt for sour cream on occasion and have had good results with it. It makes yummy mashed potatoes. I bet it would work well in burritos, too. I love Greek-style yogurt with a bit of clover honey and pistachios.

I totally *get the concept of making a hearty soup being an "emergency". :)

[treehugger]

Wow, and here I thought cooking 6 cups of dried beans (which makes exactly one full-to-the-brim crockpot) was a large batch! :)

Beans are such a staple in my house that I always have some in the freezer and some in the fridge. Over Saturday night, I made black beans with onions and garlic, and last night for dinner, I "fried" and mashed them to serve with burritos.

You can't go hungry with dried beans and rice in the house.

Kara

[RCWRTR]

The knowledge that I can't go hungry is a huge comfort to me. Food, to me, is security. It's comfort. Beans and brown rice, for me, is comfort food. Mashed potatoes are comfort food, too.

[puglogic]

You guys would be making me hungry, except that I had my own beans for dinner just a bit ago. (must be something in the air :) ) We buy pintos by the sack at about .75 a pound, and a few times a year make up the same kinds of yummy batches of beany goodness: beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes.... Tonight we rolled them up in ww flour tortillas with grilled onions, fried potatoes, cheese, sour cream and salsa for an amazing and cheap dinner.

[RCWRTR]

I was inspired by Gina and made huge burritos stuffed with brown rice, Texas-Style Pinto Beans, chopped onions, part-skim cheese and Crystal's Hot Sauce for dinner tonight. I plan to have leftover burritos the next few days for lunch or dinner.

[jody]

While all of your beans recipes sound really good because I really love beans, I think you drained off the best part....the bean cooking liquid!

Nothing and I mean nothing is as good as beans and their 'bean juice' poured over hot, fresh from the oven cornbread! Served with a fresh cut up sweet onion and dill pickle slices.

I'm telling you, eating doesen't get any better and I AM from Texas, born and raised!:)

[treehugger]

Nothing and I mean nothing is as good as beans and their 'bean juice' poured over hot, fresh from the oven cornbread! Served with a fresh cut up sweet onion and dill pickle slices.

I'm just a native Californian, not a Texan, so this may sound horrible to you ;) but we love to ladle our pinto beans (with some "bean juice") over hot cornbread and then put an over-medium fried egg on top. That is a sublime combination; way more than the sum of its parts! You can keep your pickles. :)

Mmmm, I love cornbread, once I "discovered" that it doesn't have to be sweet like I had always had it when prepared by someone else. When I make it, there's no sugar added, thank you very much.

Kara

[RCWRTR]

I'll have to give the beans with juice, chopped raw sweet onion and egg suggestions a try. I like pickles, but not with my Mexican food.