Pinto beans are also called strawberry beans because of their pink color.
are a staple of Southwest, TexMex and Mexican cuisines. Pinto beans are available canned, as whole beans, mashed and refried. However, dried Pinto beans are much less expensive and easy to cook. Use the beans in chilies, soups and stews. They're tasty when combined with rice and meat and stuffed into a taco or burrito. Refried beans are cooked pinto beans fried in lard, mashed and topped with cheese.
Instructions
1. Place the pinto beans in a large bowl. Rinse several times with cold, running water. Cover the beans with at least 3 inches of water and let rest overnight unrefrigerated.
2. Put the beans in a large saucepan. Cover with at least 3 inches of water. Bring the beans to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Simmering occurs when bubbles barely break the surface of the water. Turn off the heat and let the beans cool to room temperature.
3. Strain the beans and rinse with water. Turn the crock pot on high. Put the beans in the crock pot.
4. Place an onion on the cutting board with the root end up and the stem end on the board. Cut the onion in half. Cut the stem off. Pull back the skin. Drop the onion halves in the crock pot. Add two bay leaves and, if you desire, two or three whole garlic cloves to the crock pot. Cover the beans with at least 3 inches of water.
5. Put the lid on the crock pot. Cook until the beans are nearly ready. Cooking time depends on the crock pot you're using and the amount of beans you're preparing. It will range from two to three hours at high/medium heat and four to six hours on low heat. Follow the manufacturer's manual. The beans should be tender to bite but not mushy. Turn off the heat. The beans will continue to cook as they cool.
6. Drain the beans and reserve 1 c. of the bean liquid. Put the beans back in the crock pot and let them cool. If the beans are too dry, reheat with some of the reserved bean liquid.
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