Pinto Beans

[WhiskeyGirl]

I know a few of you said that you absolutely hate Pinto Beans but what I need to know is how to cook the darn things! lol. Right now I have them in the dehydrated form! I am going to be making a salad that has them in it and I need to know how I go about cooking the from the dehydrated state! Matt figures you soak them over night and then cook them but I told him I would also ask y'all because a few of you mentioned you cook them! So can anyone help?? That would be great!!! TIA!

[rainbowtreat]

I'd say wiat for Cindy on that one Shawna. I hate them, hate the smell of them. FH eats them but had his mom ship them up from WV as he couldnt find any here. He just has some canned. So I am of no help to you. I know Cindy cooks them. I am sure she will have an answer for you.

[WhiskeyGirl]

I'd say wiat for Cindy on that one Shawna. I hate them, hate the smell of them. FH eats them but had his mom ship them up from WV as he couldnt find any here. He just has some canned. So I am of no help to you. I know Cindy cooks them. I am sure she will have an answer for you.

Lol! Great minds think alike! I thought of Cindy as well!! I will wait patiently for a reply from her! And hey no problem about not knowing. I've never had pinto beans before so i have no clue. I had a hard time finding them too. I found them in the bulk section, but I looked in three cook books and haven't found how to cook them! lol. I even looked in a German cook book, its all written in German but the man can translate! That cook book has EVERYTHINg...well everything but Pinto beans! lol

[AngelinLove]

My mom used to make them, but she make them with bacon or ham hocks in the, She would fill a large pot with water and cook them on low heat allllllll day long. She would continually check them and add water when needed. You had tyo watch tehm and stir the to ensure that the didn'y stick tp the bottom or burn....as for how to cook them for a salad...sorry no knowledge!!!

[CindySue]

Ok.....There are SEVERAL different ways to make them, but this is the way I do it the most.
First you will need to kind of check them hand full by hand out as you put them into the pot. Most bags will contain "dirt rocks" and you DO NOT want one of these getting in there. If you DONT find one, dont worry, when you wash them, just wash them a little longer.
Next you put water in the pot, just enough to cover them. Then you rub them through your hands, kind of like when you wash you hands. Youre washing the dirt and stuff off the beans. (you can drain and repaeat as many times as you feel in necessary) Drain ALL of this water and fill pan back up till water is about an inch above the beans.
You can soak them overnight or not....depends on you. I put some sliced onion, bacon strips, and salt and pepper in at this point. You can leave this out since you need them for a salad, unless you want the extra taste. Turn the burner on medium and let them come to a boil. you want them to stay at a rolling boil for at least 3-4 hours. You also will need to chack them often and stir them as they can very easy stick to pan. Keep water an inch above them at all times.
Hope this helps.

[cowboysbride]

I fix mine in a crock pot on low overnight...

First you select the portion you are going to cook then "look them" which means you look for bad beans, rocks anything you don't want in your mouth.

Then I rinse them and then "blanche" mine (another way of cleaning them) I put them in a large pot and cover them with water, I then put them on high heat and let them come to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes, remove from heat and then drain them.

Then I put them into the crock pot and make sure they have plenty of water (you don't want to cook them dry). Then I salt and pepper them, add a thick slice of bacon or hamhock (to flavor them). If you don't want meat in them you can slice off about 2tbs of butter and that will help. Turn them on LOW and check them before you go to bed (make sure they won't boil dry).

They will be done when you get up the next morning and you can add some more water (if needed) stir and leave them on low until you are ready for supper (the last meal of the day, down here in the south;) )!

If you don't have time for the crock pot you can prepare them on the stove...but it still takes about 4 hours for them to be done... I cook mine on medium heat (boiling but not a hard rolling boil) and stir often so they don't stick...

JMO:I found that a hard rolling boil causes them to turn to mush...and you may not want that for your salad.

[cowboysbride]

P.S.

I have a great recipe for buttermilk cornbread and fried potatoes...down here that goes with Pinto's like gloves on a hand!;)

[CindySue]

JMO:I found that a hard rolling boil causes them to turn to mush...and you may not want that for your salad.
Yeah....I have mine at a slow rolling boil, usually JUST under medium heat!

[WhiskeyGirl]

Thanks Ladies!! I'm not sure where Matthew put that recipe but I'm going to give it a shot and see if we like pinto beans. a lot of people say they don't like them, a few say they do. Its probably an aquired taste...I don't know. Lol. But we are always up for trying new things. If we like them, that corn bread and fried potatoes sounds delicious!! Thanks Ladies I appreciate it. I think I will cook them in the crock pot...I don't think I can remember to keep checking them for four hours! lol. If I screw them up the crock pot way I'll give the other way a shot!!! :) Thanks Cindy, thanks Ellen!!!

[MOB Karen]

P.S.

I have a great recipe for buttermilk cornbread and fried potatoes...down here that goes with Pinto's like gloves on a hand!;)

That was a staple for me when I was growing up. My mom was born in Oklahoma, and since she lived during the great depression, pinto beans was on everybody's table back then. Since she grew up on them, we also grew up on them. Me and my kids love them!!!

[CindySue]

Me and my kids love them!!!
We do too. I dont make then but maybe once or twice a month. Should probably do it a little more often. I did make a pot for my wedding. I do put them in a crock pot sometimes, like Ellen said, but usually I forget to put them on and then dont have enough time to do them in the crock pot so I have to cook them on the stove.

[cowboysbride]

I used to fix them on the stove...usually in the winter on the weekend when I cleaned house...that took me all day so I could check on them as i went back and forth...the crockpot is easier for me...like Cindy said just make sure you keep about an inch of water over them...first time I crocked 'em I ended up with "refried beans":bbeek: :bblol: :bbredface: LOL!

[CindySue]

first time I crocked 'em I ended up with "refried beans":bbeek: :bblol: :bbredface: LOL!
Im not going to even tell you about my 1st pot of beans!!!:bbredface:

[WhiskeyGirl]

Im not going to even tell you about my 1st pot of beans!!!:bbredface:

Uh oh! Now you've both got me scared! lol. I hope I don't screw them up. But I probably will! lol. that or they'll be under cooked!!:)

[cowboysbride]

Nah, we didn't have onewed.com! We tried to do it on our own (I refused to ask for help, I COULD DO IT I WAS SURE OF IT)

You will be fine! Didn't mean to scare ya, keep the water over them and you'll be fine!

[CindySue]

Uh oh! Now you've both got me scared! lol. I hope I don't screw them up. But I probably will! lol. that or they'll be under cooked!!:)
The reason I messed mine up is because I was completely on my own trying to cook them. But mine involved not cleaning them well and there was a dirt rock and so when they were cooked they tasted like they had sand in them.....this is why Im a freak with washing them!
And its hard to under cook them. If you taste them and they are still hard....just keep cooking them. You do have to stir them often and make sure they have water because they will scorch.

[WhiskeyGirl]

Thanks Cindy and Ellen!! :) I'm still not too sure I won't screw them up but I will give them my very best shot! I bought them in the bulk food aisle and I had the hardest time trying to find them! lol. I hope all goes well! :)

[cowboysbride]

"Homemade Buttermilk Corn Bread"

3 Cups of corn meal
1/2 cup of flour
1 Egg
"pinch" of salt
buttermilk
water

Coat bottom of 9x13 cake pan (or a large iron skillet) with oil (1/4") and put into 325 degree oven to heat while preparing mixture.

Mix all dry ingredients together then begin to add buttermilk until all ingredients are moistened, add approximately 1/2 cup of water and stir then add 1/2 cup of buttermilk...keep adding buttermilk and water (in equal portions) until the mixture is to the consistency of pancake mix...

pour mixture into heated/oiled cake pan/iron skillet and bake until top turns golden brown...flip out onto a cookie sheet to cool and cut into squares...serve warm with beans and potatoes or hot out of the oven with a slice of butter!

Southern Fried Potatoes

Peel and slice potatoes for about 2 people 4-6 medium potatoes will do (i slice them into a bowl of cold water until I am ready to fry them..its keeps them from turning black)...also I slice them "nickel thick" which is a term my grandmother used...prepare large skillet on stove top with about 1/4" of oil...get it good and hot (just above medium heat)

drain potatoes (thoroughly or the oil will splatter) and pour into the hot skillet, salt and pepper and cover to cook

turn the potatoes once when they get lightly brown (too much turning and they will get mushy) and re-salt/pepper


If the terminology confuses you I apologize, my very southern grandmother and mother taught me to cook to taste and we never measure anything...granny was always telling me stuff like "nickle thick" or "pinch"

Just thought I would share...

[WhiskeyGirl]

That sounds good Ellen! I think we are going to give this a shot! Would this be good to have with roast beef?? Yumm!! :)

[CindySue]

Southern Fried Potatoes

Peel and slice potatoes for about 2 people 4-6 medium potatoes will do (i slice them into a bowl of cold water until I am ready to fry them..its keeps them from turning black)...also I slice them "nickel thick" which is a term my grandmother used...prepare large skillet on stove top with about 1/4" of oil...get it good and hot (just above medium heat)

drain potatoes (thoroughly or the oil will splatter) and pour into the hot skillet, salt and pepper and cover to cook

turn the potatoes once when they get lightly brown (too much turning and they will get mushy) and re-salt/pepper


If the terminology confuses you I apologize, my very southern grandmother and mother taught me to cook to taste and we never measure anything...granny was always telling me stuff like "nickle thick" or "pinch"

Just thought I would share...
We will make these for breakfast a lot. Something else we do is as soon as the come out of the pan, we sprinkle butter, bacon bits and cheddar cheese on top and the are awsome!!!!
I season to taste too. Someone will ask "how much of _________ did you put in here?" Im like......."Um........enough until it tasted like that"

[cowboysbride]

Fried "taters" and cornbread goes well with lots of things...don't forget a big jug of sweet tea (suntea is the best)!

If you have one of those sandwich makers from Wal-Mart/Target...the ones that make 4 triangular sandwiches you can spoon the cornbread mix into them and have "cornbread ears"...i used to do that and put them on a plate and keep them warm in the oven until time to eat...the sandwich maker browns them evenly and makes them just right for splitting and buttering!

[WhiskeyGirl]

Matthew is going to be suprised when I serve him corn bread! lol. I had it while we were in Hawaii and it was sooooooo good!! :)

[cowboysbride]

We will make these for breakfast a lot. Something else we do is as soon as the come out of the pan, we sprinkle butter, bacon bits and cheddar cheese on top and the are awsome!!!!
I season to taste too. Someone will ask "how much of _________ did you put in here?" Im like......."Um........enough until it tasted like that"

Oh that sounds good...I will have to try that!

[WhiskeyGirl]

Oh that sounds good...I will have to try that!

That does sound good!! I'm getting hungry and I just ate lunch an hour or so ago! lol