Patio Pinto Beans

January is the month for the things that cannot be done in the busy months. I have taken up this principle with more intention than I used to, which is something that comes with being fifty-three — the recognition that January is not a punishment but an invitation. The nights are long and the schedule is light and the kitchen is cold in the morning until I start the stove, and that is the right set of conditions for making things slowly.

I have been making stock. Not for any specific recipe — just stock, the long kind, the kind that starts Sunday evening and runs until Monday afternoon, filling the house with a warmth that is both actual and felt. Chicken stock from the backs and necks I keep in the freezer. Beef stock from the bones I got from the butcher. Both in the same week. I now have twelve quarts of stock labeled in the freezer and I feel extraordinarily prepared for whatever February requires.

Destiny called and we talked about the baby — she wants to plan something for Shanice, a shower, and she wants my help thinking about what feels right. Not a traditional shower, she said — Shanice isn't much for games and large-party formats. She wants something smaller, closer to a gathering. She wants food. Of course she wants food. I said I would handle the food and she could handle everything else, which is the natural division of our particular collaboration. We are planning for late spring, when Shanice is about six months along and the weather is good enough for the back porch. I have already started thinking about the menu.

And then, of course, I started thinking about the beans. A pot of pinto beans is exactly the kind of food that belongs at a smaller gathering — the kind Destiny described, where people are close and the porch is warm and no one needs to be impressed, just fed well. It also happens to be the kind of food that rewards having a freezer full of good stock, which I now do. I tested this recipe last week with the chicken stock, and I will make it again for Shanice without any hesitation.

Prep Time: 15 min (plus overnight soak) | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 45 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 pound dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
8 cups chicken stock or beef stock (homemade preferred)
4 ounces thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (for serving)

Instructions

Soak the beans. Place sorted pinto beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by at least 3 inches. Soak overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours. Drain and rinse before using.
Render the bacon. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until the fat has rendered and the pieces are lightly crisped, about 6–8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Sauté the aromatics. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook in the bacon drippings over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
Build the base. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, toasting the spices in the fat for about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add beans and stock. Add the drained beans and pour in the stock. Return the reserved bacon to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are fully tender and the broth has thickened.
Season and serve. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls or a serving dish and top with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve alongside cornbread, rice, or simply on their own.

Nutrition (per serving)

Patio Pinto Beans — The Right Food for the Gathering I’m Already Planning