Well, if y’all ever get a hankerin’ for somethin’ hearty, warm, and simple, I got a real good recipe for ya: Pinto beans with pork. It’s a dish that’ll fill your belly and keep ya satisfied, and don’t take much to put together. Now, you know, us folks don’t always have fancy ingredients laying ‘round, but this one’s made with what you got in the pantry and the fridge, and I reckon it’s as good as it gets.
So here’s how you make it. First, get yourself a bag of pinto beans. Don’t matter if they’re dried or not, but I usually go for the dried ones. You know, the kind that take a bit more time to cook, but they taste just right once they’re done. You don’t need no special kind, just regular old pinto beans. Now, you’ll need about a pound of ‘em.
Next, you’ll need some pork. I usually use salt pork, but if you can’t find that, you can just use some regular pork belly or pork shoulder. Heck, even a pork chop’ll work if you ain’t picky. You want about a half-pound of it, though. Cut it up into little chunks, ‘bout the size of a quarter, maybe a little smaller. This pork’s gonna give the beans a nice salty, savory flavor that just makes the whole thing taste better than you’d believe.
Now, toss those beans and pork into a big ol’ pot. A slow cooker works best for this, but if you ain’t got one, don’t worry. A regular pot will do just fine. Just make sure it’s big enough to hold everything and give ‘em room to cook. After you got your beans and pork in there, fill up the pot with water. You wanna cover the beans by about two inches. It’s not an exact science, so don’t get all worried if it’s a little more or less.
Once that’s done, turn on the slow cooker and set it on low. Let it cook for about 6 to 8 hours. If you’re using a regular pot, bring it to a boil and then turn it down low, letting it simmer for about 2 to 3 hours. You’ll want to check on it now and then, give it a stir, and make sure there’s enough water. If the beans are lookin’ a little dry, just add a bit more water—no big deal.
While that’s cooking, you might wanna think about what to serve with it. I like to make some cornbread on the side, ‘cause you can never go wrong with that. And if you’re feelin’ fancy, some rice works nice too, maybe throw in a little cilantro or squeeze some lime juice on top to give it a fresh taste. If you’ve got a garden or a good store nearby, you can pick up some greens, like collards or spinach, and sauté those up. They’re good with beans, and they’ll fill ya right up.
Now, if you’re real hungry, you can just scoop you up a big ol’ spoonful of the beans and pork and eat it just like that. But if you’re lookin’ for a little somethin’ extra, try it with some tortillas. You can use ‘em to scoop up the beans and pork, or wrap ‘em up in the tortillas, making a nice little bean and pork burrito. It’s mighty good, I tell ya.
And don’t forget, you can top it all off with something fresh, like pickled onions or maybe some pico de gallo. Just chop up some tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, squeeze a little lime juice on there, and you got yourself a pop of flavor that’ll make the whole meal taste like summer, even if it’s snowin’ outside.
Once everything’s done, you’ll have a nice, thick stew-like dish, with the beans nice and tender and the pork all juicy and flavorful. You’ll be sittin’ there, feelin’ full and content, and you won’t have spent much time or money. It’s one of them meals that just makes you feel at home, no matter where you are.
Now, if you’re still wonderin’ what to call this, folks around here just call it pinto beans with pork. Simple as that. Some folks might call it pork and beans, but this here’s got a little more to it than just the beans and the pork. It’s got heart and flavor, and that’s what makes it special.
So, next time you’re in the kitchen and you want somethin’ easy to cook that’s gonna fill ya up and warm ya right to your bones, give this recipe a try. You won’t be sorry. It’s just the kinda dish you’ll wanna make over and over again, and each time, it’ll taste just as good as the last.
Tags: [pinto beans, pork and beans, slow cooker recipes, easy recipes, hearty meals, pork recipes]
