Beans and More Beans

I love beans. I learned how to make them from my mother-in-law. Take 2 cups of pinto beans, rinsed, and put them in a pot with some onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and salt pork/hambone/hamhock, cover with water, then simmer for about an hour. (She doesn’t presoak them but I usually do, then precook them for about half an hour - not sure if it helps with the GI distress but that’s why I do it that way, although I like it her way better, it‘s not so soupy.) After that, put it in a crockpot and cook it all day. Pick the meat off the bone and add back into the beans. Mush up some of the beans if you want it thicker consistency. It comes out kind of like a bean soup. Very simple but tasty.


For part two, take the leftover beans, add some more onion, chili seasoning (I use McCormick Hot Chili), New Mexico Chili Powder (about a tablespoon to half the packet, depending on how much you like), cayenne, green pepper & jalapeno if you like, a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, and some browned meat (like hamburger or thinly sliced beef). Put it all back into the crockpot and cook on low for about 6 hours.


I don’t have any preset times or amounts, for day two, since the beans are already cooked, the cooking in the crockpot is more to blend the flavors together. If I think of it, I’ll add a bay leaf or the bottom of a jar of salsa, etc.

For the two of us, this makes enough beans and chili to where we’re tired of eating it. Sometimes I’ll freeze a little for later (like to top a chili dog).

In Texas, chili does not have beans, but I like more beans than meat, with the meat being more like a seasoning.

In the local paper recently, there was an article about how to reduce the “beano” effects of beans. Some of the suggestions included adding cola (it seems to me that would be sweet), or cooking everything with a potato (which is removed before serving). Someone said, “You can eat beans on Saturday night and go to church on Sunday without risking any embarrassment.” I tried adding half a teaspoon of baking soda. I don’t really know how well it worked, since beans don’t bother me.

Today hubby started talking about Thanksgiving. Arrrrgggh!!! I'm such an uptight person (over planner) that just the thought gives me an anxiety attack. I’m not sure if we’re having it at our house or at my sister-in-law’s. I look forward to it and dread it all at the same time, especially if I’m cooking. I’ve already started marking recipes. I can’t deviate from the regular turkey/stuffing/mashed potatoes, but I was thinking of those cheese twists you make with puff pastry for an appetizer.