Back in the 1970s before the whole world was a mouse-click away, Min’s grandfather, Lee Almy, a guy who took his beans very seriously, had pintos shipped down to Carlsbad, New Mexico, from Cortez, a small town in the prized pinto-bean-producing southwestern corner of Colorado. He flavored these superior beans simply with chili powder and salt. Min’s dad, Max, adds a can of Rotel tomatoes and a leftover hambone when available and simmers them in a slow cooker. Min’s aunt Betty is a purist and cooks her pintos plain, seasoned only with salt and sometimes chopped ham. Aunt Sarah, from a long line of ranchers across Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, cooks pintos the way her mama taught her—unsoaked beans and a hunk of salt pork in the pressure cooker for an hour and a half. Then she simmers them with a little fresh garlic. Whichever way you cook them, serve with cornbread, sliced raw onion, slices of fresh jalapeño pepper, and the cheater meat of your choosing.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　1 pound dried pinto beans

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

　　1 cup chopped celery, with leaves

　　4 garlic cloves, minced

　　2 tablespoons chili powder

　　1 teaspoon ground cumin

　　Kosher salt

　　

Step 1

RINSE and soak the beans according to the package directions.

　　

Step 2

HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

　　

Step 3

DRAIN the beans and combine them with the vegetables, chili powder, cumin, and 6 cups of water in a medium or large slow cooker (at least 4 quarts). Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally and add water as necessary. Season the beans with salt to taste.

　　Cheater BBQ