Ingredients

　　1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over

　　3 quarts (12 cups) water

　　2 large yellow onions, peeled and chopped

　　3 slices bacon, chopped

　　Salt and ground black pepper to taste

　　Combine the beans and water in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil and maintain at a simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour, checking periodically to see if more water is needed. Add the onion and bacon, and continue to cook until tender, 30 to 60 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Salsa (see page 324) is a great enhancement for either pinto or black beans. This is true whether you serve the beans on the plate or as a quasi soup in a bowl with a lot of the cooking liquid left with the beans. Pintos are a particularly strong source of folic acid, containing over 70 percent of the U.S.RDA in a 1⁄2 cup serving. You can replace the bacon in this recipe with 2 tablespoons bacon drippings.

　　Sugar Busters! Quick & Easy Cookbook