Pinto Beans & Green Chili

Posted by chuckwagon

December 26, 2007

Pinto Beans and Green Chili

My all time favorite southwest comfort food…

(To feed 4 to 6 people)

2 cups dry pinto beans

1 lb of ground beef or pork

4 to 5 roasted fresh green chilies (Preferably Hatch extra hot) if you don’t have access to the fresh, frozen or canned will do.

The first thing you have to do is “sort” the beans. Skip this step at your own peril. I haven’t found a bag yet that didn’t have a few bad beans, rocks or dirt in it.

Once your beans are sorted, soak them overnight with enough water to cover by at least 2?. Soaking the beans softens them some to help cooking and some say it also de-gasses them if you know what I mean. We just leave the bowl on the counter with a dish towel over them. (The dish towel is because our cat has a taste for bean water, go figure) The next day, wash the beans well and drain.

When it comes to cooking beans I prefer using a Pressure Cooker. But you can use any heavy pot you have though it will take longer to cook them.

Cooking times will vary depending on the beans and the pot you use. The darker the beans the older they are and will require a longer cooking period.

That’s another reason I like a pressure cooker. It doesn’t seem to matter how old the beans are. They will cook to a soft bean in a short period of time. In a regular pot it can take most of the day.

If you do pressure cook them, boil for at least 30 minutes to loosen the skins on the beans before you lock the lid on. Skim for loose skins several times with a slotted spoon. This will prevent the vent from clogging with loose skins, which can ruin your day when the Pressure Cooker blows its top and redecorates your kitchen!

Make sure your Pressure Cooker is not more than 2/3rds full when you lock the lid on. I pressure the beans until I can smell the sweet aroma of pinto beans in the kitchen, approximately 1 to 1½ hours.

Once you’re sure the beans are done, if you’re anything like I am, you’ll be salivating, carefully put your pressure cooker in the sink and run cold water over it for a minute or two to help relieve the pressure inside. Then with a dishtowel carefully remove the weight. If no steam escapes, you can safely remove the lid. OK, if your Pressure Cooker doesn’t have a weight, (that tells you how old my pot is) just carefully release the pressure according to your owners’ manual.

Once the beans are done (AND NOT BEFORE), add salt to taste. If you add salt before they’re done, I have found that the beans won’t get soft for you.

Now for the Green Chili part…

Cook 1 lb of ground beef or pork until done. (Use whatever meat you enjoy or happened to have on hand, this is country cookin after all.) Add a couple of cloves of minced garlic or powered to equal fresh… more or less, depending on your taste.

If you have access to fresh green chili, (preferably Hatch Chili… hot to extra hot), roast peel and chop 4 to 5 chilies, removing seeds before chopping. If no fresh, you can use frozen or canned but use a lot so you taste it. LOL

Add the chili to the meat mixture and cook on low for about 15 minutes. Add to the beans and simmer until beans start to thicken. Taste for salt and add if needed. (Probably will)

Serve with waffle corn bread and enjoy!

Yes, I make my corn bread in my waffle iron. Try it you’ll like it. Or if you prefer, they are equally great over fried potatoes or rice.

If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili,

Chuckwagon 505

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Green Chili