A Traditional Pot of Beans

Each year, when the weather changes, I can't keep myself from embracing my favorite comfort foods This year, 2025, I lost two dogs and my dad and as the weather changed and the beautiful celebration of Dia De Los Muertos was upon us, I wanted to lean into the most comforting food I could think of to honor my departed, provide warmth on a cool autumn day, and most of all, to soothe my soul. What better than a pot of pinto beans to do all three? Not only are pinto beans an important part of Mexican cuisine, they, along with rice, are also part of almost every Mexican feast. I have a great recipe for a pot of beans, but I decided to do a little digging and find a more traditionally Mexican version of a basic pot of beans, and this one, while a combination of several different recipes I looked at, hits the mark: it is straightforward, uses very few no frills ingredients, and it really lets the beans shine in a lot of ways--and the earthy, herbaceous, mildly spicy smells coming from my kitchen was a little slice of heaven! Not only do you get the rich, creaminess of the beans with this method of cooking, but the beans hold together and create a flavorful bean broth, rather than bursting and thickening into a sauce. I fried up the pork belly I made over the weekend and added that as well as a little pico de gallo, some avocado and finally, a dollop of sour cream to my bowl of beans. This dish felt like the perfect way to embrace the changing seasons and cooler weather, but also to soothe our souls as we honor those who have passed.

Ingredients
  • 1 pound dried beans (I love pinto beans, but this recipe will work with almost any dried bean you like)
  • 1/2 white onion (diced)
  • 1 clove garlic (smashed)
  • 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (crumbled in your fingers)
  • 1/2 tsp dried marjoram (crumbled in your fingers)
  • 1/2 tsp dried cilantro (crumbed in your fingers)
  • 2 dried guajillo chilis (guajillos are a little smoky, but not very spicy. If you prefer a spicier pot of beans, serrano chilis are a good substitute)
  • 6 cups water
  • avocado (for garnishing)
  • pico de gallo (for garnishing)
  • bacon or fried pork belly (for garnishing)
  • sour cream (for garnishing)
  • fresh lime juice (for garnishing)
  • salt (to be added in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. My pot of beans took about 2 teaspoons of salt to have a good flavor, but add to taste.)
Instructions
  1. 1
    Sort and rinse the dried beans until the water runs clear. Add the beans, onion, garlic, oregano, marjoram, cilantro and dried chilis to a large cast iron pot. Add the water, stir gently to combine and bring to a boil. Let boil for a minute or two, just to bring to temperature and then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cover. Let simmer (check occasionally (just to make sure the water is still active) and stir very gently for an about two hours.
  2. 2
    At two hours, your house will be filled with earthy, spicy good smells and you should have a fairly rich bean broth in the pot. Check for doneness--I like my beans very creamy, but still holding together as a recognizable bean. If within about a half an hour of being done, go ahead and add the salt, bring back to a simmer and cover. After 20-30 minutes, check for doneness and salt level and adjust both as needed.
  3. 3
    Garnish with avocado, fried pork belly, pico de gallo, sour cream and lime juice if desired.
Note

I hardly ever soak my beans, but I live almost at sea level, so I've never had a real need so to do. I did a little reading and most of the traditional recipes for beans say that soaking is not necessary, and in fact, compromises the beans' integrity and causes them to split and separate from their skins. As an alternative, most of the recipes I found recommend pressure cooking beans instead soaking them.

Read it online: https://thestonesoupcook.com/recipe/a-traditional-pot-of-beans/

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