Cooking Pinto Beans
Tips For Cooking Pinto Beans To Perfection
Cooking pinto beans is fairly easy, as they have been used for centuries as a staple ingredient in Mexican foods. Pinto beans have a distinct, almost sweet quality when cooked properly, and this is not a hard task to master even for those who suffer culinary unawareness. Yes, this includes the likes of me, which is why I have chosen to break down information about not only cooking pinto beans, but the many things that you can prepare with them once you have accomplished this first important step. Cooking pinto beans can be done a couple of different ways, depending on the end result preferred, and takes a total of seven to eight hours if done correctly. This is not all cooking time, as the beans need two separate soaking methods before they are ready for simmering. And here we go…
Cooking pinto beans must be done after the dry beans have been sorted and soaked in cold, lightly sanded water for about two hours. When sorting them, you will want to hand sift them before they are placed in water, checking for and discarding any beans which are dark brown or black in color. This is a great time to check that they smell clean and not earthy, as this can be a sign of mold. Moldy beans should never be used for human consumption, nor should those beans which look as if they have tried to sprout. When pinto beans have been subject to moisture, these problems can occur. Once you have determined that your pinto beans are fresh and ready for soaking, place them into the water.
While soaking, you will want to mix your beans around a few times and allow the natural sediments and particles to float to the top of the bowl or pan. If you wish, you can change the soaking water half way through, depending on how dirty it seems. After three hours of cold soaking, you are ready to begin the first phase of cooking pinto beans. The beans should be placed over high heat in a large kettle and covered until the come to a boil. Let them boil for about 5 minutes, and then remove them from the seat and keep them covered for about an hour. Once this has been done, you will want to strain the beans in a colander, rinse them with clean water, and place them back into the kettle with fresh water. Now would be the time for adding garlic or onion to your cooking pinto beans, as they will be simmering for about four hours.
Cooking pinto beans this way gives a great texture and tenderness. They can be left whole or mashed. To mash them, save the juice that you cooked them in and add a little bit of at a time while you mash the beans with a potato masher. When they are as thick or as soft as you wish, you are done cooking pinto beans.