Dry pinto beans are cooked with spicy smoked sausage and a ham bone or ham hock, along with garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings. Serve these savory pinto beans with hot boiled rice or savory grits for a simple and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 6 cups water
- 1 ham hock, or a meaty leftover ham bone
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound andouille smoked sausage, or similar smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes, diced
- 1 (4-ounce) can mild green chile peppers, or a mixture of mild and jalapeño, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed, optional
- 4 cups cooked white rice, long-grain, or quick grits, hot boiled
Method
-
The night before put the pinto beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water to a depth of about 3 inches above the beans. Let them stand for 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.
-
Combine the soaked and drained beans with water, ham hock, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium; cook the beans for 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender.*
-
Add the salt, sliced sausage, tomatoes, mild chile peppers, and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
-
Remove ham hock and remove the meat from the bone. Shred the ham with a fork or chop. Return the ham to bean mixture.
-
Serve the pinto beans over hot cooked rice.
Tips
- Some believe acidic ingredients like tomatoes, ketchup, molasses, wine, lemon juice, or vinegar can prevent dry beans from becoming tender. And some say hardness of the water can have a negative impact. If you regularly have trouble with beans becoming tender, add acidic ingredients after the beans are tender.
- If the weather is very hot, soak the beans in the refrigerator.