Slow-Simmered Pinto Beans
This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units). It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews. Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.
Ingredients:
1 lb dried pinto beans
1/4 lb bacon, diced
10 sprigs cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 serrano chile, split
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients except salt with six cups of water in a 6 quart dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered until the beans are tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours. Stir occasionally to keep the beans from sticking. Add up to one cup of additional water if the beans appear to be drying out before they’re tender. At the very end of cooking, season with salt to taste.
Recipe adapted from Saveur by thehungryengineer.com