RANCH BEANS WITH BACON

Ranch Beans with Bacon image

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 pound pinto bean
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crossways in 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, veins removed, and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (14-ounce) can ready-cut tomato
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

Steps:

1. Pick over dried beans carefully and remove any pebbles or debris. Place in a large strainer or colander and rinse thoroughly under cold tap water. 2. Put the beans in a large pot, and add fresh tap water to cover by 2 inches. Add the bay leaf and oregano. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium high heat, then turn heat to low, cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the broth begins to thicken. (Add additional hot water during cooking, if the liquid thickens before the beans are tender. Do not let beans boil dry.) 3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the bacon to the beans. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, and cook the onion and cumin in the remaining bacon fat, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, about 3 minutes. 4. Add the tomato mixture to the beans and cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until the broth is thick, about 10 minutes. Add salt, if needed. (The amount of salt in the bacon will determine if extra salt is needed.) Serve hot, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutrition Facts : Nutritional Facts Serves