Pinto Beans and Greens
Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 15 minutes Soak: 1 hour Cook: 2 hours I like to serve this with a tangy, vinegary red pepper hot sauce — not Sriracha, whose sweetness doesn’t seem right here. Crumble cornbread or tortilla chips on top if desired. Crumbled or shredded cheese is delicious, too. 1 pound dried pinto beans or
yellow eye beans
2 to 4 tablespoons bacon fat
or olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, crushed 1 large sprig fresh sage or thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
Salt
3 to 4 cups loosely packed, chopped or thinly sliced kale
Red pepper hot sauce
Rinse beans well and pick through them for stones. Put beans into a large (4 to 6 quart) Dutch oven or deep saucepan. Add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Heat to a boil, then remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.
Add water if needed so beans are covered by 2 inches. Add bacon fat, garlic and herb sprig. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to very low. Partly cover the pan and let simmer, stirring often and add water as needed to always keep beans covered by at least an inch. Cook until the beans are tender to the bite (you’ll need to taste them), usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add 1 teaspoon salt and simmer 10 more minutes. At this point you can refrigerate the beans for several days in their liquid.
Reheat beans if necessary. Use a potato masher to lightly crush a few of the beans; usually 3 or 4 mashes does it. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Stir in the kale and simmer until it is tender, about 10 minutes. Serve hot in bowls with plenty of hot sauce.