Discussion Board

I have been using my crockpot to make beans pretty much every week. This week, I want to make "soupy beans" like I could find at a good Mexican restaurant. Do I just cook the pinto beans a little longer than usual, add some seasoning (onion, garlic, cumin I am thinking), and voila! Soupy Beans?

Is there more to them? What am I missing?

Thanks

Sharon

When I do pintos in the crock pot, I like to caramelize my onion before I throw it in there with the beans. I usually quick soak the beans, since I rarely think to soak them overnight. I also add 2 or 3 cloves of garlic or some granulated garlic and often either a tiny bit of smoked paprika or liquid smoke. I don't add cumin, oddly enough. (I do add cumin to canned ff refried beans.) Typically you won't find cumin and other spices in Mexican pot beans. They're very basic. I usually start on high for maybe an hour or so, then turn to low. They probably take a good 5-6 hours to get to the "soupy" stage I like, depending on how old the beans are, I guess. I don't add salt until the beans are almost done.

These beans are easy enough to make "refried" after they're done cooking. Just throw them in a blender or food processor. Ta da!

Rick Bayless' pot bean recipe is here:
http://www.inspired2cook.com/2011/05/04 ... re-cooker/

For me, the caramelized onion and liquid smoke or smoked paprika does what the lard/oil or bacon fat would do. It adds that smoky slick taste/texture to the beans. Am I making sense? It's early.

I made these yesterday. I never soak or even quick-soak my beans before cooking them in the Crock Pot, just put them in with maybe 2-3 times as much water of beans and some salt, if you use it (it isn't really true that it stops the beans from getting tender). It takes about 3 hours to get the pintos nice and tender. If I want some seasonings I add them afterwards.

I do this with chickpeas and black beans too. I read about slow-cooking beans in the oven this way in a cookbook and thought it would work in the Crock Pot too, and use less electricity.

On high the whole three hours? Same setting and time for the chickpeas and black beans? I use chickpeas the most and have started making them from dried but do it on the stove and might want to try the crockpot.

Thank you! The beans turned out great. Yummy!

Sharon

I think the chickpeas take a bit longer than the pintos and black beans, but I haven't timed it precisely. The last time I made chickpeas they ended up softer than I like so it must have been pretty quick! If I'm going out I'll put the Crock Pot on low but if I'm in and can keep an eye on them I'll put it on high.