This recipe is done in 2 parts. You’ll cook the beans first and once done you’ll add the good stuff: bacon, onions, tomatoes and sambal and then all the garnish. You could easily omit the bacon for a big happy pot of vegetarian beans.
Beans
1 lb dry pinto beans
12 cups of water
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
salt & freshly cracked pepper
Sort the beans and then wash. Put all the ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it begins to boil reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours at a low gentile boil. Check for the doneness of the beans at about 2 hours.
The Good Stuff
4 slices of bacon
1/2 onion, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon sambal
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 15-oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes, chopped with juice.
Garnish:
A handful of baby spinach (bagged or bunched)
queso fresco
chopped cilantro
sour cream
Chop bacon into small pieces and cook in a 4 to 6 quart pot until crisp and brown. Once brown remove the bacon from the pot and fry the minced onion in the bacon renderings. Add a little canola oil if needed. Once the onions start to brown around the edges, 3 minutes or so, add sambal, garlic, spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return the bacon to the pan along with both cans of tomatoes and cook over medium high heat for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the pinto beans and broth, taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. This dish is meant to be more of a soupy bean dish so add water if necessary.
To serve: place a few spinach leaves in the bottom of a bowl and ladle beans and broth on top. Garnish with chopped cilantro, a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of queso fresco.
You can find queso fresco in Latin markets, sambal in grocery stores or Asian markets. Or all together in some places in Los Angeles cuz that’s how we roll.
-- Recipe courtesy of MattBites.com