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Pinto beans are a versatile product, ideal for a variety of recipes. You can cook it in different ways, the main thing is to choose the right cooking technology, time of preparation and thoroughly rinse the product.
However, professional chefs believe that a crock pot is the best way to get tender and delicious pinto beans. To do everything right, learn all the secrets about this legume and start cooking!
What are pinto beans?
Pinto beans have long been a major part of Mexican cuisine.
This is a beige bean with brown speckles, changing its color to dark pink after heat treatment. In Spanish, “pinto” means colored, which confirms the color of the beans. This product has a piquant taste that goes well with various dishes.
You can cook pinto beans in a variety of ways, including boiling, frying, baking, and stewing. Nowadays, chefs around the world are turning this product off in their gourmet meals.
Are pinto beans healthy?
Pinto beans are a healthy and delicious product. With frequent and competent use, it is able to fully replace animal protein in the body. In addition, pinto beans replenish the amount of iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Experts say that regular use of such a product can have the following effect on the human body:
- reduce the increased concentration of sugar in the blood
- regulates the hormonal background
- accelerates the regeneration of tissues and mucous membranes of organs
- relieves inflammatory processes in the kidneys and liver
- removes toxins from the body by supplying pectins and fiber to the body
- improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system and strengthens blood vessels
Do you have to soak pinto beans before cooking?
Professional chefs recommend first to soak beans before starting the process of preparing dishes. There are several ways to do it:
- Soaking beans overnight. For this method, rinse the dried pinto beans under cold water and place them in a large bowl. Fill the product with water and leave for 8-10 hours. If desired, you can add salt and pepper to the water.
- Quick soaking. Rinse the dry pinto beans and place them in a saucepan. Fill it with water and put it on the stove. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and leave the beans in hot water for 2-3 hours.
- Without soaking. This is the simplest option, in which you should just rinse pinto beans. This method is suitable for some popular recipes.
Are crock pot pinto beans vegetarian?
Mexican pinto beans are an ideal product for vegetarians. The main feature is that these legumes are a source of protein, which is necessary to replace meat. Legumes are the main sources of protein of plant origin.
Nuts, seeds and cheese are also an excellent source of protein for vegetarians. Legumes in combination with grain serve as the basis of a vegetarian diet. The benefits of beans are that they are low in fat, rich in fiber, iron, B vitamins, and minerals.
Is it safe to cook dried beans in the slow cooker?
Many novice cooks are wondering whether it is safe to cook beans in a slow cooker. You just have to make pinto beans properly so that they don’t cause poisoning.
The main problem is that beans cooked at a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius become toxic for consumption. You must set up your slow cooker so that the temperature of preparation exceeds 80 degrees.
How To Cook Pinto Beans In The Crock Pot
There is a classic way of cooking beans. You just have to follow a step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Wash the pinto beans. Put it in a colander and rinse under running water.
- Soak the beans if you want to speed up the cooking process.
- Drain the water. Never cook the beans in the water in which it was soaked, as it contains oligosaccharides that contribute to increased gas formation. Always drain the water, and use fresh water for cooking.
- Prepare the pinto beans for cooking. Add chicken broth or vegetable broth to the product.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 hours. Check the water level frequently and top up if necessary (water should always cover beans). Stir from time to time.
- Remove from the heat and drain. Your pinto beans are ready for adding to delicious recipes!
How long to cook pinto beans in crock pot
Cooking beans is not a quick thing, but many do not want to waste time on its preparation. However, you can speed up the process if you know some secrets.
Beans cooked in a slow cooker can be served as a side dish to various dishes or used to prepare salads, soups, lobios, snacks, as well as vegetarian cutlets and pates. To cook pinto beans efficiently in a slow cooker, you must first of all choose the right cooking time.
Professional chefs believe that without pre-soaking, you should cook legumes for 3-4 hours. However, after soaking everything will be faster – you will spend only 1-2 hours.
Pinto beans in crock pot without soaking
You can get the best pinto beans just by cooking them without pre-soaking. For this pinto bean recipe, prepare the following ingredients:
- beans — 150 grams
- water — 500 milliliters
- kosher salt — 0.5 teaspoons
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Rinse the beans in water, pour them into the bowl of a slow cooker. Fill with hot water and set the “Cooking mode” on the equipment display for 1 hour.
- After 25-30 minutes, check the cooking process by gently opening the lid of the appliance. The beans will swell and become three times larger. Add salt, if desired – bay leaf and other herbs, for example, chili powder, cayenne pepper, or fresh cilantro.
- Put the cooked pinto beans from the slow cooker onto plates and serve at the table.
Soaked beans in crock pot
If you have enough time, prepare pre-soaked pinto beans in a slow cooker. The technology is simple:
- Rinse the pinto beans under cold water.
- Place the beans in a slow cooker pan. Set the cooking time to 3 hours. Add tomato paste and spices to taste.
- When all the beans are ready, they will become soft and crumbly.
pinto beans in crock pot with ham hock
Red kidney beans in a slow cooker with ham hocks are a great side dish or main dish for dinner. Just prepare the necessary ingredients:
- pinto beans (black beans)- 200 grams
- chicken broth – 500 ml
- olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- apple cider vinegar – 1 tablespoon
- bell pepper – 2 pieces
- ham – 500 grams
- tomato paste – 2 tbsp
- onion – 3 pcs.
- garlic – 1 tooth.
- soy sauce – 3 tbsp
- black pepper and salt – to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Soak the beans in a saucepan for 1 hour.
- After soaking, drain the water, fill the pan with beans with fresh water.
- Put the pan with the beans on the stove. Cook the beans for 2-3 hours.
- Rinse the finished beans under running water and wait until the beans cool completely.
- Peel the garlic and onion. Cut the onion into rings, chop the garlic with a knife. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, fry the onion and garlic until golden brown.
- Wash the ham, cut into thin strips. Put the diced ham on a plate and do not throw away leftover ham – it can also go into the dish.
- Send the pieces of ham in a pan skillet, fry over high heat for 5 minutes. Then add spices, tomato paste, soy sauce, salt and pepper.
- Add the beans and fried onions to the pan with the finished ham, mix everything thoroughly. A perfectly cooked dish is ready!
You can serve such cooked beans with fried egg, hot cornbread or tortilla chips.
Pinto beans in crock pot with bacon
Pinto beans with bacon are a great dish that everyone will like. To cook it, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- beans — 380 g
- bacon (or sliced salt pork) — 100 g
- bacon grease – 1 tablespoon
- garlic — 4 cloves
- onion — 2 pcs .
- tomato sauce — 120 g
- herbs – to taste
- salt — to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Soak the beans in cold water for 5-6 hours. Fill with fresh water. Cook for 1-2 hours until softened in a slow cooker or instant pot.
- Cut the bacon into strips. Fry the bacon until the crust appears.
- Mix the beans, cooked bacon with onions and tomato sauce. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with herbs before serving.
Refried beans with smoked turkey recipe
Turkey meat is dietary, so in combination with pinto beans you will get a great healthy dinner. Just prepare the following ingredients:
- smoked turkey leg — 300-350 grams
- white beans — 200 grams
- tomatoes — 2 pieces
- of sweet potatoes — 2 pieces (stem)
- dil — to taste
- carrots — 1 piece
- green onion — 2-3 pieces
- olive oil — 3 tablespoons
- spices — to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Soak the beans in advance overnight in cold water. After 12 hours, change the water and cook the beans over low heat until soft.
- Wash the tomatoes, remove the skin and cut them into large cubes.
- Wash the celery, cut into pieces. Peel the carrots and grate them on a fine grater. Add everything to the pan with the turkey and fry.
- When the meat and vegetables are ready, remove them from the heat and add the finished beans there, mix everything and leave to infuse under the lid for 10 minutes.
Using canned pinto beans
Canned beans are an excellent alternative to speeding up the process of preparing any pinto beans recipe. The cooking technology is simple:
- Transfer the canned pinto beans to a colander. Rinse the beans under cold running water to remove brine or preservative liquid.
- Use the beans according to the recipe. After washing, pinto beans are ready for use in any recipe or puree.
Why are my pinto beans still hard?
Calcium and magnesium ions contained in tap water form strong bonds with pectin molecules in the bean shell, making it tough. While soaking and cooking in salted water, sodium ions replace calcium and magnesium ions, the bonds weaken and the shell becomes more elastic.
This is the main reason why pinto beans stay firm. To avoid this, pre-soak legumes in cold water.
What can replace pinto beans?
If you don’t have pinto beans on hand, you can use the available substitutes for this product. Among them:
- Borlotti beans. The external similarity of these legumes allows you to use them as an excellent substitute. If you use a potato masher and make a mass of pinto beans, you will not notice any difference.
- Red kidney beans. Here the main similarity is due to the similarity of the internal structure. However, the skin of such beans is tougher, so you should take this into account during the cooking process.
- Anasazi beans. It is a representative of the same family as pinto beans. Most often, chefs use anasazi beans in Latin American dishes.
What to serve with slow cooker pinto beans
Serve pinto beans as a side dish or main course. It is a versatile product, also suitable as additives in salads or snacks. Combine pinto beans with vegetable oil, herbs, raw vegetables, and sour cream.
However, professional chefs do not recommend serving legumes with bread or dough.
This combination will be oversaturated with starch, which is poorly absorbed by the body.
Recommendations
To make cooking pinto beans a breeze, follow the advice of professional chefs. Among them:
- Don’t neglect beans soak. This will help remove excess starch from the product and soften its fibers.
- If you need to cook beans quickly without soaking, then use a little trick. Put the beans in a slow cooker, pour in plenty of cold water, add 0.5 tsp. soda. Bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover with a lid and top with a blanket. After an hour, drain this water, rinse the beans and boil in fresh cold water as usual.
- Boiled beans perfectly absorb the flavors of additives. Try combinations with spices (zira, coriander, chili flakes, curry, azhgon), herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, tarragon), vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, parsnips, bell peppers) and spices (fresh ginger, garlic, chili and bow).
Final Verdict
Pinto beans are a versatile product that you can use for a variety of different recipes. The main thing is to choose the right recipe and pre-soak the beans to remove starch and speed up the cooking process.
Next, you will have to choose the right time to prepare and choose spices and seasonings. However, if you still want to cook pinto beans faster, use a crock pot.
So you will get a delicate dish with a soft structure. Don’t be afraid to experiment and add pinto beans to your diet!