The Best Pinto Bean Recipe!
This fall weather is really reviving my spirit and has me in the kitchen more than ever! I feel the need for warm tasty dinners like these beans with ham hocks!
Beans are an amazing nutrient dense food as long as they are properly prepared to make the absorption and digestion of them easier. I will explain proper preparation method in the recipe! Beans are a great source of protein, only they are not a complete protein on their own. There are 9 essential amino acids that we need to get from food for good health. Animals proteins are the only source that has all 9 essential amino acids. However, you can pair certain plants together to get all 9. Rice is one that you can pair with beans to complete the amino acid profile. I highly recommend cooking your rice with bone broth for added flavor and nutritional impact!
I thought it was strange when we visited Brazil as a teenage and they always had rice and beans with every meal, but now it makes sense, plus it is super tasty! Anyways, here is Camerons Moms bean recipe that converted me to a bean eater, so give it a try!
Ingredients
2lb Pinto Beans
1 med onion
4 garlic cloves
2 celery sticks
1/2-3/4can tomato sauce
1/4c mustard
Salt to taste
Instructions
- Sort the beans to make sure there are no rocks in them.
- Wash and rinse the beans well
- Put the beans in a 6 quart bowl and cover with about 4-5 inches of water and let sit overnight minimum. This is the important step to properly prepare beans. Soaking and allowing them to sprout reduces there enzyme inhibitors and anti nutrients. It also naturally makes them easier to digest which helps you to absorb their nutrients.
- Once beans have soaked overnight and sprouted, dump the water out and add the beans to a 6 quart Dutch over/cock pot/instant pot.
- Dice the onion, garlic, celery and add to the beans
- Add the ham hock
- Add enough water to cover it all and about 1-2inch above the beans
- You can pressure cook for 45 min on high with an instant pot or let slow cook for 4-6hrs. Till the meat falls off the bone of the ham hock.
- Add the tomato sauce, mustard and salt.
- Let simmer another hr or so.
- Enjoy! They freezer super well and thaw out even tastier!
P.S. I can say this recipe is just as great with black beans!