For the beans, start with 2 cups of dry pinto Beans:
- Place them in a large bowl or pot of water (about 6 cups or so), and let them soak overnight.
- In the morning, drain and rinse the beans, then add them in a pot with about the same amount of water you used to soak them, and let them boil on the stove top for about 15 minutes (this step will make it so that the beans won't give you gas).
- Drain the beans again, and put them in a medium or large crockpot, with 6 to 8 cups of fresh water, and let them cook on high, for about 5 or six hours, until they are soft and tender. Do not add any salt to them until the end. Salt will make the skins loosen, and fall off.
- You can season the beans right away after they are cooked, or you can refrigerate the cooked beans for a few days and season them later.
- To season them add:
- 1 1/2 cups of smoked sausage (we used Hillshire Farms for the class, but you can also use bacon, or ham, or any other kind of sausage) cut into pieces.
- 3/4 cup chopped cilantro,
- 1 cup tomato, de-seeded, and cut into pieces,
- 3/4 cup onion (white purple or yellow) finely chopped
- 1 jalepeno finely chopped (the smaller they are, the hotter they are. Remove seeds if you don't want as much heat).
- In a large pot, add a Tbs. butter or oil and put on med. high heat. Add the Sausage, onions, and jalepeno, and let them cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are tender.
- Add the cooked beans, and the water they cooked in, the tomato and the cilantro, and bring mixture to a boil.
- Cover and let it boil for about 20 minutes, until it begins to thicken up. While it's boiling you can make some homemade tortillas!
- To make the tortillas, it's best if you have a tortilla press, and some tortilla flour:
I purchased this one at Mariana's on Sahara and Valley View for $5.99
You can purchase this brand at any Wal Mart
- Follow the package directions for the flour to water ratio. You want to use warm water, and for the dough to be moist, but firm. Form into small balls.
- Take a gallon size ziploc bag, and cut the sides open, so that you can use it to cover the tortilla press (so that the dough won't stick to the press)
- Press down with the press until it flattens, and you get the desired thinness of your tortilla (you may need to press down twice to make them thinner).
- In a med-high heat frying pan, or skillet, place the tortillas and cook one to two minutes on each side, until they are cooked through.
- Place the cooked ones between cloth or paper towels to keep them warm and the moisture in them.
- When the beans are have finished cooking add some salt (salt to taste).
- Pair these with the warm tortillas and you have a fantastic meal!
Thanks Nara, for teaching such a fantastic class!
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