How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
drop.

Whaddaya say?
--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Dec 4, 10:14*am, Melba's Jammin' >
wrote:
> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. *I did
> them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> drop.
>
> Whaddaya say?

Depends on if they're pre soaked. If so, I'd say 12-15, If not, at
least 30. Of course, I like beans extra tender.

> --
> Barb, Mother Superior

--Bryan

On Dec 4, 8:14*am, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. *I did
> them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> drop.
>
> Whaddaya say?
> --
> Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
> "Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
> Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;http://web.me.com/barbschaller

Barb....sorry to step on this thread.....but, did you see the Frog
Balls ? I immediately thought of you. They would be a great entry
to your Fair repertoire.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.f...39 0301fc8afd

On Dec 4, 8:14*am, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. *I did
> them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> drop.
>
> Whaddaya say?
> --
> Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
> "Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
> Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;http://web.me.com/barbschaller

Barb....sorry to step on this thread.....but, did you see the Frog
Balls ? I immediately thought of you. They would be a great entry
to your Fair repertoire.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.f...39 0301fc8afd

In article >,
Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
> them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> drop.
>
> Whaddaya say?

Nine minutes is too long. I'll do seven minutes next batch.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:14:50 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
> them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> drop.
>
> Whaddaya say?

How did you want them to end up? Whole, "creamy" or somewhere in
between? I think you need to see how they turned out at 9 minutes and
adjust your timing up or down the next time, depending on how you
liked the texture at nine.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On 2010-12-04, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?

My Kuhn Rikon recipe book, which is bean variety specific, advises,
10-12 min @ 15psi, unsoaked, and with water level 2" above beans.

I originally bought my PC to quick cook beans, but have since
discovered I don't like how they turn out. Even without pre-soaking,
which I prefer, I don't like the results. PC beans seem to have
a slightly gummy texture which I dislike, but that's jes me. YMMV.

nb

On Sat, 04 Dec 2010 11:01:25 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

> In article >,
> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> > How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> > PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> > beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
> > them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> > drop.
> >
> > Whaddaya say?
>
> Nine minutes is too long. I'll do seven minutes next batch.

See what I meant? I'd *like* them mushy and creamy. Makes great
comfort soup, IMO. Pinto bean soup can be completely vegetarian, yet
it tastes like there's meat in it. Add salt, onions and fresh
cilantro.

A good point was brought up about presoaking. The drill is to soak
first, throw out that water away (something about lowering the gas
producing baddies), refresh and continue cooking.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

In article >,
notbob > wrote:

> On 2010-12-04, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> > How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
>
> My Kuhn Rikon recipe book, which is bean variety specific, advises,
> 10-12 min @ 15psi, unsoaked, and with water level 2" above beans.
>
> I originally bought my PC to quick cook beans, but have since
> discovered I don't like how they turn out. Even without pre-soaking,
> which I prefer, I don't like the results. PC beans seem to have
> a slightly gummy texture which I dislike, but that's jes me. YMMV.
>
> nb

Thanks, nb. THAT's the info I was looking for -- that 12 minutes is
probable with unsoaked beans. Mine soaked overnight. I'm cooking a
little salt pork with onions now. Gonna mash some of them into it.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

In article . pbz>,
barbie gee > wrote:

> On Sat, 4 Dec 2010, sf wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:14:50 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> >> PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> >> beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
> >> them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> >> drop.
> >>
> >> Whaddaya say?
> >
> > How did you want them to end up? Whole, "creamy" or somewhere in
> > between? I think you need to see how they turned out at 9 minutes and
> > adjust your timing up or down the next time, depending on how you
> > liked the texture at nine.

See my follow up post. Nine was too much for my preference; I wanted
them whole but tender. I like notbob's remarks about not soaking them
first -- I believe I'll do the next batch with his method and time.
>
> remember that they're still cooking with the "natural" pressure release
> method, too.

Yes, yes. Understood.

> Do any recipes call for "quick" release?

No.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:14:50 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
>PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
>beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
>them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
>drop.
>
>Whaddaya say?

My Mirro cookbook says 10 minutes at 15 pounds pressure. That is
after pre-soaking.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

On Sat, 4 Dec 2010 11:49:40 -0600, barbie gee >
wrote:
>
>
> On Sat, 4 Dec 2010, sf wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:14:50 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> >> PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> >> beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
> >> them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> >> drop.
> >>
> >> Whaddaya say?
> >
> > How did you want them to end up? Whole, "creamy" or somewhere in
> > between? I think you need to see how they turned out at 9 minutes and
> > adjust your timing up or down the next time, depending on how you
> > liked the texture at nine.
>
> remember that they're still cooking with the "natural" pressure release
> method, too.

True!

> Do any recipes call for "quick" release?

I don't know, I don't follow pressure cooker recipes... I just use it
as I want. Next time, she most certainly could do a quick release and
see how it goes. Quick release is a good idea, since she seems to
want them whole. Sounds like she should have followed the manual at
4-6 minutes rather than the Miss Vickie source. As for me, the longer
they're cooked - the better I like them. I like to follow directions
for the unit first and adjust to my personal tastes after that.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On 04 Dec 2010 17:35:32 GMT, notbob > wrote:

> I originally bought my PC to quick cook beans, but have since
> discovered I don't like how they turn out. Even without pre-soaking,
> which I prefer, I don't like the results. PC beans seem to have
> a slightly gummy texture which I dislike, but that's jes me. YMMV.

I'm coming to the conclusion that I like my PC to hurry the process
along, but I don't want to use it for the entire cooking period.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

In article >,
The Cook > wrote:

> On Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:14:50 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> > wrote:
>
> >How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
> >PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
> >beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
> >them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
> >drop.
> >
> >Whaddaya say?
>
> My Mirro cookbook says 10 minutes at 15 pounds pressure. That is
> after pre-soaking.

Thanks, Susan. I wonder how much quantity has to do with timing. I had
2 cups dried (3 cups soaked) beans that were plenty done in 9 minutes.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

In article >,
notbob > wrote:

> On 2010-12-04, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> > How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
>
> My Kuhn Rikon recipe book, which is bean variety specific, advises,
> 10-12 min @ 15psi, unsoaked, and with water level 2" above beans.
>
> I originally bought my PC to quick cook beans, but have since
> discovered I don't like how they turn out. Even without pre-soaking,
> which I prefer, I don't like the results. PC beans seem to have
> a slightly gummy texture which I dislike, but that's jes me. YMMV.
>
> nb

Can't wait to see how your method works, nb. I just took them off the
heat and will let the pressure drop of its own.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:28:49 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article >,
> The Cook > wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:14:50 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
>> >PC manual says 4-6 minutes (but they indicate that time for "colored
>> >beans"); another online source, Miss Vickie, says 12 minutes. I did
>> >them for 9 minutes and am still waiting for the pressure in the pan to
>> >drop.
>> >
>> >Whaddaya say?
>>
>> My Mirro cookbook says 10 minutes at 15 pounds pressure. That is
>> after pre-soaking.
>
>Thanks, Susan. I wonder how much quantity has to do with timing. I had
>2 cups dried (3 cups soaked) beans that were plenty done in 9 minutes.

I don't think quantity has anything to do with it. More complete
directions from my Mirro book. It seems that in a 4 quart cooker you
add 2 cups water for each 1 cup beans. If using a 6 to 8 quart cooker
you need 2.5 cups of water for 3ach cup beans.

Do a quick soak. 2 cups of water for 1 cup of beans. Boil 2 minutes,
remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and add necessary
water. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to prevent frothing.

Or soak overnight.

FOR ALL DRIED VEGETABLES, COOL COOKER NORMALLY FOR 5 MINUTES, THEN
PLACE UNDER FAUCET. (Emphasis is theirs.) This may be the secret.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

In article >,
notbob > wrote:

> On 2010-12-04, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> > How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
>
> My Kuhn Rikon recipe book, which is bean variety specific, advises,
> 10-12 min @ 15psi, unsoaked, and with water level 2" above beans.
>
> I originally bought my PC to quick cook beans, but have since
> discovered I don't like how they turn out. Even without pre-soaking,
> which I prefer, I don't like the results. PC beans seem to have
> a slightly gummy texture which I dislike, but that's jes me. YMMV.
>
> nb

I did 'em for 10 minutes, nb. Good enough except for the incredibly
bland "taste" - or lack of. Chili's on the stove and probably ready to
eat now

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 12:53:51 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

> I did 'em for 10 minutes, nb. Good enough except for the incredibly
> bland "taste" - or lack of.

"Bland" is taken care of by lots of salt.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >,
> notbob > wrote:
>
>> On 2010-12-04, Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>>
>>> How long do you cook them at 15 psi?
>> My Kuhn Rikon recipe book, which is bean variety specific, advises,
>> 10-12 min @ 15psi, unsoaked, and with water level 2" above beans.
>>
>> I originally bought my PC to quick cook beans, but have since
>> discovered I don't like how they turn out. Even without pre-soaking,
>> which I prefer, I don't like the results. PC beans seem to have
>> a slightly gummy texture which I dislike, but that's jes me. YMMV.
>>
>> nb
>
> Can't wait to see how your method works, nb. I just took them off the
> heat and will let the pressure drop of its own.
>


I'm still eating the dried PB's I cooked about a year ago. I have
just 2 or 3 jars left. Soaked them overnight, parboiled for just a
few minutes, packed hot in clean quart* canning jars. Topped up
with water and salt, and processed at 11 pounds for a long time -- I
don't recall if it's 75 minutes or 90 or 100...

They are not gummy at all. They are very soft and are better for
making soup than anything else. It wouldn't be worth the trouble
except they taste better than storebought canned beans. I like to
saute an onion in a nice dollop of bacon grease, and add a dried
chipotle pepper (crushed) and a little garlic when I add the jar of
beans. Bayleaf if I'm in a bayleaf kind of mood. Thin with a
little water to make it soupy.

Bob

--
*That's a lie. I used my widemouth pint-and-a-half jars and
processed them using the "pint" timetable plus 5 minutes.

On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:19:13 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

> I've not tried adding additional salt as I've heard (but not
> substantiated) that adding salt to beans prior to the cook will make
> them tough?

I think that old wives tale has been debunked already.

>
> I read that here actually.

Take whatever you read in rfc with a grain of salt!



--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On 2010-12-06, zxcvbob > wrote:

> They are not gummy at all.

I admit I need to go back and experiment with my pressure cooker and
beans. I do not get that gummy texture from canned beans and they
are, after all, jes pressure cooked beans. OTOH, they are usually
canned from fresh beans, not dried. I do know I don't like
pre-soaking beans, as then the pulp cooks faster than the skin and
tough skinned beans are the result. Kidney and lima beans are
specially prone to this tough skin phenomena.

nb

notbob > wrote:

>On 2010-12-06, zxcvbob > wrote:
>
>> They are not gummy at all.
>
>I admit I need to go back and experiment with my pressure cooker and
>beans. I do not get that gummy texture from canned beans and they
>are, after all, jes pressure cooked beans. OTOH, they are usually
>canned from fresh beans, not dried.

Canned beans are not cooked in the can... they are dried beans
conventionally cooked in huge vats (NOT pressure cooked), canned, then
heated only sufficiently to achieve a proper seal.

On 06 Dec 2010 14:37:46 GMT, notbob > wrote:

>On 2010-12-06, zxcvbob > wrote:
>
>> They are not gummy at all.
>
>I admit I need to go back and experiment with my pressure cooker and
>beans. I do not get that gummy texture from canned beans and they
>are, after all, jes pressure cooked beans. OTOH, they are usually
>canned from fresh beans, not dried. I do know I don't like
>pre-soaking beans, as then the pulp cooks faster than the skin and
>tough skinned beans are the result. Kidney and lima beans are
>specially prone to this tough skin phenomena.
>
>nb


Here are the instructions from the USDA canning guide for dried beans
or peas. I process my dried beans this way and they turn out just
fine.

Procedu Presoak either overnight or the quick soak and drain.
Cover soaked beans with fresh water and boil 30 minutes. Add 1/2
teaspoon of salt per pint or 1 teaspoon per quart to the jar, if
desired. Fill jars with beans or peas and cooking water, leaving
1-inch headspace. ( I always have a kettle of boiling water to top
off if necessary.) Adjust lids and process. When using jars that are
between stated sized, use the instructions for the larger jar.


For dial-gauge canner:

Time 1 - 2001 - 4001- 6000 -
2000 ft 4000ft 6000 ft 8000ft
Pints 75 minutes 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb 14 lb
Quarts 90 minutes same as above.

Weighted Gauge


0 - Above
1000 ft 1000 ft
Pints 75 minutes 10 lb 15 lb
Quarts 90 minutes same as above




For fresh shelled beans either hot packed or raw:

For Dial Gauge canner:
Same pounds as for dried according to altitude.
40 minutes for pints
50 minutes for quarts
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

On Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:33:37 -0800, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

> On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:18:43 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
> >On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:19:13 -0600, Omelet >
> >wrote:
>
> >
> >I think that old wives tale has been debunked already.
> >
> >>
> >> I read that here actually.
> >
> >Take whatever you read in rfc with a grain of salt!
>
> I reported it, but I got it from Russ Parsons...and a few other folks.
> Even the folks at Cooks Illustrated. The salt doesn't toughen the
> skins... If that were so, all these years of people adding a cured
> pork product would have done so..since they are usually full of salt.
>
> Now, I soak them in salted water, and add salt at the beginning of
> cooking. Nary a problem, and I end up having great tasting beans.
>
I salted my pintos before pressure cooking yesterday. I still thought
they were bland, so I added more salt, vegetable broth, garlic and
fresh cilantro after I drained them - and they were delicious.


--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:25:16 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

>
> <lol>! Try cooking them in stock in the first place.
> I do rice the same way.

I didn't know what we were doing with them after they cooked. I was
thinking refried, but they ended up being served whole.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:26:00 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

> Christine, for some reason I'm not seeing your original posts. :-(

Check your kill file. You've probably got a filter that kills part of
her name or address, so she's collateral damage.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Mon, 6 Dec 2010 23:35:14 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:

>
> On 6-Dec-2010, Omelet > wrote:
>
> > > I salted my pintos before pressure cooking yesterday. I still thought
> > > they were bland, so I added more salt, vegetable broth, garlic and
> > > fresh cilantro after I drained them - and they were delicious.
> >
> > <lol>! Try cooking them in stock in the first place.
>
> What stock you you use? I use pork stock. I brown smoked shanks using a
> bit of oil, then toss in some chopped onion, a bay leaf or two and cover
> with water.and simmer until the meat is falling off the bone, While that is
> going on, I soak and rinse the beans. When the meat is falling off eht
> shanks, I remove it to let it cool, strain the stock then cook the beans in
> the stock. Toward the end, I put the smoked shank meat back in.

You add ham hocks to pinto beans? You don't have to add any meat,
they're meaty tasting enough on their own! For a nonmeat soup where
you don't feel like anything is missing, use pintos.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

Steve Pope wrote:
> zxcvbob > wrote:
>
>> I'm still eating the dried PB's I cooked about a year ago. I have
>> just 2 or 3 jars left. Soaked them overnight, parboiled for just a
>> few minutes, packed hot in clean quart* canning jars. Topped up
>> with water and salt, and processed at 11 pounds for a long time -- I
>> don't recall if it's 75 minutes or 90 or 100...
>>
>> They are not gummy at all. They are very soft and are better for
>> making soup than anything else. It wouldn't be worth the trouble
>> except they taste better than storebought canned beans.
>
> You see, to me this seems crazy. I rarely have to boil beans as long
> as 30 minutes to cook them to perfection (after an overnight soak; at
> sea level pressure).
>
> It's usually between 18 and 25 minutes. I shudder to imagine how
> they're turn out after 75 minutes under pressure.
>
> I suspect in your case the salt is retarding the cooking by a large
> factor.
>
>
> Steve


Of course they are overcooked. But they make a wonderful soup that way.

Bob

On Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:45:00 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:25:16 -0600, Omelet >
> > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > <lol>! Try cooking them in stock in the first place.
> > > I do rice the same way.
> >
> > I didn't know what we were doing with them after they cooked. I was
> > thinking refried, but they ended up being served whole.
>
> I understand, but it'll still add more flavor for any application,
> including re'fers. <g>
>
> I really don't see the point in cooking any grain or legume in just
> plain water, then busting a gasket trying to flavor them after the fact,
> but that's just me. ;-)

Om, if I hadn't used the pressure cooker I would have added more salt
while cooking and the problem would have been non-existent because I
*never* put stock or meat in with pintos. They are rich and meaty
tasting enough on their own if I season them properly... I'm still
getting used to how much liquid to use etc. etc. etc. in a pressure
cooker. Honestly, I wasn't complaining, just commenting on what
happened and stated how I solved the problem. It was a NON-issue for
me.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:54:50 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 6 Dec 2010 23:35:14 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > On 6-Dec-2010, Omelet > wrote:
> > >
> > > > > I salted my pintos before pressure cooking yesterday. I still thought
> > > > > they were bland, so I added more salt, vegetable broth, garlic and
> > > > > fresh cilantro after I drained them - and they were delicious.
> > > >
> > > > <lol>! Try cooking them in stock in the first place.
> > >
> > > What stock you you use? I use pork stock. I brown smoked shanks using a
> > > bit of oil, then toss in some chopped onion, a bay leaf or two and cover
> > > with water.and simmer until the meat is falling off the bone, While that is
> > > going on, I soak and rinse the beans. When the meat is falling off eht
> > > shanks, I remove it to let it cool, strain the stock then cook the beans in
> > > the stock. Toward the end, I put the smoked shank meat back in.
> >
> > You add ham hocks to pinto beans? You don't have to add any meat,
> > they're meaty tasting enough on their own! For a nonmeat soup where
> > you don't feel like anything is missing, use pintos.
>
> Well, you could make just a vegetable stock to cook them in?

When I cook them on the stovetop, I don't use or make vegetable stock.
Just salt, onion, garlic and finish it off with cilantro. Use salsa,
sour cream and chopped cilantro as a garnish, if you're feeling fancy.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.