Nevada Ranch Basque Beans
Pinto beans simmered slowly with bacon, onion, and chile until thick and savory, a staple side at both ranch cook wagons and Basque boarding-house tables. It's simple, filling, and endlessly reheatable.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 150 min
- Total
- 165 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 260 kcal
Equipment
- •Large pot or Dutch oven
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- fat
- 9
- carbs
- 32
- protein
- 13
- calories
- 260
Instructions
- 1
Drain the soaked beans. Set them aside.
- 2
Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp.
- 3
Add the onion and garlic to the bacon fat. Cook until softened.
- 4
Stir in the chile flakes. Cook for 30 seconds.
- 5
Add the drained beans, broth, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- 6
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer uncovered. Stir occasionally and cook for 2 to 2.5 hours until beans are tender.
- 7
Stir in the salt only after the beans are soft.
- 8
Take out the bay leaf and serve hot.
Chef's tips
Soak the beans overnight to cut down on cooking time. Add salt only after the beans soften, because early salt toughens their skins.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 5 days; freezes well up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding water or broth as needed to loosen.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding salt too early, which keeps the beans from softening
- •Letting the pot boil dry and burning the beans on the bottom
Serving suggestions
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