Mitch’s Beans
"I'm going to make my beans," my friend Mitch announced as we were trolling through the supermarket. "When I was poor I lived on these." He began loading the cart with cans, and I looked on, dubious, as he he added a package of bacon.
I've always been partial to Buster's Beans, which I published in my first cookbook, Mmmmm: A Feastiary. They do, however, take an entire day (and night) to prepare.
Mitch's, on the other hand, are easy. And - to my surprise - incredibly delicious.
Mitch began by cooking 6 strips of bacon. When they were done, he removed them from the skillet, leaving just enough bacon fat to saute a chopped onion, 5 minced cloves of garlic and a diced jalapeno (use less if you'd like something milder).
When the vegetables were translucent and aromatic he added 2 cans of pinto beans, a 14 ounce can of tomatoes and a tablespoon of cumin. (He says you need a LOT of cumin.) Stirring that all up he diced the bacon, threw it into the pot and left it to simmer on a very low flame for a couple of hours.
He added salt and pepper and we ate the beans - with grilled chicken and coleslaw - with enormous pleasure.