Texas Ranch Beans

Ingredients:
1 pound or ½ kilo of dried pinto beans
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ cup salt free chili powder
1 tablespoon of fresh minced oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 cup of water
6 cups of beef broth
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Soak the beans covered in water with the baking soda overnight. You can also use the quick method if you are sort on time. Put the beans in a large pot, cover them with water. The water should be an inch, or two above the level of the beans. Bring the beans to a quick boil, remove them from the heat, stir in the baking soda, and cover them for an hour.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large pot. Sauté the diced onions in oil for a few minutes; until they are transparent. Add the minced garlic and stir for another minute. Stir in the oregano. If you have an immersion blender, add the tomatoes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, chili powder and water to the pot and puree until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the onions, garlic and oregano to a conventional blender, and add the tomatoes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, oregano, chili powder and water and puree until smooth and pour the mixture back in the large pot.

Drain the soaked beans.

Add the pinto beans and beef broth to the pot. Using high heat, bring the pot to a full boil, then cover. Lower the temperature to a slow simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Check the beans for tenderness. Depending on the freshness of the beans, the cooking time will vary from 2 to 4 hours. When they reach the desired tenderness, add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serves: 4 to 6