This recipe makes a good pot of pintos.

Recipe From: Chile Pepper Magazine - Sep/Oct 1990

6 canned jalapeno peppers -- or suit yourself
1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 Pounds pinto beans -- dry
1/2 Pound salt port -- cubed 1x1x1/4"
2 Medium onion -- chopped
2 Cloves garlic -- minced

Soak the beans overnight. Drain, place in a pot, and refill with water to cover the beans and add everything else. Cook very slowly for 4 to 6 hours. When the beans are done, test for salt and adjust to our preference. Don't salt in advance, because the salt pork will do that for you.

Red Caldwell is a freelance cook and food writer based in San Marcos, Texas. He is a fifteen-year veteran of competitive cooking--chili cookoffs, barbecue, and mountain oysters. His cookbook, Pit, Pot, and Skillet, is available from Corona Publishing of San Antonio, Texas.