Serves: 8
Total Calories: 118

1 pound pinto bean
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crossways in 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, veins removed, and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (14-ounce) can ready-cut tomato
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

1. Pick over dried beans carefully and remove any pebbles or debris. Place in a large strainer or colander and rinse thoroughly under cold tap water.

2. Put the beans in a large pot, and add fresh tap water to cover by 2 inches. Add the bay leaf and oregano. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium high heat, then turn heat to low, cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the broth begins to thicken. (Add additional hot water during cooking, if the liquid thickens before the beans are tender. Do not let beans boil dry.)

3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the bacon to the beans. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, and cook the onion and cumin in the remaining bacon fat, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the tomato mixture to the beans and cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until the broth is thick, about 10 minutes. Add salt, if needed. (The amount of salt in the bacon will determine if extra salt is needed.) Serve hot, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 8
Total Calories: 118
Calories from Fat: 38

More Recipes from the 1,000 Mexican Recipes Cookbook:
* Beans, Rice, and Pasta
Basic Chickpeas
Basic Pot Beans
Basic Refried Beans
Basic White Rice
Beans with Chorizo, Chiles, and Tequila
Black Beans Yucatán
Black Beans and Rice
Black Beans with Diced Pork, Yucatán-Style
Chickpeas with Spinach
Fresh Fava Beans
Green Rice
Horsemen’s Beans
Lima Beans with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Mexican Rice
Pinto Beans with Fried Onions
Quick Refried Black Beans
Ranch Beans with Bacon
Red Beans and Pork Chili
Red Rice with Chicken
Rice with Carrots
Rice with Chickpeas
Rice with Corn
Rice with Crab, Yucatán Style
Rice with Ham and Pineapple
Rice with Minced Pork or Beef
Rice with Mixed Vegetables
Rice with Mushrooms and Poblano Chiles
Rice with Pine Nuts
Rice with Plantains
Rice with Sausage and Cabbage
Rice with Shrimp and Corn
Rice with Squash Blossoms
Tomatillo-Cilantro Rice
Vermicelli with Chicken Meatballs
Vermicelli with Mushrooms
Vermicelli with Turkey
White Beans and Carrots with Green Onions
White Beans with Roasted Garlic
Yellow Rice with Peas
Yucatán Puréed Black Beans