Fresh Brothy Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

3 C dry pinto beans

½ Onion chopped

2 garlic cloves

a couple good shakes of cumin

1 can chicken broth, then water. Enough water to cover the beans by 4 inches

1 T of bacon fat or pork lard (optional)

Sort through dry beans on a cookie sheet, 1 C at a time. 

Take out all broken beans & rocks. 

Rinse in a strainer and place in the slow cooker. 

Continue until you’ve sorted and rinsed all of the beans. Fill the pot with enough water that the beans are covered by 4 inches. Add all the other ingredients.

Cook in the slow cooker on high for 6 hours. 1 hour before, add a generous pinch of salt at least a tablespoon. Check again at the end for seasoning & add more salt if you need it.

Top with Cotija cheese (aged, crumbly, white Mexican cheese found near Mexican cheeses, sometimes by gourmet cheeses)