I love these Cowboy Beans. You know the kind of beans I’m talking about, the beans you get in a little cup at a Mexican food restaurant? Charro Beans? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/frijoles_charros They are absolutely delicious.
This recipe came about because I was making tacos for Allen, Taco Tuesday you know, and I was trying to think of something different, not just the usual TexMex ground beef tacos. I had some ribeye steaks in the refrigerator that I didn’t just want to grill and serve with a baked potato so I decided I’d make ribeye steak tacos. Oh, yum! I was even looking forward to those!! Then, I was wondering, “how will I serve them”? That grilled ribeye steak deserved so much more than just some lettuce and tomatoes. I started thinking about how good beans would be with the ribeye, so there you go. Quick, easy, satisfying….all of the above!
Yummy and delicious these beans are perfect just as a side dish or a starter for your Mexican food dinner or lunch, or just by themselves.
Quick, Satisfying Cowboy Beans
I cooked these beans in my Instant Pot; however, you can cook them stovetop or in a slow cooker. There’s two steps, first to cook the beans then second to add the additional ingredients that make them the cowboy beans. Be sure and serve them when you make my Chipotle Grilled Ribeye Steaks!
Qick Cowboy Beans
Ingredients
For the Beans: In the Instant Pot or on the Stovetop
- 1 lb dried pinto beans (soaked if you are cooking stovetop)
- 2 Tbps lard or bacon drippings
- 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
- salt
For the Quick Cowboy Beans
- the cooked beans
- 4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeno slices
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup cilantro, optional
Instructions
For the Beans
- To the Instant Pot add the beans, lard and onion and cover with water about 2 inches above the beans. Set the Instant Pot on beans mode (should be 30-35 minutes) and cook until the time has elapsed. Then, do the quick steam release. Leave the beans in your Instant Pot. If you are going to cook stovetop, I would soak the beans the night before, combine all the ingredients adding about 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for about 2 hours or so until tender. I start my stovetop beans out with a lid, then when they begin to soften, I remove the lid and cook uncovered so the juice will begin to thicken. If you are using a slow cooker, the same instructions apply as stovetop. The myth about salt preventing the beans from softening is not true. You can add salt from the beginning. I would only add about a teaspoon if you add to beginning to prevent over salting. Then, when the beans are done check for seasoning and add salt to taste. You can do this step ahead, either the day before or even earlier that you have frozen.
For the Final Quick Beans
- In a saucepan or skillet cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring regularly, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so, preventing burning. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes blending the flavors. To the beans in the Instant Pot, add this mixture and set the Instant Pot for an additional 10-15 minutes. When that time has elapsed, either do the quick release or allow to release the steam on their own. If you cooked your beans in a slow cooker, add this mixture to your beans after the first 2/3 of cooking. If you cooked stovetop, add the mixture after the two hour or so when your beans are done, then cook an additional 15 minutes or so.