Cowboy Beans Recipe

Soak the beans

Rinse the dried pinto beans under cold water and remove any debris. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 4 cups of cold water. Soak for 6–8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before cooking. (Quick soak: bring beans and water to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and soak 1 hour, then drain.)

Cook the beans

Place the drained beans in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 4 cups fresh water and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered or partially covered for 45–60 minutes until beans are just tender but not falling apart. Reserve beans and 1 cup of cooking liquid for later.

While beans simmer, prepare the meat and aromatics. Chop bacon into 1/2-inch pieces. Dice the onion and green pepper. Mince the garlic. If using a ham hock or kielbasa, chop the kielbasa into 1/2-inch slices or leave the ham hock whole to be removed later.

In a large skillet or the same Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until the fat renders and bacon is crisp on the edges, about 6–8 minutes. Remove most of the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.

Add the diced onion and green pepper to the bacon fat and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5–6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

To the onion/pepper mixture, stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen flavor. Add the diced canned tomatoes (with juices), ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined and bring the mixture to a low simmer for 3–4 minutes to meld flavors.

If using kielbasa, add the slices now and cook for 2–3 minutes. If using a ham hock, add it in at this stage so it can impart flavor while beans finish cooking.

Add the cooked beans and any reserved bean cooking liquid (about 1 cup) to the pot with the sauce and meat. Stir to combine. If the mixture looks too thick, add additional water or broth 1/4 cup at a time until you reach a thick stew-like consistency.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20–30 minutes to allow flavors to marry and the sauce to reduce. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a teaspoon more brown sugar or vinegar if you want sweeter or tangier balance.

If you added a ham hock, remove it, shred any meat from the bone, chop, and return the shredded meat to the pot. Stir in the reserved cooked bacon pieces.

Spoon beans into a serving dish. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and sliced green onions if desired. Serve warm with cornbread, rice, or over baked potatoes.