Ingredients:

  • 1 lb dry pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups filtered water
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 1 jalapeño, halved and seeded
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 0.5 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 0.5 tsp salt (to taste, added at end)

Instructions:

  1. Spread the 1 lb pinto beans onto a flat surface. Pick out any broken beans, shriveled ones, or small stones. Place them in a colander and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.
  2. Place the diced yellow onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, and the halved jalapeño into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the 1 tsp smoked paprika, 0.5 tsp cumin, and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Tuck the smoked ham hock right into the center of the aromatics.
  3. Pour the rinsed pinto beans over the vegetables and meat. Add the 6 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Drop in the bay leaf and push it under the liquid. Cook on LOW for 8 hours.
  4. Around the 7 hour mark, check the beans. They should be tender but not falling apart. If the liquid looks too thin, mash a half cup of beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in to thicken the sauce.
  5. Remove the ham hock and the bay leaf. If there is meat on the hock, shred it and add it back to the pot. Taste the liquid before adding the 0.5 tsp salt. Season only after the beans are soft.