Pinto Bean Chili

By Diana Rattray

Serve this tasty chili with cornbread or corn muffins for an excellent everyday meal.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dried pinto beans
• 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
• 2 large green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups chopped onions, about 4 large onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 4 to 5 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation:

Pick over pinto beans; rinse. Place beans in a large bowl; cover with water and let stand overnight in refrigerator. Drain before cooking. Place drained beans in a large Dutch oven or pot; add water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until beans are tender. Bean skins should burst when you blow on a few in a spoon. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Set beans aside. In a skillet in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, sauté chopped onions and bell pepper until soft, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chopped parsley. In a large skillet melt 3 tablespoons butter; or margarine and brown ground beef lightly. With slotted spoon, transfer beef to the onion mixture; stir in chili powder and cook for 10 minutes. Add beef mixture to beans and stir in pepper, ground cumin, and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Skim off excess fat before serving pinto bean recipe. This pinto bean recipe serves 8.