My last thread about these beans had a bunch of errors in syntax and sentence structure that would
make this hard to do properly the first time. So I will try again and do a better job.

First soak a pound and a half or two pounds of beans in water for a minimum of 18 hours. The beans will
triple in volume, so make sure the container is big enough for that, and you use enough water to help them
soak and increase in volume, but also enough to keep them covered even after they double in size or better.

Once the beans have soaked overnight, take your hand or a large spoon and stir em up good, then dump
the water, then replace with fresh water to cover, basically the same amount of extra water as you dumped
out...keep this ready near the stove.

Before cooking the meat and roux, chop a large onion as fine as you want to and set it aside near the pot.
The size of the chop is irrelevant to the recipe, so do what you like best. If you like bell peppers and celery
you can also add an equal volume of that, chopped the same way. it will be great with or without. You want
to keep these veggies CLOSE to the stove, since they will stop your roux from cooking in runaway fashion
nearly instantaneously, which is good. Never add anything to a burnt roux, the dish is ruined and the
ingredients wasted.

Take your meat, which in my case is almost always the trimmings from a rack of spare ribs that has been
cut to 'St. Louis style', and add it to a cooking pot with a 5 tablespoons of oil. Fry the meat on all sides slightly,
browning it, and when it is browned a bit, remove it and set it aside. To the hot oil, add about 3-4 tablespoons
of flour and stir continuously, and I do mean continuously, until the roux turns a dark, golden brown. Once it hits
that shade, IMMEDIATELY dump in the vegetables and cook those til they get soft, about 3-5 minutes. Once that
is done, add about a half teaspoon of black pepper, a tablespoon of garlic powder, and if you have white pepper,
some of that, too. Be careful with a roux....it can burn in seconds. Not only can it burn in the food prep sense,
it can burn in the hazard sense. If it gets on you, not only will it be well over 500 degrees, it will STICK to you,
making the burn worse. Even stirring it can be dangerous if it spatters up on you. It won't spatter like bacon,
but it can be induced to splash up, so be careful. Many's the time my stirrer stuck and skidded on the bottom,
shooting drops up at me. AND DO NOT USE A PLASTIC OR VINYL ANYTHING! Wooden spoon or metal spatula only.

Now there is nothing to do but add your beans with the fresh water you added after rinsing, which should ideally
fill the pot, with added browned meat from earlier, to about the 3/4 full point. Simmer uncovered for about an hour.
At that point, you can mash the beans some with a potato masher and add another quart of water or so, cooking
for another 20-40 minutes until the liquid is thick and creamy like a stew. Add salt to taste and enjoy. Some may not
like SEEING the white cartilage from the rib meat, so remove it prior to serving. Kids in particular will holler. It will
be easy to spot. It is harmless, so if we are all adults here, you can serve it with the cartilage still in it. ENJOY IT!
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Thanks for the recipe, Brad. :-)

I'm going to put this to use this weekend I think. Though, I may have to set up separate sleeping quarters outside afterwards. I'm rather... let's call it "jovian"... to begin with. Then add some beans to the mix? Watch out. :-)
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Growing up my dad made pinto beans regularly (as in once every week or two, regularly). I haven't had them in years though. May just have to give this a try.
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This sounds really good! I will have to give it a try.
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It's called gristle. Come on, brad, we were raised in the south. We've ate enough of it to freak most kids out completely.
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Sounds delicious Brad and thanks for the recipe...:-)
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On my second bowl now... Got dam delicious. I bought St. Louis ribs already, so I had to compromise with salt pork. Which was a GOOOOOD choice. Plus, halfway through smoking the ribs, I trimmed off some thin bits, chopped em up, and threw em in too.

And, I learned how to make a roux.

Thanks again, brad. My family, however, will perhaps have other thoughts, once these beans make it through my system. :-)
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I tell you one thing, beans are beans for sure, but PINTOS are, to me, the fartiest beans there are.
So my condolences to your families, each and every one of you. I forgot to add to this recipe, all I have learned
about gas from beans. ALWAYS SOAK OVERNIGHT, and NEVER add salt til the very end. If you follow both of those
rules, your farts will be as minimal as is possible in an impossible sitcho.
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Peter, I have started adding roux to every cajun dish I make, and my mother tells me, "OH no, you NEVER use a
roux in THAT dish. I tell her, yes you do, at least the way I DO it. I think it is the roux that makes these beans
so good. It certainly makes them completely devoid of any need for RICE, which seems to be a sin in cajun country.
I can eat this recipe like a stew, although for large families, rice is still a good idea, helps em go around better.

Once you feel like you can make a roux without A: burning it and B:, making it too pale, you are ready
to advance to THIS RECIPE.
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...always brings to mind the "campfire" scene from Blazing Saddles:-)
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