Pinto Beans

The brown and pink-mottled oval pinto bean is grown across Latin America and throughout the American Southwest. Like the Italian borlotti bean, it is an ingredient in many regional stews and soups and is often mixed with rice. It is an excellent bean to make re-fried beans and chillies.

Pinto beans may be sold either in cans or dried. Dried beans must be sorted and then soaked in water for 3-8 hours before cooking. Alternatively, they may be brought to the boil in a pan of water, then removed from the heat and left to soak for 90 minutes.