Best Ever Pinto Beans

This hearty pinto bean recipe is the best ever. It uses smoked ham hock for flavor and richness. Tomato sauce and brown sugar give this meal some zing.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 353 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound dried pinto beans
• 1 (6.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 6 cups water, or more as needed to cover

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Add pinto beans to a large bowl; cover with water. Soak beans for 4 hours, changing water every 30 to 45 minutes. Drain.

Step 2

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add pinto beans, ham hock, and salt to the pot. Add more water if needed to cover beans and ham hock by at least 1 inch.

Step 3

Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until beans are just tender, 2 to 3 hours.

Step 4

Remove ham hock from beans. Remove meat from the bone; chop meat and stir into beans.

Step 5

Stir tomato sauce and brown sugar into beans. Simmer until beans are tender and flavors are blended, about 1 hour.