Directions:

Cut chilies in half and remove seeds and veins, then cut them into strips or chop them.

Boil the tomatoes for 5 minutes, just enough for the skin to soften and be easy to remove.

Peel tomatoes and place them into a blender with garlic, cumin, and pepper.

Pour in a cup of water and blend until you get a light sauce. Set aside.

In a sauté pan heat the oil over medium heat.

Add onions and chilies and cook for 5 minutes or until onions become transparent and chilies start to soften.

Add the ground meat and break it with the back of a spoon cooking for 5 minutes or until changes its color.

Pour in the tomato sauce and mix. Add water or beef stock enough to cover the meat.

Bring to a boil, cover the pan and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Add potatoes to the pan, mix, and cover again. Cook until tender (about 10-12 minutes).

Uncover the pan, adjust seasonings if needed, then let the sauce reduce to the desired consistency.

For Pinto Beans:

Rinse the dry beans in a colander. Put them in a large stock pot and add 12 cups water.

Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a medium-low simmer.

Add the garlic, onion, sugar, chicken bouillon, jalapeno/s, and ham bone. Bring to a boil again and then reduce the heat to medium low.

Simmer on medium low with the lid on but vented. (Tilted so that it’s not sealed) Stir occasionally.

Cook for 2-3 hours. After about an hour and a half, add salt so that it can absorb into the beans as they finish cooking. I added somewhere between 2-3 teaspoons, but taste as you go. The beans will continue to absorb the salt as they finish cooking, so be cautious.

Continue cooking until the beans are tender. Taste them ; if the beans are still hard or chalky, keep simmering. Don’t wait until the liquid has cooked off so much that they look like refried beans–you want plenty of bean gravy.

Remove the ham bone and discard (if there is any meat on it, chop it and add it to the pot).

Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh limes.

Slow cooker instructions:

Rinse the dry beans in a colander.* Add to a crock pot, then fill the pot with water until it reaches 2 inches above the beans. Add all the other ingredients except the salt.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Start checking at 6 hours and taste. Add the salt for the last hour of cooking.

Remove the ham bone and discard (if there is any meat on it, chop it and add it to the pot).

Garnish with limes

Serve with Pinto Beans and warm tortillas.

Enjoy !!