pinto bean

Small oval pale pink beans with red-brown streaks or splotches. When cooked, the red-brown markings disappear, and they become a solid pink color. Pinto is the spanish word for "painted." Pinto beans are often served with rice, soups, stews and Mexican food and are an excellent source of fiber and the trace mineral molybdenum, which is beneficial for anyone sensitive to sulfites in food. Pinto bean varieties include: Sierra, Burke, Othello and Maverick.

plural: pinto beans

Ingredient

Season: available year-round

How to select: Available canned and dried. Dried: Look for whole beans with no cracks and no evidence of moisture or insect damage. Canned: Look for beans that do not contain extra salt or additives.

How to store: Store dried beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry dark place up to twelve months.

How to prepare: refry, simmer

Matches well with: bacon, beer, cheese, chiles, cilantro, garlic, onions, oregano, rice, tomatoes

Substitutions: pinto bean = = kidney beans = pink beans = red beans