Santa Maria Style Pinquito Beans

Check beans for debris and rinse thoroughly. Place the beans in a heavy pot and cover with several inches of water. The beans will expand once hydrated. Cover and soak overnight.

After soaking the beans, drain and rinse them thoroughly. Put the beans in a large heavy pot, covering them with 3 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a high simmer. Cook for 1-2 hours, stirring frequently, until the beans are tender. Add water as needed, ensuring they don’t dry out.

While the beans simmer, begin preparing the sauce. Finely chop 8 slices of bacon and cook it until it's golden brown.

Preheat the oven to broil, then rinse and dry 2-3 Anaheim peppers before placing them on a baking sheet. Broil for 5-7 minutes until blistered, then flip the peppers and broil the other side until blistered as well.

Let the peppers cool until they're easy to handle, then peel off and discard the skins. Cut off the stems, remove the seeds and membranes, and roughly chop the peppers into evenly sized pieces.

Add half a cup of cooked, diced ham and one diced white onion to the pot, sautéing until the onion becomes soft. Then, toss in four minced garlic cloves and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add chopped Anaheim peppers to the pot and stir until combined.

Next, add 2 cups of tomato puree, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of ancho chile powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of dry mustard, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 cup of water. Mix everything well.

Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Once the beans are tender, drain the water, reserving 1 cup of the bean cooking liquid. Mix the sauce and bean cooking liquid with the drained beans.

Bring the beans with the sauce to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!