Getting There

I hope you're not getting tired of bean pictures, but if I have to eat them, you have to see them! Today was attempt number three, and I'm definitely getting close to what I'm looking for.

I used pinto beans this time. They're an improvement over the navy beans for this dish. I thought I overcooked them in the pot but they came out a little tough here, maybe because I added salt before I put them into the oven.

I used roughly the same amounts of everything else as I did before, which was for about half the quantity of beans, so I put the cooking liquid in with the beans because I was afraid it wouldn't be wet enough. It was probably about twice as much as there should have been; it finally cooked down in the oven but I had to bake it for about two and a half hours, and the flavors are a little more subtle than I would have liked.

I added about a teaspoon of cumin this time. It was just right--it gave the beans a hint of smokiness. I'm tempted to keep adding more things to it, but I think I sholud stop here. Once I get the proportions right, I think I've got me a winner.

I'd still like to try pinks but I haven't had a chance to go looking for them yet.