Santa Maria–Style Pinquito Beans

These are hands down the best beans I have ever made, and we cook a lot of beans in our home. I have used canned pintos in a pinch, and they still come out great, but if you can get your hands on some real pinquito/Lompoc beans from California, they are truly fantastic. I always serve these alongside a Santa Maria style tri-tip with salad, garlic bread and a hearty Lodi Zin or Paso Robles cab. Perfection.

These beans are delicious! I didn't add the ham because I wanted the beans to shine. I used crushed tomatoes in place of the puree tomatoes and a red chili powder in place of the ancho chili powder because that is what I had on hand. My husband said they are the bests beans he has ever eaten (we eat a lot of beans).

I have made several different versions of Pinquito beans. Turns out that this recipe is really very, very good. I doubled on the Anaheim chilis. Jus' because...

I made this in the instant pot with small white beans I got from my local Mexican market. Also with a ham bone that had a fair amount of meat on it and homemade chicken bone broth. For the bacon I used a 1 lb package warmed in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, sliced it crosswise and pulled off all the fat. High pressure for 75 minutes and release pressure naturally. Ancho Chile powder is available at most grocery stores. I also used smoked paprika. Served with a smoked tri-tip, simple salad and garlic bread. Got rave reviews specifically for the beans.