Aaron Franklin’s pinto beans
Now, I probably don’t need to tell you who Aaron Franklin is, but if you’re not familiar with him he has a barbecue joint in Austin called Franklin Barbecue, and is generally regarded as one of the finest pitmasters in barbecue. He’s most renowned for his brisket, and every day hundreds of people will wait in long lines to try a sample of his beef.
He recently came out with a book called Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto, which explains his method. While there aren’t many recipes per se, as far as cookbooks go it’s a wonderful read. The book starts off with the story of how he got into the barbecue business, and this section is especially compelling to me, as he not only goes into how much time and hard work he put into developing his barbecue technique, but he also describes how he’d sit quietly in his first barbecue trailer and dream about all that could be.
He then talks about everything you need to know to create beautiful barbecue, from building your own smoker to butchering your meat. The only thing he doesn’t cover is how to chop down trees for wood. I reckon he’s saving that for his next book.
I read a lot of cookbooks, but this might be the first that actually made me so homesick I almost cried. It’s clear that Aaron loves Texas but I also regretted that I didn’t have a backyard space to put into practice some of his barbecue philosophies, let alone the space and tools to weld a new smoker.
That said, as much as I enjoy Aaron’s brisket I think his beans may be even better. I’ve talked before about how much I love his pinto beans, which are peppery, flavorful, and rich. They’re perfectly seasoned and one time when I was at an event where he was serving barbecue, it was his beans I went back for seconds, not the meat. So while I’m not immediately able to smoke meat his way, in his new book he has shared a recipe for his beans and I can make that in my tiny kitchen.
His recipe is fairly simple. You soak the pintos with diced onion and a blend of spices, and then cook the beans with chopped smoked brisket. Of course, when you’re making these at home, you probably won’t have Franklin Barbecue brisket (unless you have leftovers, but I understand that rarely happens). But when I made the recipe with some local barbecue, the beans still turned out excellent.
Aaron’s instructions are for stovetop cooking, but I found that the recipe also works in a slow cooker, too. The most important thing if you choose to do it that way is to remove the lid for the last two hours of cooking so the broth can reduce.
These barbecue pinto beans make a fine side for your next gathering, though they’re hearty enough to be served on their own with slices of warm cornbread. And if you don’t eat meat, you could even make them vegetarian. While the brisket contributes a layer of flavor, it’s only a supporting player. In this dish, the beans are the true stars.
I look forward to someday following Aaron’s approach for smoking meat. But these incredible pinto beans aside, his book still holds much value for me, as it’s not just about barbecue—it’s also a reminder that hard work and dreaming big are the keys to achieving any goal you may seek.
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Aaron Franklin’s pinto beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/4 cup chile powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup chopped smoked brisket
Instructions
- Rinse the pinto beans and remove any rocks. Place the beans, onion, chili powder, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin in a large pot. Cover with 2 inches of water, stir until the spices are well distributed, and then soak the beans uncovered for 8 hours. Alternatively, you can bring the pot to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let them quick soak for 1 hour.
- To cook the beans, add the brisket to the pot. (Do not drain the soaking liquid.) You want there to be at least an inch and a half of water above the beans, so add more water to the pot if needed. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down the heat down to low, cover the pot, and then gently simmer for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, remove the cover and then continue to cook the beans until they’re tender, which will depend on the age of the beans. This can happen anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours.
- If you want to make these in the slow cooker, after soaking, cook them covered on low for 6 hours, then remove the lid and continue to cook on low for 2 more hours.
There is either a typo in the recipe. I have made these beans on 4 different occasions. Each time they were awful. They were way too spicy and too salty. The reason I made them 4 times was because I love Franklin’s bbq. I love his brisket and his ribs. I am not too crazy about his potato salad – too mustard-y for me – but at least it is edible. I cannot say as much for his beans. They have an awful aftertaste as well. Does not matter how much brisket you add. I am a Texan and I can throw down hot stuff (jalapeno peppers) with the best of them, but these beans are really bad if prepared per the recipe. Please let me know what I may be doing wrong. I am using regular McCormick chili powder and kosher salt. I have double checked your recipe’s proportions to Franklin’s 2-cups of bean spice and everything looks fine. I must be doing something wrong or there is a typo in Franklin’s book for this recipe. Have you personally tried the recipe? Appreciate any help you can give.
Thomas–There are no typos so I’m sorry you don’t like the beans. I make this recipe all the time and love them so I reckon it is just a matter of taste. A tablespoon and a half of salt for a pound of beans is pretty standard. Is there salt, perhaps, in your chili powder? Maybe your brisket is overly salty, as well. In any case, if you want to give them another chance, perhaps try cutting all the spices in half if you find it too overpowering.
I made a few mods to the recipe:
I was cooking in an Instant Pot so some of these relate to the special requirements of Instant Pot cooking.
First I used 1 teaspoon of salt rather than 1 1/2 Tablespoons. The recipe is FAR TOO SALTY both for good taste and good health made as written.
Second instead of black pepper (I don’t use it) I substituted one whole dried De Arbol pepper (small red Mexican chili pepper) placed in the mixture just before cooking and removed after.
Third all spices were added after a 4 hour soak in lukewarm water. The water was retained per the original recipe however I removed about a cup of it to facilitate easier cooking.
Fourth because I’m a vegan I substituted Textured Vegetable Protein sausage crumbles for the beef (I’m sure the flavor is different but really it’s pretty good) I used about 1 cup which was placed in the pot along with the spices just before cooking.
Fifth I added 1 1/2 teaspoons of liquid smoke just before cooking.
Sixth I added 1 Tablespoon of Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce just after cooking.
Now for cooking procedures used for the Instant pot:
With all ingredients in the pot and well stirred close the lid and set the release valve to pressure. Press the ‘manual’ button and adjust the time for 28 minutes. When cooking is done allow at least 10 minutes of natural pressure release before venting to avoid frothing up the beans and clogging the vent. When vented, remove the lid and remove the red chili pepper (depending on your tastes. If there is still too much liquid push the ‘saute’ button and run the pot with the lid off to reduce the liquid. It’s a good idea to stir the pot occasionally or the instant pot may scorch some of the beans on the bottom of the pot.
When done, serve as desired.
I hope that’s useful to some who read this.
As far as I’m concerned the above modified recipe is one of the best I’ve ever tasted for making Tex-Mex rice and beans. This will be a go-to for a long time.
Thanks
What brand of chili powder do you use. I used Whole Foods Chili powder and it already has cumin.
I added a table spoon of maple syrup to cut the heat.
David–My Whole Foods sells pure ancho chile powder, though I’m not sure of the brand. I can also find it at Mexican grocery stores and at HEB/Central Market, too. A chili powder blend with cumin, etc. works, as well, though, and I also use Whole Foods chili powder if I don’t make my own.
Overall, really great flavor, but WAY to salty.
Sue–Glad you liked the flavor though I’m sorry you found the beans too salty.
Hello, I made this recipe meatless and they actually come out more like a mild chili due to the 1/4 cup chili powder. My guess is to reduce the chili to 1 tbs per lb leaving everything else alone. After making per the recipe I doctored these with diced tomatoes, a mild jalapeno and fresh cilantro. In our opinion Coopers BBQ has the best tasting beans around.
Austin–Thank you for sharing your adaptations! And I can’t remember the last time I went to Coopers so I look forward to trying their beans.