Pinto Beans with Bacon and Jalape&ntildeos

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 to 3 whole jalapeño chile peppers
• 2 to 3 thick-cut slices of bacon
• 2 cups of chopped onion
• 2 medium clove of garlic, minced
• 4 cups of cooked pinto beans
• Salt
• 1/2 cup, loosely packed, chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the jalapeños and turn them through the oil so they’re coated. Cook them, rotating now and then, until the peppers are browned all over, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the strength of your burner.
2. Transfer the jalapeños out of the skillet. Trim off and throw away the stems, cores, seeds, and veins, then roughly chop the pepper flesh.
3. As the jalapeños cook, set the bacon in a large skillet over medium low heat and cook it until crisp. Move the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour off the bacon drippings, but not into the sink, leaving 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
4. Add the onion to the skillet with the reserved bacon fat. Raise the heat to medium high and cook until the onion is translucent with a little browning. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. While the onion cooks, chop the crisped bacon.
5. Stir the cooked beans, chopped bacon, and chopped jalapeños into the skillet until everything is combined. Season with salt.
6. Finish with chopped fresh cilantro, and serve with steak and salsa.