Chuckwagon Beans (Frijoles A La Charra)

• 2 2 cups pink beans or 2 cups pinto beans
• 5 cups cold water
• 1 smoked ham hock or 1 smoked pork, neck bone
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 -3 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• tortilla chips

1. Rinse beans thoroughly with cold water.
2. Combine beans, water, and ham hock in dutch oven. Heat to boiling, and reduce heat to low (simmer) and cover. Simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Beans should be tender, but not soft.
3. After the 1 1/2 hours of cooking beans, heat oil in skillet, and cook onions until they are soft. Add tomato paste, garlic, and jalapeno peppers to onion, stirring well for approximately 30 seconds.
4. Add onion mixture and salt to beans, stir well, cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Beans should be soft.
5. Remove ham hock from beans. Remove meat from bone. Chop meat and return to beans.
6. Add cilantro to beans and serve with chips.

pink beans, cold water, ham hock, vegetable oil, onion, tomato paste, garlic, pepper, salt, cilantro, tortilla chips

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/chuckwagon-beans-frijoles-a-la-charra-245121 (may not work)