Soul Food · Authentic-ish Soul Food
Pinto Beans
232 kcal a serving, against 293 for the traditional version. That is 61 kcal off, or 21%, with 16.1g of protein. Serves 6. 2 hours (plus overnight soaking, unless you cheat).
What the traditional version is
The traditional pot of pinto beans starts with a big hunk of fatback or salt pork, boiled together with dried pinto beans until the beans soak up the porky, salty goodness. The beans break down slightly, the broth goes cloudy, and if you're in a good household, there's chopped onion and garlic on the side. Most of the time, the pork is fished out at the end - its job is to render fat into the beans.
What changed, and what each change costs
Fatback or salt pork for a single smoked turkey wing
Fatback infuses loads of porky flavour and, to be fair, joy, but it does so by melting most of itself into the beans as pure fat. A smoked turkey wing still gives you smoke and depth, but most of what ends up in the broth is actual meat. It also nudges up the protein without turning your pot greasy.
What it costs you. You lose some of that velvet mouthfeel and unctuousness. The beans are still properly savoury, but the broth won't coat your lips with pork fat. If that's your thing, don't pretend it's all the same.
Cooking dried beans for pre-cooked tinned pinto beans
Yes, dried is traditional and gives the best texture, but not everyone has an afternoon and a clean conscience. I use tinned beans here so you can get this on the table without needing a time machine.
What it costs you. The texture is a little less creamy and the beans don't soak up quite as much flavour from the pot, but for weeknights, you'll take that and move on.
No added extras for loads of garlic and a bit more onion
Classic beans keep it simple, but nothing stops you from piling in garlic and onion. They up the savouriness without adding calories or fat, and you'll miss them if they're not there.
What it costs you. If you insist on authenticity, close your eyes during the chopping - otherwise, you'll thank me.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 293 | 232 |
| Protein | 18.9g | 16.1g |
| Fat | 9.9g | 3.4g |
| Saturated fat | 3g | 0.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 33.5g | 35.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.4g | 7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Soul Food prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
The method is in the book
You can't truly fake the flavour that comes from half a block of pork fat melting into a pot for hours, but you do get a blast of smoke and savouriness that's more in line with, well, living past 55. The turkey wing does a better job than you'd think: the beans are still rich, the broth still clings, and you can actually eat a whole bowl without needing a nap or a priest. If you want the full velvet-lipped experience, you'll have to eat the original and accept the consequences. For everyone else, this is still honest-to-goodness comfort food - just with pants that still fit after.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Soul Food, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.