CA GROWN Blog
Discover. Learn. Connect.
Toss Your Baked Beans Recipes and Try Santa Maria-Style Beans Instead
Meet Them Here
Read Bios »Toss Your Baked Beans Recipes and Try Santa Maria-Style Beans Instead
Santa Maria Style beans put your basic baked beans recipes to shame.
What’s the big deal about beans?
Dried beans are just….dried beans, right? Wrong. Not all dried beans are created equally.
Rancho Gordo‘s heirloom beans are the darling of the culinary world. These colorful, flavorful legumes are beloved by both in-the-know home chefs and celebrity chefs worldwide.
If you’ve never heard of Rancho Gordo, you’re probably reading this with a touch of incredulity – thinking “Really, beans?” Yes beans, really! Rancho Gordo beans are a regular feature at Michelin-star restaurants like the French Laundry and have been showcased in Oprah’s O magazine.
These beans are nothing like the haggard bag of pinto beans shoved to the back of a grocery store shelf. Rancho Gordo’s heirloom beans are tender, creamy and bursting with flavor.
What are pinquito beans?
Pinquito beans are native to the Santa Maria Valley and grow exclusively on the Central Coast. They are similar to pinto beans, but they’re smaller and hold their shape better than their more commonplace cousins. You can use pinquito beans in any recipe that calls for dried pinto beans, but our favorite way to enjoy this heirloom crop is Santa Maria-style. This dish is typically served with – you guessed it – Santa Maria-style tri tip, but has enough star power to stand alone as a plant based main dish.
NEED HELP FINDING PINQUITO BEANS? ORDER A BAG FROM RANCHO GORDO!
What is Santa Maria-Style tri tip?
Santa Maria-Style Tri Tip is an iconic California recipe that rose to popularity in the 1950s. The triangular bottom cut sirloin was typically ground, until a one-armed butcher (you just can’t make this up) decided to try cooking it over an open flame.
This style of cooking is a nod to California’s Mission culture. When Spanish cowboys, or vaqueros were brought in to tend to the Mission’s herd, they shared their technique for open flame cooking with the local ranchers.
Santa Maria-Style Tri Tip is traditionally served with pinquito beans and salsa (a glass of California red wine is never a bad idea either).
Get the Recipe for Santa Maria-Style tri tip from our friends at California Wines!
How are Santa Maria-Style Beans different from baked beans?
Let’s start with the obvious answer – Santa Maria-Style beans aren’t baked. This recipe simmers for a few hours on your stovetop (although traditional versions were cooked over an open flame).
One of the most important differences between baked beans and Santa Maria-Style beans is the flavor or the beans themselves. Most baked beans recipes, or even canned baked beans for that matter, are relatively heavy-handed with the pork. Some are cooked with a ham hock, others are loaded with bacon. Pinto beans, which are traditionally used in baked beans recipes, are often overwhelmed by this. Pinquito beans, however, have a more distinctive taste and a meatier, firmer texture that is enhanced – but not overwhelmed – by stronger flavors.
Let’s make Santa Maria-Style Beans!
Santa Maria-Style Beans with Medjool Dates from Rancho Gordo
Ingredients
For the Beans
- 1 pound uncooked Rancho Gordo Santa Maria Pinquito beans
- 1 onion halved
- 5 large garlic cloves smashed
- 2 bay leaves
For the Sauce
- 1 large Anaheim chile
- 1 pound smoked thick-cut bacon diced
- 1 white onion minced (reserve some for garnish)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon pure chile powder such as Rancho Gordo New Mexican Red Chile Powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 cups tomato puree
- 1 cup Mexican-style lager
- ½ cup brewed coffee
- 5 Rancho Meladuco Medjool dates pitted and chopped
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Mexican crema for serving optional
Instructions
Prepare the beans:
- Rinse and sort the beans. If desired, soak the beans in cold water for 4 to 8 hours. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with fresh cold water by 3 inches. Add the onion, garlic, and bay leaves and bring to a boil over high heat; let boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook gently, uncovered, until the beans are tender, 45 minutes to 2 hours. Add hot water, as needed, to keep the beans covered.
Prepare the sauce:
- While the beans are simmering, char the Anaheim chile over a burner on your stovetop or under the broiler until completely charred. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag (or, place in a bowl and cover with a plate) and let sit for 15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to remove the skin. Finely chop the chile and discard the seeds and stem.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s crispy and browned, 10 to 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer one-quarter of the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve for garnishing. Pour out some of the bacon fat, if desired.
- In the saucepan, add the minced onion and cook over moderate heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chile powder, cumin, and mustard powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato puree, beer, coffee, dates, and diced chile. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the dates are beginning to break down, 30 to 40 minutes.
Finish the beans:
- Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Return the beans to the pot. Stir in the sauce and the reserved cooking liquid and cook over low heat until heated through. Season with salt.
- Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon, white onion, and a spoonful of Mexican crema, if desired. Serve right away.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Love this recipe? Here are a few more of our favorite recipes using beans:
Beans Marbella
Fans of Chicken Marbella are sure to love this vegetarian version starring Rancho Gordo’s Marcella Beans.
Spring Bean Salad
Celebrate seasonal produce with this Spring Bean Salad. The combination of pinto beans, asparagus and cucumber is unexpected but incredibly delicious!
Puerto Rican Baked Beans
Illyanna gives baked beans some Puerto Rican pizzazz. You’ll never buy canned baked beans again.