Stovetop Method: Place the dried beans in a large bowl and fill with water, covering the top of the beans by 2 inches. Let the beans soak overnight.
When ready to cook, place the beans in a large 6-8 quart pot with a heavy lid. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using.
Pour in enough water to cover the beans by 3-4 inches. Set the heat on medium.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low to low for 2-4 hours, until the beans are very soft. *Even after soaking overnight, beans take a varied amount of time, base on how old they are. “New” dried beans will cook faster than beans that have been sitting in the pantry for months/years.
Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
Instant Pot Method: When using an electric pressure cooker, you do not have to soak the beans overnight.
Place the beans in a 6+ quart Instant Pot. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using.
Add 5 cups of water. Lock the lid into place and set on Pressure Cook High for 35 minutes.
Perform a natural release. Once the steam button drops, it is safe to open the lid. If the beans are still firm, you can Pressure Cook again for 5-10 minutes. Then perform a Quick Release.
Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
Crock Pot Method: Place the dried beans in a large 6-8 quart slow cooker. Add the onion wedges, garlic, and hambone if using. Pour in 8 cups water. (You do not have to soak the beans for this method.)
Set the crock pot on HIGH for 8-10 hours or on LOW for 15-17 hours. Once the beans are soft, remove the onion, garlic, and hambone. Stir in the pico de gallo. Taste, then salt as needed.
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Notes
The hambone (or bacon) is completely optional. It does provide a deep rich flavor, but my kids actually prefer the vegetarian Frijoles de la Olla, because they say it has a cleaner flavor. It’s your call.Salt? Hambones provide a lot of salt, so you will not want to salt the beans until the end. If you plan to skip the hambone, you can add 1 ½ teaspoon salt as the beginning of the cooking process.