I like that this recipe only uses 2 cups of beans, the larger batches seem to go to waste in my house.

This was the ONLY way I was taught to make my frijoles de olla.

This is very similar to how I cook beans which I use for all my "bean" recipes; chili, refried beans, burritos, etc. Rather than posting another similar recipe on this site, these are the slight changes I make to this recipe: Bacon fat instead of lard definately enhances the flavour. Reduce the water to 5 cups and dump everything cold into a slowcooker either at night and cook overnight on low or in the morning and cook all day. Definately wait to add the salt til the end for nice tender beans. Also, if you pour the beans into canning jars and seal while still piping hot and let them sit on the counter to cool (you'll hear the lid "pop" when they're sealed), they will last for weeks if not longer in your refrigerator. I always cook a lot of beans at once so I have some on hand since I will never use canned beans.

Brown beans are a inexpensive, simple meal topped with chopped onion and paired with cornbread. You can speed up the process by using a pressure cooker at 15lbs for about 30 to 45 minutes. Also, be sure to follow the recipe and add the salt later; the beans will not become as tender if you add the salt before cooking.

These are living proof that simplicity can be the best tactic. You can expand on these any way you would like but the basis works fantastic as well.