Depends on if I am in the mood for smoked flavor or not with my beans. I used split pigs feet in mine when I don't want to use a smoked hock. Here's what I made this weekend...
Put into a pot:
2lbs pinto - rinsed and picked through
4 cups stock, 5 cups water
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp pepper
1 split pigs foot (or 2, do whatever you want)
Bring to a boil slowly - it took my pot over an hour to get to a slow roll
Let it slow boil for another hour after it gets there
In the meantime...
6 oz bacon diced and then fried in a pan
When it's not quite done, toss in 6 oz of chorizo sausage either diced or crumbled
Save a couple TBL of the grease to cook the veggies
Put aside the meat
Caramalize a diced yellow onion in the grease you saved
Add in 4-5 cloves of minced garlic and stir for 2 mins
Add in 2-3 diced roma tomatoes, half bunch of cilantro chopped, 1 TBL cumin, 1 TBL chili pwdr and a little water to release the char from the pan
Cook for a few minutes and reduce the water.
Add the meat back to the pan with the veggies, and one tallboy of your choice
Simmer for a few mins
Add all of this into the pot of beans with 4 whole jalapenos
Keep at a simmer for 3-4 hours or until beans are done
I add in a little fresh cilantro with each bowl and serve with saltines (at least that's the way my family has always done it).