I’m a salsa girl.  I love salsa on everything.  But I’m pretty particular about my salsas and usually whip up my own.  But there is one salsa that I’ve fallen in love with…Pace.    I mean, when Cook’s Illustrated, who I consider to be a real authority on food, even tells you that Pace Salsa is tops, you better listen.    So I use this stuff all the time including in this recipe where I tried using the salsa instead of tomatoes and YEEHAW!  These beans are good!

And just because I’m that kind of gal, the nice folks at Pace have agreed to let me giveaway a batch of this stuff for ya to use in this recipe.  Just post a link to your recipe  that will use Pace Salsa and we’ll have a drawing for a winner to get 2 jars of salsa and a cookbook. Winner will be drawn randomly on July 4.

California Beans

1 pound red kidney beans
6-8 slices bacon
1/2 pound finely chopped cooked ham
1 Onion minced
4 cloves Garlic minced
6 cups Water
1 jar Pace Pico de Gallo salsa
1/2 cup Pace Picante sauce
6 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Soak your beans overnight.  (If you forget, you can cover them with water, bring them to a boil in a large pot, turn off the heat, cover them with a lid and wait 1 hour. )  Drain and move along, li’l doggy!  (Um, sorry.)

Cook bacon and ham over medium heat in large Dutch oven until bacon is crispy.   Add the chopped onion and cook about 5 mins.   Add your garlic and cook about 30 seconds.   Now add the drained beans, 6 cups of water (beef stock is even better)  and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to med-low and cook about an hour.

Now stir in your Pace Salsa, Pace Picante sauce, sugar, mustard and salt. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are completely tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 hour. Stir in cilantro and vinegar and season with salt to taste.  Turn on your fan and serve with something grilled.