I was raised in a barn (no, really!) and learned to cook pintos (the beans, not the pony) by observing my dad and the hands boil up a vat on cold, rainy days.
I was very much a cornbread gal until trotting off to college at the tender age of 17.
When the beans are really, REALLY good (well seasoned and reheated, right?) there is nothing better than a ladle full (lots of "gravy" please) over a hunk of second day crusty bread rubbed with a bit of bacon grease (lets call a spade a spade here, grease, drippings, fat...it's all the same, no?) and some fresh garlic.
Have not visited that particular memory in a while...
Thanks for the re-boot.
mimi
* As I am a born and bred "Come and Take It" Texas gal, I am allowed to add the last bit of a pot of beans to my chili.
This is how it is done in my do-not-waste-anything -especially-GOOD BEANS-world.
The voices tell me so and I always listen to the voices ;-)
m.