Crockpot O'Pintos

1 pound dry pinto beans Chicken stock
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons pure chile powder (not blended)
1/2 pound smoked ham or sausage, diced (or thick-sliced bacon,
    fried and diced, with 1 tablespoon bacon drippings added to pot)
Salt to taste

Pick over and rinse beans several times. Put beans in slow cooker and cover with chicken stock. Add onion, cumin, chile powder and meat. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add salt. Allow beans to cook for 4 more hours. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: For thicker beans, when beans are tender, puree about 1 cup of beans with some cooking liquid in blender and return to pot.