This is how I cooked the beans for dinner last night. It is not seasoned with the traditional bacon or salt pork, uses fresh pork instead. Of course, you can substitute a ham hock for the pork chops. More salt can be added at serving time, according to taste.

2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked
2 - 3 cups water
2 country style pork chops with bones, fat trimmed
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder (or more)
Red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper - according to your taste

Cook the soaked beans in a crockpot with water, pork chops, onion, and garlic. This takes more or less time according to how fresh the beans are. For soaking, you can either soak them overnight, or use the quick method.

When the beans are cooked, add the oregano and salt and pepper and simmer an hour or so more. Some people think salting the beans too soon keeps them from cooking properly.

You can refrigerate the beans overnight to blend the flavors and any fat can be skimmed off. Remove the meat from the the bones, cut into bite-size pieces and return to the beans. Taste it. What does it need? More heat? Salt? Add chili powder and/or dried red pepper flakes and see if that does the trick.

For a different flavor you can add ground cumin, but the beauty of this was the simplicity of the oregano seasoning.