Frijoles Pintos Estilo Cubano? (Cuban Style Pinto Beans)

This NOT A TRADITIONAL/ AUTHENTIC Cuban dish...Wait aren't pinto beans Mexicans? How the hell is there a Cuban style pinto beans?

Well here's the story, my grandmother from my fathers side (Cuban/ Spanish) whom I call Tata prepares Pinto beans like this. She got introduced to Pinto Beans by my mother (whom is Mexican) and she dislikes the Mexican way of preparing "Frijoles de la Olla"which is very simple, she'll only enjoy those "re-fried" so she found a way to make it to suit her taste by "Cubanizing"

It truely is delicous and ever since she prepared them that way I actually crave them occasionally, She makes them rich and thick she let's them thicken with the bean starch, gives them a nice color by adding a sofrito with the addition of tomatoes and gives them a smokey flavor with cumin and a special little extra something with a hint of oregano.

Ingredients:
-2 cups pinto beans
-water enough to submerge beans maybe about 2 inches use your judgement you want it to thicken a bit?
-1 green bell pepper (or half green half red)
-1 onion finely minced
-5-6 cloves garlic mashed to a paste
-1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce (homemade better but I usually use canned or the one in cardboard container)
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (fresh is nice in this dish but I only had dried)
-1 teaspoon or more of salt to taste
-2-4 regular potatoes (optional, she sometimes added it, sometimes not up to you I left it out I already eat enough rice, sugar, and starchy veggies in other way's ha ha)

Directions:
(1) Wash beans well, drain, put in a pot with water, bring to a boil on high then simmer on medium low heat for about 1-2 hours (depends on your beans)
(2)Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a pan, on medium high, to check if it's hot enough drop a piece of minced onion if it sizzles your ready, add onion and bell pepper, sautee until translucent (maybe 6-10 minutes) add garlic, sautee another 1 minute, add ground cumin and oregano sautee moving constantly for 1 minute, add tomato sauce stir well. Bring to a bubble on medium high.

(3)Add this sautee to the cooked beans, add salt to taste, let raise heat to medium on beans and let it boil 20 minutes uncovered to thicken nicely, stir after 10 minutes to prevent sticking. After 20 minutes check if it's as thick as you like, if not simply with a wooden spoon smash and press the beans to the sides of the pot while stirring to thicken nicely. If it doesn't thicken that mean's you added to much water. Use better judgement next time (sorry if it sounds harsh I still love you :)

(5)Serve with anything, over rice, or if your mexican and like to eat tortillas go ahead.

P.S. This can also be done with "Flor de Mayo Beans", White Beans and "Mayacoba Beans"/ "Peruvian Beans"

ALSO I know the pinto beans in my picture didn't look the typical brown color of pinto beans that is because they are very fresh the one's I got and when cooked had a lighter color and cooked in less than 1 hour without soaking.

FURTHER MORE the color will alter depending how long you cook it with the "sofrito" after 10 minutes it is a pinkish orange color if you want it that color and it's thick enough stop cooking it, after 20 it will be a light pinkish cream color sort of yellow and cooking longer sometimes results in the color to dissapear and turns beige sort of. I don't know why I am not a scientist :)