Simple Pinto Beans

There are two simple ways to improve this recipe, whilst not changing an ingredient.
BROWN the bacon before adding, not to crispness but to the point of concentrating its flavor, which mere stewing cannot do.
CUT UP the onion, at least into eighths, and once again BROWN it first. An onion with more surface area and more caramelization yields more flavor.
My grandparents and parents from Colorado would not omit these steps, though they didn't use paprika.

I followed the recipe exactly the first time and It's very good and pretty authentic to what I've eaten on cattle drives in Wyoming and elsewhere. The second time I made this just yesterday I made it with flageolet beans from Rancho Gordo, I also added a ham hock and a heavy tablespoon of tomato paste for additional flavor and colour as well as smoked paprika to remind me of the camp fire. I had some this morning for breakfast with coffee and they are my new favorite.

Nice recipe as is or to tweak and customize. The possibilities are endless. I recommend brining the beans as well, plus coarse chop the bacon and onion, saute a bit before adding, and use smoked paprika. To ramp it up, add a can of tomatoes with chiles, oregano, Worcestershire, ancho chile powder, a tiny bit of cumin and brown sugar, and a little juice from pickled jalapenos. Doing so doesn't make it chile, it's still going to be a pot of beans but with delicious super powers. :-)