Crock-Pot Cowboy Beans Revisited

I've eaten a lot of Crock-Pot cowboy beans since I first posted about them here back when. Since then, I've tweaked the recipe a bit, cutting back on the salt and adding onion.

• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 Large white onion cut into thin slices
• 2 Cloves garlic chopped
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Ms Dash Southwestern Seasoning
• 2 Cups pinto beans
• 6 Cups water
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1/4 Teaspoon liquid smoke

Soak the beans you'll be cooking in this recipe overnight. In the morning, before you put them in the slow cooker, bring them to a boil in a pot of water on your stove for 10 minutes. 

While the beans are boiling on the stove, add the  coconut oil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and the seasoning to the slow cooker. After the beans have boiled for ten minutes, drain them into the sink, discarding the water they boiled in. Add the beans, six cups of fresh water, bay leaves, and the liquid smoke to the slow cooker. Cook on low for approximately six hours or on high for approximately four. You can check if the beans are ready by spooning one out and blowing on it. If its skin cracks and curls, it's ready.