The poor pinto doesn't get the respect it deserves. With all of its glamorous cousins hanging around, it's hard to grab a little of the spotlight, until someone wisely cooks them up. If you've been served supermarket pintos all your life, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Pintos can be great! Especially when they're as fresh as ours. Pinto translates to "painted," referring to the look of the bean. There are some variations in color, from the classic tan to yellow and even red.