Cooking Under Pressure Flavorful Pinto Beans Food

INSTANT POT PINTO BEANS

Steps:

• Render Bacon in Instant Pot: Before you turn on the heat, layer 6 slices of bacon in Instant Pot. *Note: We are using Instant Pot's preheating heat to render & crisp the bacon. Heat up Instant Pot using "Sauté More" function. Flip bacon occasionally. Once Instant Pot says "HOT" (roughly 12 mins), the bacon should be done. Place bacon on a paper towel to absorb excess fat. If they are not done, brown for a few more minutes.
• Saute Onion and Jalapeno: Add onion slices and jalapeno in Instant Pot. Cook for 3 ½ minutes. While the onions and jalapeno are sauteing, cut the bacon into bit size.
• Saute Garlic and Spice: Add 3 bay leaves, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp dried oregano, and minced garlic in Instant Pot. Cook until fragrant (roughly 1 minute).
• Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour ½ cup (125ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
• Pressure Cook Pinto Beans: Add 2 tbsp (30ml) regular soy sauce, half of the bacon bits, well-drained pinto beans, and 3 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Mix well and make sure all the beans in Instant Pot are submerged in the liquid. Carefully layer the crushed fire-roasted tomatoes on the very top. Do not mix after this. Close the lid and turn the Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure 45 mins + 20 mins Natural Release. Open the lid carefully.
• Thicken & Season Mexican Beans: Release some of the starch by stirring with a wooden spoon over "Saute" function. Stir pinto beans until desired thickness. Taste the beans, then adjust seasoning accordingly (for reference, we added roughly 2 - 3 pinches of salt to season the Mexican Pinto Beans to open up the flavors).
• Garnish Instant Pot Pinto Beans: Give pinto beans a final taste, then garnish. If you like it spicy, you can garnish the Mexican beans with jalapeno. Garnish with chopped cilantro and the remaining crisped bacon bits. Serve these tasty pinto beans immediately, and enjoy~

PERFECT PINTO BEANS

Steps:

• Put the beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and let soak overnight.
• Drain and rinse the beans, then put them in a large pot. Cover the beans with water and add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, bacon, garlic, bay leaves, onion, bell pepper and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the beans are tender, 2 to 3 1/2 hours.

COOKING UNDER PRESSURE: FLAVORFUL PINTO BEANS

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• For this recipe, you will need an instant pot, or a pressure cooker.
• There is an entire mythos involved with putting salt into your beans when pressure cooking. Some say it adds flavor, others say that it increases the cooking time, still others claim it decreases the cooking time. Some even claim that it helps to prevent gas. So, what did I do... I cooked them both ways. The first thing I discovered is that adding salt does not alter the cooking time. I did salt/no salt at 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and 45 minutes, and the texture of the beans remained constant. In a pressure cooker, salt does not affect cooking time. However, I did find out that adding a bit of salt, generated a delicate change in the taste of the beans. In my opinion they had a bit more of an earthy taste that was not disagreeable. I attribute that to the salt ions interacting with the beans, and allowing them to pull some of the flavors from the bacon, stock, and bay leaves into their interior. So, if you are on a salt-restricted diet, no worries, just ditch it. You are still going to find them very flavorsome. But, if salt is not a problem, then I say, go for it.
• Another thought on using salt. This recipe uses chicken stock (as well as other bits-and-bobs). I make my own chicken stock, and use almost no salt in its production. Unfortunately, most canned, or box stock are loaded with salt... even the low-sodium versions. So, if you are using store-bought stock, then do not add the salt, or it will be woefully over the top in sodium.
• Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• Rinse the beans in a colander.
• Add the beans, and the remainder of the ingredients to the bowl of your instant pot, or pressure cooker.
• Lock it down, and cook them for 30 minutes, and then let the steam naturally release, about another 20 minutes.
• Chef's Note: These beans can be frozen, in portions, and defrosted and heated up whenever you have the urge.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• I love serving these beans on rice with toppings like: ripe avocado, salsa, hot sauce... you get the idea. In addition, this is the way I cook my beans when I am making refried beans. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

PRESSURE COOKED PINTO BEANS

Steps:

• Pick over beans, rinse and drain. Be sure to not fill the pressure cooker above the halfway mark. Combine ingredients in the cooker and cook for 22 to 25 minutes. For firm cooked beans, check for doneness after minimum time indicated. For soft cooked beans, add 2 extra minutes under high pressure. When cooking time is up, quick release pressure by placing cooker under cold running water. Drain immediately. Always clean the lid and vent thoroughly after cooking beans.
• Optional presoak: Cook the beans under high pressure for 1 minute, using 4 cups of water per cup of dried beans. Quick release the pressure under cold running water, drain and rinse the beans. Always discard any loose or free floating bean skins before further cooking. Follow cooking instructions above but adjust cooking time to 7 to 10 minutes.