Best Beans Ever

I've been making beans for a very long time, and when I first started I would cook the beans with all the spices.  Although they turned out ok, they never really stood out or made anyone go "WOW that's good."

I soon realized the mistake I was making.

When you cook the beans with all the spices, including your onion and tomato etc., you basically have to eat the beans that very day, or the next one.  The longer it stays in the fridge the more sour they will become, or rather, they will go bad pretty quick.

What I do, is make a big batch of beans which I'll then divide into smaller portions and freeze.  When I want to serve them with that night's dinner, I take one of the portions out, and then place them in a saucepan to thaw and warm up, and at that point I'll add all the spices.  The result is super delicious beans.

Best Beans Ever

1 pound bag of dried beans, your choice (I usually do pinto beans or black beans)
Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper
Chourico, Smoked Sausage or Bacon
Olive oil
Crushed Garlic
Finely diced onion
Cumin
Parsley, Cilantro and Green Onion Mixture 
Paprika


Soak your beans for the minimum of an hour, or overnight.  Some people don't soak their beans, I do because all of the indigestible sugars that cause flatulence, are contained on the skin.  Of course, you also want to make sure you sort your beans and remove any little pebbles, and the soaking will also give them a good wash.

Once your beans have been soaked, place them in a slow cooker, add enough water to cover them by about two inches and then add in the bay leaf and the meat you're using, whether it's chourico (I usually put it in whole, same with the smoked sausage), sausage or diced bacon.

Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and cook for about 5 to 6 hours until beans are tender.  Just a quick heads up, pinto beans take a LONG time to cook and sometimes I have them going all day long on high.

Once they are cooked.  Remove the meat and the bay leaf.  Spoon the beans into smaller portions and freeze.  If you are making some right away, then set aside however much you want to make and freeze the rest.

To season the beans......in a pot, add a little bit of olive oil, the diced onion and the crushed garlic.  I make my own crushed garlic, by peeling and then finely chopping up a few heads of garlic, then placing them in a mason jar and filling with olive oil to about an inch above the garlic.  Place the jar in the fridge and then use that whenever you're cooking.

For the beans, I add about a teaspoon and a half.

Once the onion is tender and translucent, add in the beans, then add back in the meat.  If you use chourico or smoked sausage, dice them up before adding.  Season with salt and pepper, cumin to taste, paprika to taste and add in about a 1/4 cup or so of the Parsley, Cilantro and Green Onion mixture.

Stir to combine well, and let cook for a few minutes for the flavors to blend.  Serve immediately.

We absolutely love beans and I'll usually serve them with whatever meat we are having for dinner, and some white rice.

Pressure Cooker Beans with Bacon

If you're looking for a quick and simple, but fantastic bean recipe, you have found it.  It is incredibly easy to put together and with the help of the pressure cooker, you will have fantastic flavorful beans, in no time at all.

Pressure Cooker Beans with Bacon

1 pound of pinto beans
1 small onion, finely diced
6 slices of bacon, diced
Crushed garlic, about a tablespoon
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheiro Verde 
Olive oil
Bay leaf
Water


Wash your beans well, then soak in water overnight.  Throw out any bad beans, little stones, or any beans that float to the top.

Before cooking the beans the next day, give them a good wash until the water runs clear.

Add a little drizzle of olive oil to the pressure cooker, and set to Saute.  Stir in the garlic, salt and pepper and bacon and cook until crispy.  Click the cancel on the pressure cooker.

Next goes in the beans and the water.  You need to add water to at least 2 finger widths above the beans.  Some people add 3 cups of water for ever cup of beans, but I usually just do as I said above. 

Set the pressure cooker to Manual High and cook for 35 minutes.  When the time is up, do a quick release and check the beans.  If they are not yet cooked, add more water and return to the pressure for another 10 or so minutes.

I don't usually have a problem with the beans not cooking, especially the pinto beans.  You will notice at this point that the beans may seem kind of runny, at this point I turn the pressure cooker back to the Saute function, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a little bit of water, and add that back into the beans, stir and let it cook until thickened.

You can recheck the seasoning at this point, add more salt if needed.