Recipe Blogging: Black Bean Chili For The Instant Pot

Facebook has decided to annihilate their Notes feature, the one place on that site where you could post formatted text. (They pulled the plug on new notes some time last year, while retaining anything you had previously written.) Forthwith, I will start posting some recipes here that I previously published there, in instances where I had somehow retained a link (as by bit.ly):

This has become such a staple, I decided to write down the recipe as we implement it here. The original is out of the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook (p. 96), but it’s lifted almost verbatim at the Family Cookbook Project website. The main thing is to interpolate to two 1-1/2 lb. packages of ground beef. This means increasing all other ingredients by 50%. For mise-en-place below, divide each ingredient in two for cooking in two separate pressure cookers. Otherwise, you can go to the Family Cookbook site and skip the long simmer step, running under pressure for 20 minutes stovetop, and 30 minutes in the Instant Pot on high.

• 12 oz. bacon, cut into 1/2” pieces
• 3 medium onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups)
• 3 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2” cubes
• 9 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 3 tbsp.)
• 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1-1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 1-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional; I have never added this)
• 3 lbs. 85% lean ground beef
• 3 16 oz. cans black beans or 3 cups of dried black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with juice
• 3 14 oz. cans of tomato puree
• 1 tsp salt

If using dried beans, use this quick presoak method (4 c. water + 1 tsp. salt per cup of dried beans, and a little olive oil to prevent foaming), and then cook for 35 minutes.

Fry bacon over medium heat in a large, non-reactive vessel (e.g. Dutch oven or stainless steel frying pan) stirring frequently until browned, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tbsp. fat, leaving bacon in pot. Transfer half the bacon to each of two 8 qt. pressure cookers. Add half of each of the onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and (optional) cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add a quarter of the beef (half of one package) to each pressure cooker. Cook, stirring occasionally, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add half the beans, tomatoes, and tomato puree to each pressure cooker, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to each as well. Bring each cooker slowly to boil with the vent set for high pressure. Once the pressure valve engages, turn down the heat to a simmer, release pressure, and stir one last time. Re-cover, set the pressure gauge to high, and return to medium heat. Cook at pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release and allow to cool before serving.