pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Or did we all just eat the leftovers, while watching football? 
Sunday, I cooked a dish in the Instant Pot I did a while back, based on a recipe in the Milk Street cookbook Fast and Slow - Black Beans With Bacon And Tequila - but made some changes this time. First, I added a sprig of fresh epazote, from the hydroponics, since epazote goes well with black beans. And, in addition to the canned chipotles, I put that small spoonful of salsa negra - something from one of Rick Bayless's cookbooks, using 4 oz moritas, fried, along with garlic cloves, and ground into a paste, then cooked down to a very thick paste. Adds more flavor and heat than canned chipotles, though I didn't add much, to the 4 chipotles. I also soaked the beans - not called for, but I wanted to soak it in the baking soda, which I did for 5 hours. I reduced the water by only a cup, out of 5, but it was still a little too wet, so I put a quarter cup of red lentils, to simmer for 20 minutes at the end, to thicken. I started by cooking 6 oz diced bacon on sauté, and cut up all the other things while that was cooking. When almost crisp, I pulled the pot out, and put it on the stove, and took the bacon out with a strainer, and put it on a PT on a plate. The onion went into the pot, which I put back in the base, and continued in sauté, about 5 minutes, until very browned, then added the garlic and cumin, cooked 30 sec, then added the chipotles, tequila, and salsa negra, and cooked 3 minutes. Then I added a quart of chicken broth, the rinsed and drained beans, a sprig of epazote, 3/4 tsp salt, and a scant 1/4 tsp MSG (had to refill that!). Stirred to mix, brought to a boil, hit Cancel, then set on "Beans", 35 min, then covered, and let it cook, then let the pressure release naturally. I hit Cancel, then checked the beans - they were just about right, but a little thin, so that's when I added that ¼c red lentils, and cooked 20 minutes, with about a tb of pilocillo, 3 tb lemon juice (no lime juice on hand), stirring frequently to dissolve it. That thickened it up some, and the beans were just about where they should be (they were a little old, so needed more time). I added a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and stirred in that generous quarter cup of cilantro. Turned out even better than the first time I made it, with more heat, from that small bit of salsa negra.
Epazote, from the hydro, ready to go into the black beans, in the Instant Pot. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
The bacon, ready to move to a PT to drain, and use the fat to cook the onions and other ingredients for the black beans. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Sort of a messy mise en place, for the black beans with tequila, bacon, and chipotle. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Onions browned about 6 minutes, before adding garlic and cumin, followed by the chipotle, with some salsa negra. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Hydroponics grown cilantro, large and super dark. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Heating a couple of corn tortillas, to have with the black beans. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Finished Black Beans, Bacon, and Tequila, with some red lentils added at the end, to thicken some. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Sunday, I cooked a dish in the Instant Pot I did a while back, based on a recipe in the Milk Street cookbook Fast and Slow - Black Beans With Bacon And Tequila - but made some changes this time. First, I added a sprig of fresh epazote, from the hydroponics, since epazote goes well with black beans. And, in addition to the canned chipotles, I put that small spoonful of salsa negra - something from one of Rick Bayless's cookbooks, using 4 oz moritas, fried, along with garlic cloves, and ground into a paste, then cooked down to a very thick paste. Adds more flavor and heat than canned chipotles, though I didn't add much, to the 4 chipotles. I also soaked the beans - not called for, but I wanted to soak it in the baking soda, which I did for 5 hours. I reduced the water by only a cup, out of 5, but it was still a little too wet, so I put a quarter cup of red lentils, to simmer for 20 minutes at the end, to thicken. I started by cooking 6 oz diced bacon on sauté, and cut up all the other things while that was cooking. When almost crisp, I pulled the pot out, and put it on the stove, and took the bacon out with a strainer, and put it on a PT on a plate. The onion went into the pot, which I put back in the base, and continued in sauté, about 5 minutes, until very browned, then added the garlic and cumin, cooked 30 sec, then added the chipotles, tequila, and salsa negra, and cooked 3 minutes. Then I added a quart of chicken broth, the rinsed and drained beans, a sprig of epazote, 3/4 tsp salt, and a scant 1/4 tsp MSG (had to refill that!). Stirred to mix, brought to a boil, hit Cancel, then set on "Beans", 35 min, then covered, and let it cook, then let the pressure release naturally. I hit Cancel, then checked the beans - they were just about right, but a little thin, so that's when I added that ¼c red lentils, and cooked 20 minutes, with about a tb of pilocillo, 3 tb lemon juice (no lime juice on hand), stirring frequently to dissolve it. That thickened it up some, and the beans were just about where they should be (they were a little old, so needed more time). I added a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and stirred in that generous quarter cup of cilantro. Turned out even better than the first time I made it, with more heat, from that small bit of salsa negra.
Epazote, from the hydro, ready to go into the black beans, in the Instant Pot. by pepperhead212, on FlickrThe bacon, ready to move to a PT to drain, and use the fat to cook the onions and other ingredients for the black beans. by pepperhead212, on FlickrSort of a messy mise en place, for the black beans with tequila, bacon, and chipotle. by pepperhead212, on FlickrOnions browned about 6 minutes, before adding garlic and cumin, followed by the chipotle, with some salsa negra. by pepperhead212, on FlickrHydroponics grown cilantro, large and super dark. by pepperhead212, on FlickrHeating a couple of corn tortillas, to have with the black beans. by pepperhead212, on FlickrFinished Black Beans, Bacon, and Tequila, with some red lentils added at the end, to thicken some. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
