Hello my friends! I am excited to bring you another special mid-week edition of The Food from GoodAttitudeFood.com.
Instant Pot Experiment!
This time I am doing another Instant Pot experiment.
I cooked dry beans for the first time in my Instant Pot.
I also had my first experience with what could have been an Instant Pot FAIL. More about that later…
Black Beans
I love black beans. They are high in protein and fiber. According to this article from Medical News Today, Black beans provide many health benefits including:
- Build healthy bones.
- Lower blood pressure
- Manage Diabetes
- Protect against heart disease
- Cancer prevention
- Promote healthy digestion
- Can help with weight loss
Super-Food
Wow, black beans are like a super-food!
Instant Pot Black Beans
Dry beans take a longer time to cook. Many times I use canned beans because they are easy and quick. Canned beans are usually a bit mushy and salty though.
Dry beans are an alternative version. They are usually cheaper.
But the best part about dry beans is that the cook is in control of the salt and flavor when cooking dry beans.
When using dry beans it is recommended to soak them overnight.
Soak
I have forgotten to do the soak in the past and paid for it.
The quick soak method works, but the beans usually don’t turn out as good as they could be.
No Soak Needed
I read that with the Instant Pot you don’t have to soak your beans and they come out good. The beans I made are loosely based on this recipe from wellplated.com. Thanks, WellsPlated.
WellPlated.com has loads of recipes, easy site navigation, beautiful pictures, and awesome food! I just became a fan! I even signed up for the newsletter emails. Check them out.
Cooking the Beans
I rinsed the beans. Chopped up an onion. Then turned on the Instant Pot to Saute. When hot, I added about a tablespoon of oil and the onion to the pot. Then sauteed the onion for about 5 minutes.
Next deglaze the Instant Pot. I just used water. I measured about two cups. 1lbs of beans should use about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water, according to the previously cited recipe. After the pot is deglazed add the beans. I cooked the whole 16oz (1lbs) bag.
I added some spices to the beans. Garlic powder, minced garlic, cayenne powder, white pepper, chili powder and onion powder.
Then I popped my Instant Pot lid on, set the pressure cooker to 40 minutes on high pressure, and then I noticed an issue!
Instant Pot Problem
As I watched my Instant Pot warm up I noticed steam leaking from many spots around the lid. The steam plug popped up and then steam was leaking more out of other places. I quickly hit cancel to turn the pot off. A little freaked out it might explode or something…
What causes the Instant Pot to leak steam like that? Not sure but I don’t think it’s good…
Fire Up the “Google-Machine”
Not sure what to do, I went to Google. That took me to YouTube where I saw this was a fairly common problem. After a few videos I had a good idea what the problem could be.
The Seal Ring
I opened the lid and saw the issue. The “rubbery” seal was not in place on the track correctly. It had slipped off its track a little bit.
To fix it, I grabbed it between my finger and thumb and twisted the seal back into place. After inspection, I could see that the seal was on its track again, and I returned the cover to the pot.
Good To Go!
After making that adjustment the Instant Pot was good to go. I resumed cooking the beans for 40 minutes on high pressure. This time the pot seal with no steam leaks.
Good Lesson Learned
This was a good lesson for me in my Instant Pot cooking journey. It was a great reminder to always watch the Instant Pot to make sure it seals properly.
Long Vent
After the beans cooked, I let the pot vent itself instead of releasing the pressure with the vent valve.
My logic here: The “long vent” process should give the beans a little more time to soften up since I didn’t soak them.
After the “pressure popper” went down, indicating that the pot has vented and pressure is released, I removed the beans and set them aside.
Then I prepped the Instant Pot for the pork!
The Pork
I got a 4lbs pork roast for about $8 the other day! It was like the last pork butt on the shelf. Great price. I got pork for days…
*Backing up a little – I preseasoned this pork roast with my own little mix of pork rub that I use. It’s pretty much a combo of Famous Daves pork rub with some garlic powder, cayenne powder, and a few other things. It’s not always the same combo, but it’s usually close. The pork was rubbed and sat at room temp for a few hours.
Sear The Pork
The first step to cook the pork is to sear it in the Instant Pot.
Turn the pot on to sautee. When hot, add about two or three “liberal” tablespoons of oil. I don’t measure, just eye-ball it, you’ll be good.
I did about a minute and 30 seconds on each side of the pork. Enough to get a little color and a little crust on the meat.
Deglaze
Next remove the pork for a minute. Deglaze the pot.
I used a beer to do this.
Used about half the can to deglaze. A couple of gulps of the beer. Put the Pork back in. Took another gulp. Then dumped the rest of the beer in. 🙂
This Agave Wheat from Breckenridge Brewery is good and it added a nice flavor to the food. You don’t really taste it until you think about it.
*Subtle, yet highly sophisticated – in my Thirsen Howell, III impression. #GilligansIsland
Pressure Cook
Next check to see if the seal in the track on the Instant Pot lid! My new lesson learned.
Then pop the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure the steam release valve is sealed. Turn it to pressure cook on high for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.
After cooking, vent the Instant Pot.
Add The Beans Back
Open the lid. Add the beans. **Note I didn’t use all the beans. I put about half in and am saving the other half to eat later.
Last Kick of Seasoning
To add a little last kick of seasoning, I mixed up a little liquid seasoning mix that was loosely inspired by a pork adobo recipe I saw. I mixed 3 parts red wine vinegar with 1 part soy sauce and 1 part teriyaki sauce. Didn’t really measure. I didn’t want to overdo the saltiness so I was a little conservative. I could have doubled my mix and I think the taste would have been spot on. Maybe next time.
The Final Pressure Cook
Now pop the lid back on. Make sure the vent is sealed. Pressure cook on high for twelve more minutes.
Vent, Plate, Eat
While it was cooking I heated up a couple of tortillas to make my tacos. When the pot is finished, vent it properly.
Plate your tacos. I added some cheese and Hernandez green salsa.
There you have it my friends! This has been another special mid-week edition of The Food from GoodAttitudeFood.com.
Here is the YouTube Video again
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