Pressure Cooker Beans

 Beans, beans, the musical fruit...

By 維基小霸王 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88894798

Beans have been a staple in my household from as long as I can  remember.  From Slavic dishes to rustic southern cuisine.  They are cheap, filling, and versatile.  Using a pressure cooker takes a lot of the work and time out them.  

Ingredients

Dried Pinto Beans.  Easy to find.  Shelf stable.  What's not to love?

Ham Hocks.  Do not hock or huck the ham hock.

Crushed red pepper flakes.  In a house where the majority of people don't eat anything spicier than ketchup, I sneak this in.  It adds a slight kick.  It's real easy to overdo, so I would go with a pinch and incrementally add more. 

Stock (beef or chicken).  For the two of you that read this, you can use this recipe to make your own. You'll need roughly 64oz.  You can freeze what you don't use.  

Salt and pepper. Ham is extremely salty, so be sure to taste the finished product before adding more salt.   

Directions

1. Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter and spread your beans out.  You are looking for small rocks and debris.  Yes, you need to do this unless you have a thing for broken teeth.  No, I won't do it for you.  

2. Place your ham hocks in the pressure cooker pot.  

3. Use the parchment paper to lift the beans like a hammock (for your ham hocks.  See what I did there?) and pour the beans into the pot.  

4. Toss some crushed red pepper flake to taste.  My kids have a weak tolerance for heat, so this is the most I dare.  

5. Add stock.  If yours is out of stock, get a carton at the store.  

6. Cook on high for about 25 minutes to start.  Use a natural release of pressure.  

7. Check tenderness of the beans.  If they're still pretty firm, cook for another 10-15 minutes on high. Mine were, so more time and more stock.  

8. Beans are tender now.  Time to remove the hocks and remove the bones and extra fat.  Not good to eat.  It's a good time to check the beans and ensure no small bones were left.  

9. My hocks didn't seem to have a lot of meat on them, so I added some additional diced ham I had.  Let it sit for a bout 20 minutes on low and it is ready to serve after you check the salt and crushed red pepper levels to ensure they're to your liking.  Enjoy!