Drunken Beans with Avocado

Serves 8 in about 1 hour. Bacon goes in first, and cotija cheese finishes the pot.

Ingredients

• ¾ lb bacon (chopped small)
• 1 large yellow onion (diced)
• ½ green bell pepper (diced)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 pasilla chile pepper (chopped) or hatch chile, etc
• 1 jalapeño pepper (seeded and diced)
• 5 garlic cloves (pressed or minced)
• (1) 14 oz can diced tomatoes (with juices)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons mexican oregano (or 1 teaspoon regular oregano)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 ¼ teaspoons table salt)
• (1) 12 oz beer (mexican dark or a lager) or more broth if you don't want beer
• 3 ½ cups chicken broth* (low sodium)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bundle of cilantro stems (tied with butcher's string for easy removal)
• 1 lb dry pinto beans** (rinsed and sorted) or 2 cans prepared pinto beans
• ½ cup cilantro leaves (chopped)
• Reserved cooked bacon
• Sour cream
• More cilantro
• Cotija cheese
• Avocado

Method

1. Set the pressure cooker to the Sauté mode. When the display reads "Hot" add the bacon. Cook, while stirring now and then, until just turning crisp. Lift out from pot and keep it nearby. Discard all but 2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat.
2. Tip in the onion to the bacon fat and stir. Simmer until it starts to turn translucent, scraping the bottom of the pot.
3. Tip in the green pepper, red pepper, pasilla, and jalapeño. Mix well.
4. Tip in the garlic and cook, while stirring often, for 1 instant.
5. Tip in the tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Mix well.
6. Tip in the beer, broth, bay leaves, cilantro stems bundle, and the beans. Mix well.
7. Tip in 3/4 of the cooked bacon back in, reserving ¼ of it for garnishing. Stir.
8. Set the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
9. Turn off the Sauté mode and press the Beans button (or Manual, or Pressure Cook) and then the +/- to choose 45 minutes.
10. When the cook cycle ends, let the pot naturally release the pressure for 20 minutes (or longer is okay). Then manually release the remaining steam by turning the steam release knob to Venting.
11. When the pin in the lid drops, open the pot and stir the beans. Discard the bay leaves and the cilantro stems bundle.
12. Mix in the ½ cup chopped cilantro leaves.
13. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
14. Garnish as desired and serve. Drunken beans are great over rice or corn bread!

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.