Pressure Cooker Black Beans

Could you buy black beans? Of course, just like most things in cooking you don’t have to make much of anything these days… but are homemade blackbeans way way better? Also of course! Not only do they taste better and are very customizable on a level of far tastier superiority, but also you get to control what goes into them! and as a small side benefit, they are less expensive when made at home. At my local store, a can of black beans can be had for $1.29 and you can get a bag of dried beans for $2.50. The canned black beans are 15oz, where one pound of dried beans yields about 3 pounds or 48oz, which if you do the math yields about a %40 savings in cost… when talking about amounts this small, the main benefit that gets me to do it is the truly superior flavor you can get! As far as using a pressure cooker when you are using a pressure cooker you are saved from the overnight soak, and everything is contained in 1 vessel, lastly and for me most importantly, more flavor is forced into the interior of each bean, and less is lost as a volatile organic compound into the air! If you haven’t been sold yet I recommend trying it, I’m very confident you won’t be disappointed! After you try this recipe once so you know what to expect, then it’s really easy to change in the future, add fresh oregano, bay leaf, and substitute cinnamon and cardamom for the chile powder, the recipe is super versatile and really just a great starting point.

How to Sandwich is Later

A Torta (a traditional Mexican sandwich) is one of my all time favorite sandwiches (but really is there a bad sandwich?)!… The Torta is a relatively simple sandwich, you use a soft bread, specifically a Mexican Telera roll, but in a pinch a hamburger bun, or even a Hoagie roll would work! Then halve and toast the bread, followed by: on one side of the bread, Mash and spread some of the black beans, the other side gets a generous spread of mayo.. The for me the ideal toppings would be a protein (think Carne Asada, Chicken, Shrimp, even Sliced Marinated Tofu), then some cheese, then shredded lettuce, Tomato – or Pico De Gallo, some sliced onion and some sliced Avocado! You might be thinking… Beans on a sandwich, that sounds like heresy, but don’t know it till you try it!

So without further ado, here’s the recipe!