CHILI BEANS FROM SCRATCH RECIPES

Steps:

• Sort through the beans, looking for small rocks and debris. Place in large bowl and rinse several times. Remove beans by hand into a clean bowl of water. (Do not pour beans out of the rinse bowl, as there may be sand and debris at the bottom of rinse bowl.) Fill the bowl with the newly rinsed beans with water and soak beans overnight.
• Drain off soaking water. In a large soup pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add beans and dark beer. Add garlic, Kosher salt, onion powder and chili powder to beans and beer. Lower the heat to simmer, cover pan and cook about 2 hours, or until beans are tender. When the beans are light brown and soft, add the cumin, Mexican oregano and jalapeno peppers.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry bacon pieces and onions until bacon is crisp. Add to beans.
• Last, but not least, add the cilantro and fresh roma romatoes. Simmer for another hour.

Steps:

• Add the beans, garlic cloves, onion half, and bay leaf to a large pot and cover with 3 to 4 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, stir the beans, and reduce the heat to keep the beans at a low simmer.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, at a low simmer until the beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. As they cook, if you notice the beans look a little dry, add a bit more water to the pot.
• Remove the garlic cloves, onion, and bay leaf. Add the juice of half a lime and season the beans with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there based on your tastes.
• Serve straightaway or to make the creamy gravy that surrounds the beans in our photos, increase the heat to medium, and then simmer until the liquid around the beans has thickened and sticks to the beans. Serve with additional lime juice squeezed over the top if needed.
• Rinse the dried beans then add to a 6-quart pressure cooker (we have an Instant Pot). Add the garlic cloves, onion half, and bay leaf. Add enough water so that the beans are covered by 1 1/2 inches, but do not fill past the “max fill line.” Add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil like vegetable or olive oil (this prevents the beans from foaming).
• Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, and then allow the cooker to naturally release (you can tell when it is safe to open the cooker when the steam release valve drops). We recommend you read the user manual of your specific pressure cooker before using this method.
• Remove the onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaf, and then discard them. Add the juice of half a lime and season the beans and liquid with salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there based on your tastes.
• Serve straightaway or to make the creamy gravy that surrounds the beans in our photos, turn the pressure cooker to SAUTE and simmer, without the lid until the liquid thickens and starts to stick to the beans. Serve with additional lime juice as needed.