This method of cooking pinto bean uses a pressure cooker, a 70's pressure cooker at that. Therefore, the pressure cooker setup and cook times may vary between different cookers. Be sure to check your instruction manual.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
Prep and cook time: 4 hours brine soak, 1 hour prep and cook time.
In a large bowl, dissolve the tablespoon of salt in about a quart of water.
Transfer the beans to the pressure cooker. Add enough water and/or stock to completely cover the beans and then a couple of inches above the top of the beans.
Once a medium high pressure has built in the pressure cooker, set the timer for 10 minutes.*
After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker cool down for at least another 10 minutes.*
At the end of the 10 minute rest, use the method required for your pressure cooker to release the pressure. For the type of pressure cooker that I have, I carefully transport my cooker to the sink and run under cold water until the vent valve drops, indicating an equalized pressure.
Once the pressure is released, open and taste the beans for doneness. The beans should be just on the edge of being done.
If your beans aren't done to your likeness, cook over a medium heat for another 10 minutes or until the beans are done. Taste for salt and seasoning. Add more if needed.
Once done, the beans can be used for other dishes or you can serve as the main dish. My usual M-O is to have a bowl of beans for the main meal the first night, then use the remaining beans for dishes throughout the week. Any unused beans are frozen and used at another time.
Transfer beans to serving bowls and top each bowl with your choice of toppings (See Toppings list above).
Variations in cooking times - Pressure cooker setting, type of pressure cooker, age of the beans and how long you soaked them can cause the beans to cook at different cook times. If the beans have been sitting around for a year or more, then soak them for 6 to 8 hours. Older beans require a longer cook time.
Beware of pressure cooker manual recommendations! Mine manual says to cook pintos for 25 minutes. The first time I did that I ended up with mush.
Amounts - 1 cup of dried beans yields about 3 cups of cooked beans
Brining Beans – A while back I started soaking dried beans in a brine for 4 hours rather than soaking overnight. The reason for this was that the final result is SO much better. (I got the idea from Cook’s Illustrated.) The beans stay intact and the skins don’t split open and fall apart, but yet they are quite tender.
Water or Stock – When you cook the beans you can always use some homemade stock as part of the liquid. I usually use half and half - water to stock.
Other ingredients when cooking – If you already know that you are going to use the beans for just one dish, you can cook the beans in the pressure cooker using ingredients for that dish or ingredients to complement the dish. For example, if making a big soup, add a smoked ham hock before cooking. Or, if all the dishes are going to be southwestern, throw in some chiles, chile powder, chile flakes, chile paste, or chile sauce in with the beans before cooking. Like I said – lots of versatility. Have fun!
Slowcooker variation – Here’s the process my sister used with her slowcooker: Soak the pinto beans for 4 1/2 hours in a salt brine, then rinse. Put beans in the slow cooker on the highest temperature setting along with all the ingredients. (She used pork stock instead of water.) The beans should be perfectly and completely cooked after 2 ¾ - 3 hours.
Links to Toppings:
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen