Instant Pot Baked Beans — no soaking required

From dry beans to a side dish all in the Instant Pot — no soaking require.  For years, pressure cooking was a unit of study I taught in high school home economics and the stove-top version cooking method was one I used at home to speed up cooking. Then, the slow cooker and other new technologies took over. Many of those (with the exemption of the slow cooker) eventually took their place on back shelves, resurrected once a year or so, if at all. So I was reluctant to purchase the latest “fad.” However, I believe this appliance is beyond the “fad” status and I continue to praise it’s usefulness.  

Instant Pot Baked Beans — no soaking required / recipe makes about 6+ servings and is adjusted for a 3-quart pot; double recipe for a 6-quart pot

Cook Dry Beans:

1/2 lb. uncooked dry white beans (Great Northern or Navy)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups water 

Baked Beans:

4 or 5 slices bacon, cut into pieces

1 small to medium yellow or white onion, diced

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 1 tablespoon garlic scapes* since this is the season for them)

3 tablespoons brown sugar  

1 heapingtablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used a homemade version of Gates BBQ Sauce)

About 2 oz. (1/2 can) diced green chiles ( optional)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup water

Kosher salt for seasoning near end of cooking

Cilantro for garnishing if desired

1. Cook Dry Beans: Add dry beans, salt and 4 cups of water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot (IP). Cover and make sure the valve points to Sealed. 
   
2. Cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes followed by a 20 to 25 minutes Natural Pressure Release.



3. Manually release manually the remaining pressure and remove the lid.

 


   
4. Rinse the beans under cold water and drain.
Clean the inner pot and return it to the IP.
5. Make Baked Beans: Set the IP to Sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside in refrigerator for later use.
   
6. Add the onions and garlic to the bacon grease, adding more grease or oil if needed. Sauté until onions are transulent.
   
7. Add the cooked beans to the IP with the rest of the ingredients except the final Kosher salt and cilantro. Gently stir to combine. Cover with the lid and make sure the valve points to Sealed position..
   
8. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes followed by a 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
   
9. Manually release manually the remaining pressure and remove the lid.

Taste and add salt as needed at this point.
10. If the beans seems juicier than preferred, set IP Sauté and cook the beans with the lid off for 5+ minutes  or until the liquid at the preferred consistency.
11. Top beans with chopped cooked bacon and cilantro.  
    

*Garlic Scapes are the shoots that grow out of the ground from hard-neck varieties of garlic.

Recipe without photos . . .

Instant Pot Baked Beans — no soaking required / recipe makes about 6+ servings and is adjusted for a 3-quart pot; double recipe for a 6-quart pot

Cook Dry Beans:

1/2 lb. uncooked dry white beans (Great Northern or Navy)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups water 

Baked Beans:

4 or 5 slices bacon, cut into pieces

1 small to medium yellow or white onion, diced

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 1 tablespoon garlic scapes* since this is the season for them)

3 tablespoons brown sugar  

1 heapingtablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used a homemade version of Gates BBQ Sauce)

About 2 oz. (1/2 can) diced green chiles ( optional)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup water

Kosher salt for seasoning near end of cooking

Cilantro for garnishing if desired

1. Cook Dry Beans: Add dry beans, salt and 4 cups of water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot (IP). Cover and make sure the valve points to Sealed. 
2. Cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes followed by a 20 to 25 minutes Natural Pressure Release.



3. Manually release manually the remaining pressure and remove the lid.

 


4. Rinse the beans under cold water and drain.
Clean the inner pot and return it to the IP.
5. Make Baked Beans: Set the IP to Sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside in refrigerator for later use.
6. Add the onions and garlic to the bacon grease, adding more grease or oil if needed. Sauté until onions are transulent.
7. Add the cooked beans to the IP with the rest of the ingredients except the final Kosher salt and cilantro. Gently stir to combine. Cover with the lid and make sure the valve points to Sealed position.
8. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes followed by a 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
9. Manually release manually the remaining pressure and remove the lid.

Taste and add salt as needed at this point.
10. If the beans seems juicier than preferred, set IP Sauté and cook the beans with the lid off for 5+ minutes  or until the liquid at the preferred consistency.
11. Top beans with chopped cooked bacon and cilantro.  

*Garlic Scapes are the shoots that grow out of the ground from hard-neck varieties of garlic.

Faye's Salmon Pate'

This is about the time we should be in Michigan for Clara's Clan reunion, an event that normally occurs every other year. Due to COVID-19 THE 2020 reunion has been moved to 2021. 
There's always food and fun at our reunions. Aunt Faye's granddaughter, Micki Kim, made her signature Salmon Pate' for the 2016 Clara's Clan reunion that included an appetizer buffet. Faye's favorite dip is always a family hit!

Faye's Salmon Pate'
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (16 oz.) can Red Sockeye Salmon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
About 1 tablespoon cocktail sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 cup chopped nuts
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
Sliced green olives

1. Drain and flake salmon. Remove skin and bones.
2. Combine all ingredients except nuts and parsley
3. Place mixture on wax paper and roll into a ball; chill well.
4. When chilled, remove waxed paper and roll in mixture of nuts and parsley. 
5. Decorated with several sliced olives.
6. Serve with crackers.
   
    2016 — Above: Clara's Clan ready to KC Royals game. Below: Plate painting activity in KC.
   

   

   
    2018 — Above: Clara's Clan gathering in Colorado. Below: Photo Op Family Fun!
   
   
   
   
   
   

Pulled Pork using pork loin cooked in the oven

Pulled Pork for 40.

Pulled pork sliders are on the menu for my weekend class reunion and here’s the recipe we used . . . however, I increased it to feed 40. It’s ideal since this recipe is actually better the day after. 
The inspiration for this recipe came from 101 Cooking ForTwo.

Just in case you might be interested in preparing pork sliders for a crowd . . .

Amount of pork for 40: Depending on the size of the bun, each slider will hold 2-3 ounces (cooked). So 25-30 pounds of raw pork will make 2 sliders per person maybe a few more.

 Pulled Pork using pork loin cooked in the oven    About 15 to 20 servings

About 5 lbs. center cut pork loin

Assorted herbs for the pork stock: sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, etc. – either fresh or dried + salt & pepper

Seasoning salt (or your favorite rub)

Vegetable oil

1 large onion chopped

28 to 32 oz. homemade pork stock (could use purchased broth)

1. Trim excess fat and any silverskin from pork loin (save the trimmings minus the silverskin).
2. Add pork trimmings and herbs to a pot of water, bring to a boil and then simmer until you have a rich stock. Near the end, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Cool and strain stock.
   
3. Cut loin in half or thirds and rub all outer surfaces liberally with seasoning salt.
4. Drizzle a skillet with vegetable oil and heat to medium-high temp; add the pork loin pieces and brown all surfaces.
   
5. Remove loin pieces and cut each into about 2” slices cross grain. Add to an oven-safe pan that can be sealed shut, or use a Dutch oven.
   
6. Add onion to skillet dripping and sauté. Top pork with the onions. (At this point, deglaze skillet with a little water to capture all the flavor still in the pan; add the liquid to the stock.)
   
7. Pour pork stock over pork; if there is not enough stock to cover pork, add water.
   
8. Seal with aluminum foil (or add lid) and place in 300°oven for 4 to 6 hours -- until pork falls apart when probed with a fork. (CROCKPOT ADAPTATION: Add ingredients to crockpot, set on high heat for 3 to 4 hours or cook on low all day.)
   
   

   

   Fork tender pork after long, slow cooking.

9. Cool pork and then transfer to a platter or pan to cool. Reserve cooking liquid.
10. After pork is cooled, hand shred. Add back enough of the cooking liquid to keep pork moist (we used it all). 

    

    Excess liquid will be absorbed as the pulled pork chills.

11. If possible, refrigerate pork overnight. Note: Pulled pork is still good if served on the day of cooking, but a lot better is allowed to soak in cooking liquid overnight.)

Recipes for rolls/buns we used for the pork sliders:

Hawaiian Rolls

Multigrain Rolls

Potato Puff Rolls

Other reunion recipes:
Beer Cheese Dip 

Homemade Potato Chips
Gates BBQ Sauce (to go over pork)

Autumn Molasses Cookies—Gingersnaps

Recipe without photos . . .

Pulled Pork using pork loin cooked in the oven    15 to 20 servings

About 5 lbs. center cut pork loin

Assorted herbs for the pork stock: sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, etc. – either fresh or dried + salt & pepper

Seasoning salt (or your favorite rub)

Vegetable oil

1 large onion chopped

28 to 32 oz. homemade pork stock (could use purchased broth)

1. Trim excess fat and any silverskin from pork loin (save the trimmings minus the silverskin).
2. Add pork trimmings and herbs to a pot of water, bring to a boil and then simmer until you have a rich stock. Near the end, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Cool and strain stock.
3. Cut loin in half or thirds and rub all outer surfaces liberally with seasoning salt.
4. Drizzle a skillet with vegetable oil and heat to medium-high temp; add the pork loin pieces and brown all surfaces.
5. Remove loin pieces and cut each into about 2” slices cross grain. Add to an oven-safe pan that can be sealed shut, or use a Dutch oven.
6. Add onion to skillet dripping and sauté. Top pork with the onions. (At this point, deglaze skillet with a little water to capture all the flavor still in the pan; add the liquid to the stock.)
7. Pour pork stock over pork; if there is not enough stock to cover pork, add water.
8. Seal with aluminum foil (or add lid) and place in 300°oven for 4 to 6 hours -- until pork falls apart when probed with a fork. (CROCKPOT ADAPTATION: Add ingredients to crockpot, set on high heat for 3 to 4 hours or cook on low all day.)
9. Cool pork and then transfer to a platter or pan to cool. Reserve cooking liquid.
10. After pork is cooled, hand shred. Add back enough of the cooking liquid to keep pork moist (we used it all). 
11. If possible, refrigerate pork overnight. Note: Pulled pork is still good if served on the day of cooking, but a lot better is allowed to soak in cooking liquid overnight.)

Verna Bender’s BBQ Meatballs . . . high marks for these tasty morsels

“Totally Homemade"— Verna Bender's style of cooking falls into the category of "totally homemade." She has cooked at several restaurants—the home-style ones where they cook food from scratch.

For her husband’s recent birthday, she must have cooked for days! An array of his favorite dishes literally covered a large buffet table: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and cream gravy, chicken and noodles, meatballs, baked beans, a layered lettuce salad, a gelatin-based salad, and homemade rolls . . . for the main course. Birthday cake for dessert . . . and four different kinds of pies—two fruit, coconut cream and banana cream with meringue, all encased in melt-in-your-mouth pie crust!

It was an amazing meal, and Verna was kind enough to share her meatball recipe. I must admit that I am picky about meatballs and rarely order them at restaurants as I have had way too many disappointments. And, I must admit I was a little reluctant the first time through the buffet—I cut one in half but it took only one bite and I was back to reclaim the other half. These meatballs are DELICIOUS!

Verna Bender's BBQ Meatballs     Makes 20 (¼ cup capacity) meatballs

Meatball Mixture

3 lbs. ground beef (I used 80-85% lean)

2 cups oatmeal  (I used old-fashioned but the quick-cook variety would work, too)

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

½ cup chopped onion

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons liquid smoke

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1. Meatballs: Mix ingredients well. Shape into balls and arrange on a baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes (longer for larger balls).
   
   
   

   

   I used a 1/4 cup capacity scoop to form uniform sized meatballs.

2. While meatballs bake, combine ingredients for the sauce.
   
3. Remove from oven, cover with sauce and bake another 20 to 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

   

   Covered with sauce and ready to go back in the oven
   for another 30 minutes of baking .

Note: This recipe freezes well . . . at any stage (raw meatballs, partially cooked with sauce added or after being baked).

Recipe without photos . . .

Verna Bender's BBQ Meatballs     Makes 20 (¼ cup capacity) meatballs

Meatball Mixture

3 lbs. ground beef (I used 80-85% lean)

2 cups oatmeal (I used old-fashioned but the quick-cook variety would work, too)

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

½ cup chopped onion

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

BBQ Sauce 

2 cups ketchup

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons liquid smoke

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1. Meatballs: Mix ingredients well. Shape into balls and arrange on a baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes (longer for larger balls).
2. While meatballs bake, combine ingredients for the sauce
3. Remove from oven, cover with sauce and bake another 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Note: This recipe freezes well . . . at any stage (raw meatballs, partially cooked with sauce added or after being baked).

And, the winner is . . . Smokey BBQ Beef Sliders

And, the winner of the Kansas Beef Council’s $50.00 gift certificate is . . . Denise Lyons. Her name was drawn from a list of cooks that left comments on this blog (Sweet Potato Beef Mash Up), on my Facebook page or on one of several Linkedin cooking pages.

Just a few of the Ideas for using beef in back-to-school meals:

• Porcupine meatballs (meatballs made with rice and baked in a tomato sauce, served with mashed potatoes from Ali).
• Use ground beef to make Sloppy Joes (Jamie).
• Judy said she’d developed a hamburger salad that allowed her to include more veggies in her kid’s meals.
• Madanlal mentioned goulash.
• Jorge suggested beef stuffed spring rolls.

Although Denise was not required to provide a recipe, she did and so I'm including it below:

Smokey BBQ Beef Sliders

Combine 1 lb. of ground beef with:

- 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (Denise uses Montgomery Inn® brand)

- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke

- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

- 1/4 tablespoon onion powder

- 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder

- 1/4 tablespoon smoked paprika

- 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the meat mixture is and form the burgers into small patties and grill on a grill pan or outside grill until your preferred acquired doneness.

Right before serving, top burgers with Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese. Serve on mini Hawaiian or slider buns.

Denise added this comment, “The kids and the parents will love them!”

If you haven't already checked out the Beef Council's back-to-school recipes, here they are again:                                                                                                                        

     Rock and Roll Beef Wrap: A colorful way to introduce quinoa to your kids with ranch-seasoned Ground Beef and slaw.*

·    Mu Shu Steak & Apple Wraps: Hand-held and perfectly portable, these Steak, apple and slaw wraps are great on the go.

·    Spy Thai Beef: Peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger and garlic introduce ethnic flavors to picky palates.*

·    Sweet and Sloppy Joe: This recipe incorporates lots of veggies for a nutritious take on a kid favorite.*

·    Hoisin BBQ Steak-On-A-Stick with Pineapple Salsa: Little and big hands alike can enjoy bite-sized beef cubes, topped with a colorful four ingredient salsa.