Recipe: Pressure Cooker – Ham & Beans

Ham & Beans don’t have to take all day. Delicious!

Ingredients:

For Soaking
1 lb. dried navy beans, sorted & rinsed
2 tbs. Sea salt
2 qt. water
For Cooking
4 tbs. butter
1 large, 1 medium onion
2 tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp. Sea salt
2 tsp. Black Pepper (Fresh ground is best)
1 lb. Smoked Jowl Bacon
1 1/2 lb. Cubed Ham leftovers (like from Christmas)

Cooking Directions (for electric pressure cooker)

Quick Pressure soak: Sort the beans, removing dark/beans. We leave the broken beans because they create a thicker consistency. Rinse the beans, put them in the pressure cooker pot, add the salt, and cover with 2 quarts water. Lock the lid, bring the pressure cooker up to high pressure, and cook for 3 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure come down by itself (about 15-20 minutes), then drain and rinse the beans and set aside.

Sauté the onions: Cut the onion into 1 inch pieces. Melt the butter in the pressure cooker pot over medium-high heat or the brown/sauté setting. Add the onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions are slightly transparent and the edges are browning.

Pressure cook the beans: Add the water, beans, Ham and Smoked Jowl Bacon to the pressure cooker and stir. Then go ahead and add the pepper and stir again. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid carefully.

 Slow Cook the ham and beans: Using the Slow Cook setting cook the ham and beans for two hours. Remove the lid carefully and stir. Remove the Smoked Jowl bacon and discard. Remove the Ham using a slotted spoon and shred or break into smaller pieces. Mix the Ham back in.

 Pressure cook the ham and beans again: This on low pressure for 6 minutes. Let pressure come down by itself (15-20 minutes or quick release, be careful).

If you like a thicker consistency you can remove and puree 1/2 cup of beans, then mix it back in.