I love to cook. I love to experiment. And I love to share my experiences.
To that end, I am going to do a series called "Monday Meals" or "Dishin' with Donald" today happens to both be Monday and sharing my experience with a recent dish...double score!
The recent Instant Pot craze has come over me! On Amazon Prime Day (mental note: create and celebrate Optimus Prime Day), the IP was offered at a price I could not resist. My long beloved crock pot had broken (apparently you cannot put a glass lid 1" from a gas burner or else...honey, glass shards shot from here to the heavens!) and I really needed some options other than the oven to cook my meals. And y'all already know I love me a slow cooked roast, brings out the southern gent in me! So many memories walking into the house from a long day of school, a several block walk in the freezing temps (uphill, in the snow, both ways) but I digress. . . suffice it to say, I bought the Instant Pot and was so excited.
Since then, my excitement has been squelched. I'm just not in love with it for, well, really anything except making broth to be honest. People tell me I need to keep playing with it and experimenting so that brings me to today's Dishin' with Donald.
One of my favorite cold-weather, budget meals is bean soup. I can make a $2 bag of beans turn into a week's worth of meals! With a few additions each day, the meal turns into a different dish each night (think: onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, celery, jalapenos...). I scoured the wonderful world wide web for a solid looking recipe, sent some messages to friends who are IP devotees and set out to make my pot of beans. "They" told me I could go from dry beans to an edible pot of beans in an hour's time. While they were not incorrect, the beans lacked a level of depth and complexity an all-day slow-simmer infuses. The recipe I (mostly) followed is included here for your consideration.
First I saute'd some onions, carrot, celery, garlic and bell peppers using the saute function. Then I added my 2 cups of dry beans along with 8 cups of water. I set the IP to "Pressure Cook" for 30 minutes as the recipe called for. After about 20 minutes, it finally got to pressure and began cooking. YES!!! But there was no delicious aroma wafting through the house. Oh well, if it can save me time I can forsake the aromatic delights! After the 30 min. pressure timer went off I did a Natural Release, which took another 30-45 minutes. I got a little aroma, but not much. I left it on warm for another 10 minutes while the boys played XBox. I went to taste and...the beans were not cooked thoroughly nor were they very tasty. I added several more shakes of spices and set back to 10 more min. on pressure. It only took about 5-10 min to get to pressure, then cooked for the 10...after 45 minutes of Natural Release, I did the Quick Release because we were getting H-A-N-G-R-Y !
upon opening the lid, I knew it was not the same. The liquid was quite watery and not at all the delicious thick nectar I'd come to expect with a pot of beans. The flavor of the beans was...ok, at best. It left me wanting more and feeling like each spoonful left me slightly cheated based on what I *knew* I had put in the pot and the flavor I should reasonably expect (I've been making beans for 20+ years, I know how to cook them and what to expect flavor-wise). The texture of the beans was the only highlight of the dish. It was perfect! not to mushy and not too firm, just right, as Goldilocks might say.
This Dish will earn only two out of five stars for:
Texture: 5
Ease: 4
Speed/Time: 3.5
Taste: 1
Expectations: 1
In summary, maybe some things just aren't meant to be Instant. How could an hour in the IP possibly compare to six hours on the stove top, the steam and aroma being slowly released into the air, buildint excitement and anticipation. Stirring every hour or so to avoid scorching and little taste tests along the way to whet the appetite. Perhaps, like friendship, some dishes are meant to be developed over extended periods of time and the nuances slowly coming together. I believe I will toss the remaining beans into my old pot and simmer for a few hours today, if only to reacquaint old friends.
Next up: Baked Potatoes in the IP!
Click here for recipe
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