Somewhere in the back of your pantry is a bag of dried black beans just waiting to be used and loved. This Cuban Black Bean recipe is pretty much as easy as beans get and they are SO delicious. The pressure cooker makes them very tender, but they don’t turn to mush like refried beans. They have a great texture and amazing, almost sweet, flavor. I serve them just over rice for a classic comfort food dinner.
Finely dice bacon and add it to a multicooker (instant pot, crockpot, etc.) on the saute function. Add olive oil and cook until bacon is browned, but not burning, 4-5 minutes.
When bacon is cooked, add in onions, jalapeno, and garlic. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until veggies start to soften and then stir in all the spices. Continue to cook for a minute.
Rinse and drain beans, sorting out any small pebbles that might be in the beans. Add the beans to the pot along with the orange juice and chicken stock.
Seal your multicooker for pressure cooking and Place your multicooker on manual high pressure and cook beans for 40 minutes. Then turn off multi-cooker and let the pressure dissipate naturally for 15 minutes. Then manually vent any extra pressure.
Open pressure cooker and remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Turn pressure cooker to saute and keep black beans warm until ready to serve. Season beans with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve black beans over cooked rice with cilantro, fresh lime, and sliced onions.
Leftover black beans keep well in the fridge for 5 days. Reheat over a gentle heat in a pot with a splash of water or in the microwave with some water for 1 minute on high. You can also freeze the black beans in an airtight freezer bag for up to three months.