I will admit this is the first time I do it from “scratch.”  Dry beans (Red, Black & Pinto, half pack of each*) soaking overnight and then cooked over sauteed onions & peppers. Added about a glass of water, half a glass of white wine, salt and granulated garlic to taste. I also added a piece of smoked pork for flavoring. Pressure cooker on high till the bell starts rocking and then bring it to #6 for 10 minutes. Take out of the stove, cool off in the sink and check for tenderness and flavor. More than likely they will need more time to cook.

Before you close the cooker down again, add parsley, basil and culantro (not cilantro although it is not bad) again as much as you want (1/3 of a cup each if you worry), lock the cooker and repeat the above cooking procedure only 5 minutes this time.

The meats were about 2 pounds of pork and beef. Mix with salt, garlic and whatever other combination of spices you want.  On a covered pot, small to medium heat, add about 3 spoons of oil,  let it brown slowly and separate clumps as needed. Keep stirring and tasting till is barely cooked.

Next for the extra seasoning, I use  Carrol Shelby’s Chili Kit. Before anything else, drain the beef and once “dry”, drop it back in the pot, adding one jar of tomato sauce (The imported Italian stuff is good!), stir good.

Next: You have three bags: one spices, one chili powder and one masa flour. I throw away the masa as my chili does not need to be thickened with cheating means. I add the big bag of spices  to the meat & sauce and stir gently till everything is nice and mixed.  I would recommend to add the chili powder at a later date. leave the meat simmering and go check the beans before you burn them.

If the beans are ready (A little firm but collapsing at the presence of pressure, in Italian, Al Dente), go ahead and add the beef to the beans. Mix thoroughly and check seasoning. At this time and before you do anything else, you should make the decision of adding the Chili powder. I do half the bag and then add two spoonfuls of good black pepper. We like the combination as we are not psychopaths that need to burn the digestive system (says the wife). You add what you want as much as you want.

Cover again and simmer for 10-15 and turn off the eye. It should finish cooking with its internal temperature and you don’t need burned beans in the bottom of the pot.

And enjoy!

(*half a pack each because the suckers expand while soaking and you’d need one of them canning pressure cookers to do the chili)

PS: If you were to burn the beans to the bottom of the pot, remove the good ones, scrape the bad ones and fill about 1/4 of the pot with water and add a good squirt of CLR. Leave it soaking for 6-8 hours. It will come off like panties at an orgy. Wash the pot very damn well, you don’t want to get a taste of that thing in a future meal.