Dear reader, my attempt to have one legume-heavy meal a week continues. I was at the grocery store when I spotted a bean I had never seen before: the Mayocoba bean. It was fat, round, and yellow. I bought a bag. But what was I supposed to do with these beans that looked like they were from another planet, or at least another culture? Ask the internet, of course. A quick query gave me a few recipes, and Peruvian-Style Mayocoba beans sounded the most interesting. Plus, it used a spice paste that I had never heard of called Amarillo Paste. What the heck was that?

I have been trying to become more bean-educated, so I have been reading about the many different beans out there. Bean websutes wax and wane in ecstasy over the nuances of bean flavor, quotes like, “It offers a rich, full-bodied flavor, with a velvety chestnut texture.” and “A super mild European-style classic heirloom bean, known for its pairing with lamb but excellent as a pot bean and with roasted tomatoes,” make beans sound like a better option than Porterhouse Steak. Each bean supposedly has its own unique characteristic, flavors, and pairings. However, I am a simple guy, and as I try different types of beans they all taste like, beans. Someday I may gain the epicurean skills to go beyond my rudimentary understanding, but that day is not today. I’m a guy who likes very soft mushy beans, that is about as far as my expertise goes.

However, I can taste the subtle differences between bean preparation methods, so I’m always interested in learning more about them. This recipe has many of the usual suspects: onions, garlic, tomatoes, and cumin, but that Amarillo Paste definitely adds a certain something. It has a bit of after-heat, but not so much so I can enjoy the gentle burn. I thought this dish was quite tasty. Once again I’m pairing a bean dish with some rice. I’m sure there are other possibilities, but rice seems to go with so many things. I adapted this recipe for the Instant Pot. By the way it is from gypsyplate.com.

Here are the ingredients, with the exception of the Amarillo Paste, pretty standard fare.

This is the Amarillo Paste. You only use two tablespoons for the recipe, and the jar was fairly inexpensive. I bought mine on Amazon, and there was a large variety of brands to choose from. Since I was completely ignorant, I chose this brand because I liked the label. It turned out to be a tasty option.

Step one: brown the bacon. This Instant Pot clone is manually controlled and does not have a separate sauté function. No worries, I just turned the dial with the lid off and the pot heated up.

I removed the bacon and continued the recipe.

Bacon fat is a wonderful flavor enhancer. I soften my onion in it.

Now the garlic. As usual, I’m using jarlic garlic. I cooked this for about a minute.

Now the tomato paste, spices, bay leaf, and tomatoes. I didn’t have a fresh tomato, so I used a drained 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Pro tip: I like to buy tomato paste in a tube that I can easily reseal and keep in the fridge for the next time I need it.

In go the cooked bacon and the beans. The night before, I sorted the beans, removed any bad ones, and soaked them overnight in a covered bowl. Soaking reduces the cooking time and (supposedly) reduces some of the, umm, unpleasant bean impact on one’s GI tract.

Now, the two cups of chicken broth. Use whatever broth you have. Today, I used boxed broth, but you can use Better Than Bouillon, homemade broth, or even bouillon cubes. Remember, each has a different salt load. This recipe has no added salt.

Close your pressure cooker’s lid and make sure that the regulator is on seal. I’m cooking the beans for around 25 minutes. This is a neat pressure cooker, as it is fully manual. Its solitary control is the timer knob.

I was running out of bread, so I made a loaf at the same time. I can access two different electrical circuits on my island, so no fuses blew.

After the pressure time was up, I let the pot rest for 15 minutes before releasing the pressure. These are the results. I think it looks delicious! Always follow your pot’s safety instructions.

Here are the Peruvian Beans served on a bed of rice. I’m not sure if these are supposed to be a main course or a side dish. However, they were plenty filling for both my wife and me.

I’ll keep exploring bean dishes. The more I eat them, the more they feel like a complete meal. Beans are cheap (even the unusual ones) and a superfood full of carbs, protein, minerals, and fiber. They have a long shelf life, so having some on hand during a winter storm provides food insurance with very little cash outlay.

You may have noticed that I use a lot of different pressure cookers. Most are thrifted. Although each has its own quirks, I haven’t found one that can’t use an Instant Pot recipe. Electric pressure cookers speed up meal prep, save energy, and make cleanup an absolute breeze. Inflation got you down? Check out your local thrift store for one today!

Peace

Mike