Pinto Beans and Ground Beef Stew

By Thom7747

This delightful stew with pinto beans, ground beef, and cilantro is something you're whole family is going to love. If you're not a pressure-cooker convert, this recipe will convert you because of the ease of how to cook this and how quickly this recipe comes together. Serve this delicious dish with your favorite freshly baked, crusty dinner rolls or over butter rice for a heartier dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried pinto beans, un-soaked or 2 (16-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound low-fat ground beef
• 1 teaspoon Spike seasoning
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro, optional
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock, or 2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth and reduce slightly to 3 cups
• 1 cup liquid from pressure cooking beans or 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

Preparation

Step 1

Put 1 cup dried pinto beans in pressure cooker with 2 teaspoons olive oil, add water to fill pressure cooker half full, lock lid, and pressure cook at high pressure 15 minutes. Start to time after high pressure is reached. Turn off heat and let pressure release naturally, about 15 minutes. When all pressure is released, drain beans into colander, reserving 1 cup bean cooking liquid. You can also use 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed well in a colander placed in the sink, then drained.

While beans are cooking, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large heavy frying pan, add ground beef, and season with Spike seasoning, then saute until beef is well-browned, breaking apart with back of the turner as it cooks. When it's well browned, remove beef to a bowl.

Heat 2 teaspoons more olive oil in frying pan, then add onion and saute about 5 minutes, or until onion is starting to brown. Add minced garlic and saute 2 minutes more, then add Mexican oregano, cumin, and dried cilantro and saute about 2 minutes more.

When beans have finished cooking and been drained into a colander, add cooked ground beef to pressure cooker, followed by onion/garlic/herb mixture. Add chicken stock to frying pan and simmer a minute, scraping off any browned bits and adding that liquid to pressure cooker, along with 1 cup reserved bean cooking liquid or water, if using canned beans. Add beans, tomato paste and can of tomatoes to pressure cooker.

Lock lid and pressure cook for 2 minutes at high pressure. Start to time after high pressure is reached. Turn off heat and let pressure release naturally, about 15 minutes. When pressure is released, add sliced green onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime juice, turn heat on and cook with lid off for about 5 minutes. Serve hot, with additional chopped cilantro to add at the table if desired.