I never got to the store that day. I had no plan for dinner, and no energy to even think about it. I’d spent part of the day trying to can beans, but my pressure canner was on the fritz. That left me with several jars of cooked beans that hadn’t been properly processed, so I needed to either use them up or freeze them. And canning takes a lot out of me even on a good day, so there wasn’t going to be anything fancy.

I love cooking my own beans from dried. Just look at these beautiful Pinquito beans from Rancho Gordo:

Their beans are so much fresher than those from the supermarket, and they have some really delicious varieties. (Also note the tiny pebble — that’s why you always have to sort through your dried beans before rinsing & soaking them.) I know exactly how much salt and BPA are in beans I cook myself (none), and I get the added benefit of this lovely, rich bean broth. 

So there I was with all these beans and no dinner. Instant Pot to the rescue again! Scuffling around in the fridge, I found a pork tenderloin that had about a day left before its use-by date and a lime that was pushing its. A quick search online found this recipe from BHG. Figuring I didn’t have anything to lose, I gave it a go. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much but was very pleasantly surprised. Even though there was a little prep required, it was still quick and easy. My favorites for “those” days are the freezer meals that you just dump in the pot & press a few buttons, but I was out of those. And while dinner cooked, I was able to do all the cleanup. After we ate, all I had to do was pop the inner pot in the dishwasher and turn it on. I was hoping I could turn this into a freezer meal, but no. It really needs the searing step for flavor, and if you’re going to be searing, you might as well just cook the whole thing. But, since most everything is stuff I tend to have on hand anyway, it still makes a great last-minute meal. Confession: I didn’t bother with the cilantro that day, but took the photo the next time I made it.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lb (454 g) 

1¼ cup (300 ml) homemade bean broth (or substitute chicken broth or water — I’ve used unsalted chicken broth for the nutrition chart)

½ cup (120 ml) orange juice

1 batch Homemade Taco Seasoning (or substitute 1 packet commercial taco seasoning)

1 additional teaspoon ground cumin

5 cloves of garlic

2 cups cooked pinto beans (or substitute a 15-oz/425 g can black beans)

1 cup (192 g) uncooked Uncle Ben’s brown rice* (or substitute white rice)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about half a lime)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

*Uncle Ben’s is parboiled, so it uses the same water ratio and cooking time as most white rice. Other brown rice will not cook thoroughly in this recipe.

Preparation:

1.) Trim the fat and silvery membranes from the pork, and cut it into one-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Mince the garlic.

2.) Set the Instant Pot on “Sauté,” using the “Adjust” button to select “Normal.” 

3.) Add half the oil to the inner pot. When it shimmers, add half the pork. Cook without stirring for a few minutes, until the meat releases easily from the bottom. Remove the browned meat; repeat with the other half of the oil and pork. You can see in the picture that I tried to brown it all at once. I know better — that never works very well. It was too crowded, so it got more steamed than browned. 

4.) Turn the pot off. Return the first batch of pork to the pot, and add the broth or water, orange juice, taco mix, cumin, and garlic. Mix well. Stir in the rice and beans. 

5.) Close the lid and seal the steam vent. Select the “Manual” button, use “Adjust” to select high pressure, and “+/-“ to set it for 12 minutes. When the cooking time is done, carefully open the steam vent to quick-release the pressure. 

6.) Stir in the lime juice and sprinkle with cilantro to serve.