This recipe is in two parts. This is a typical southern aka soul food dish and great for when times are tight. This was born out of a struggle. It is cheep but it is filling and tasty.
Equipment for the beans and smoked turkey (vegetarians can use liquid smoke, don’t worry I got you covered). A pressure cooker is needed because it cuts the time. For the cornbread you need a mixing bowl a spoon and a cast iron skillet for baking.
Ingredients: pinto beans, smoked turkey , the halal store I go to buy my meat had smoked turkey yay, 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 chili d’ arbol, 1 tsp. seasoned salt, 4 cups of water, 2 tbs of olive oil. Use a little of it to oil the rim of the pressure cooker so the lid will slide off easy when done cooking. The owner’s manual suggests this because they recommend it. Vegetarians for you use liquid smoke in place of smoked turkey or turkey bacon. Cooking spray.
Method for cooking pintos: Soak pinto beans for 3 hours to overnight.
Add olive oil to pressure cooker while you are at it before you turn on the burner apply a thin coat of this oil on the rim. This is for easy removal once the pressure goes down. Chop 1 onion or shallot or 5 green onions and fry until it is brown. Add 4 cloves of garlic chopped. Add 1 bay leaf. Add crushed black pepper, 1 chili d’arbol crushed, seasoned salt, pinto beans, smoked turkey, (omit if you are a vegetarian use liquid smoke in its place). Add 4 cups or more water, you want it to cover your beans and smoked turkey, (I used smoked turkey tails). Pressure cook on medium heat or instant pot pressure cook setting on high for 20 minutes. Let the steam and pressure escape. Open to see if the beans and smoked turkey is tender. If they still are close the cooker again and cook for another 10 minutes. Let steam escape again. This time it should be done.
Preheat oven 400ºF= 204ºC
Cornbread ingredients: 2 cups of all purpose unbleached flour. 2 cups of cornmeal either yellow or white. To me it really doesn’t matter. 2 pinches of baking powder. 1 egg, 1 quart = 1 liter of buttermilk. 1 oz of vegetable oil.
Cornbread method: Spray the cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Add dry ingredients first. Add flour cornmeal white or yellow, baking soda and give it a stir. Add all of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl, egg and buttermilk. then mix in to a batter. Pour the vegetable oil and stir and make sure it coats the batter then pour the batter in to the prepped cast iron skillet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. A test is done with either fork or toothpick in the center comes out clean, almost like you are baking a cake.
When they are done cut the cornbread and put it on the plate and add the beans to the top like in the picture. I love my beans and cornbread this way or have it to the side whatever you prefer. The beans is good with white rice too. Enjoy. Note: if you want you can use black eye peas, great northern’s, navy beans and crowder peas in the same fashion and for vegetarians and vegans use liquid smoke you still get the same great taste.
P.S. You can add either several slices of zabiha halal beef or turkey bacon cut in to cubes too.
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