Pulled Pork & Black Bean Chili

[This is another follow-up to my monstrous bowl of pulled pork. Read about my other meals: Pulled Pork Breakfast Skillets, and Pulled Pork Cheesesteak, or learn how to make pulled pork in your crockpot]

Of all the meals that I have made with pulled pork, this is easily the most time consuming. It was most definitely worth it though. I found a recipe for Black Bean Chile w. Chipotle Pulled Pork on Sippity Sup. The original recipe called for cooking the black beans and pork for hours on the stove, and required a bit more work than I was willing to put in, especially since I already had loads of delicious pulled pork on hand.

I cooked this in my instantpot, but on slow cooker mode, so that I could do everything in a single pot! I also cut the recipe in half, and adapted it a bit for us. This was also my first time using dried beans. Mary's post on the subject inspired me!

One of the many ingredients in this chili is chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. This is one of my favorite ingredients. I love spicy food, and I love the smoky flavor of chipotle. However, recipes never call for a whole can. I use my food processor, and blend the remaining sauce and peppers up. I freeze them overnight in a small ice cube trays, then transfer to a bag. That way they are always on hand for a recipe, and I am not throwing away old cans. For my tray, 1 cube = 1 pepper.

Black Bean Chili w. Pulled Pork

Adapted from Sippity Sup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbl Vegetable Oil
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped
• 6 Cloves Garlic Minced (3 Tsps)
• 3.5 Tbl Chili Powder
• 3/4 Tbl Ground Cumin
• 8 Cups Water*
• 1 Lb Dried Black Beans 
• 3 tsp Mexican Oregano (Yes there is a difference!)
• Zest of 1/2 Orange
• 3 Poblano Peppers, seeded, chopped
• 2 Cups Pulled Pork

Toppings

• Salsa Verde
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• Avocado Chunks (optional)
• Queso Fresca

Directions:

1. Prepare black beans: Rinse, and soak overnight, rinse again 
2. Heat oil. Add onions and garlic, cooking until translucent.
3. Add chili powder and cumin, stirring until fragrant, approx 1 min
4. Add water, black beans, oregano, and orange zest, and poblano peppers
5. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours
6. (Monitor water level, if chili looks to thick, additional water can be added)
7. Pork can be added during last 1/2 hour, or heated and placed on top. 
8. Mix chipotle peppers with sour cream. Add more or less to taste. 
9. To Serve: scoop chili in bowl, top with pork, queso fresca to taste, chipotle sour cream, and salsa verde. May also add sliced avocado, crushed corn chips, hot sauce, ect.