Pressure Cooker Ground Beef and Bean Chili

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more if needed
• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef, at least 15% fat
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• Kosher salt
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, plus more if desired
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more if desired
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, tomatoes crushed by hand, juices drained and reserved
• 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee or espresso
• 1/2 ounce dark chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 4 cups cooked and drained red kidney beans or two 15.5-ounce cans red kidney beans, drained
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Sour cream, cilantro leaves, thinly sliced fresh chili or jalapeño, grated cheese, thinly sliced scallions, lime wedges, and more, for serving

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat, or use the sauté setting on an electric pressure cooker, until it shimmers. Add about 1/4 of the ground beef and cook it, stirring now and then, until it is deeply browned. Lift the browned beef out with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Pour off the fat, leaving 1 tablespoon in the cooker.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring while you loosen the browned bits from the bottom, until it turns lightly golden, about 5 minutes. The exact timing can vary quite a bit depending on your pressure cooker, especially with electric models where the heat is less adjustable. Sprinkle with salt. Add the garlic, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the mixture smells fragrant, about 1 minute. If the cooker looks dry at any point, add more oil. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it deepens slightly in color, about 1 minute.
3. Put the browned beef back into the cooker, including any juices that collected. Add the uncooked beef and crushed tomatoes, then stir everything together thoroughly. Season lightly with salt. Mix in the coffee, chocolate, and fish sauce, then add the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring well and scraping across the bottom. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break apart any larger pieces of ground beef. Give the bottom one more thorough scrape before you lock the cooker.
4. Close the cooker, bring it to high pressure, and cook for 20 minutes. Use a quick release, then stir the chili well, scraping the bottom to check that nothing is stuck.
5. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the drained beans. Add salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Taste, then add more chili powder, cumin, or cayenne if you want more seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the chili is thicker than you like, loosen it with some reserved tomato juices, or bean-cooking liquid if you have it. If it is too loose, keep simmering until it reaches the consistency you want.
6. Serve with whichever toppings you like.