Cuban-Style Black Beans
from https://www.foodandwine.com/

These flavorful black beans, seasoned with an aromatic sofrito, can be made on the stovetop or in a pressure multicooker for an easy and versatile dish. A pressure cooker speeds everything up, but is not essential.

Romulo Yanes shared this recipe for his mother's Cuban-style black beans (and the story behind the dish) with Food & Wine,

Her black beans begin by simply cooking dried black beans with onion, green pepper, and bay leaf in a pressure cooker, which makes quick work of dried beans, infusing them with flavor while turning them very tender and soft. She would then make sofrito: garlic, onions, and green pepper gently cooked for a long time in olive oil. She would add the sofrito to the beans, which enriched the cooking liquid and gave them a mellow flavor that didn't hit you over the head and really went well with everything else she served them with — the toasted rice, the sweet fried plantains, the boiled yuca, and the tender shredded beef of the ropa vieja. She served an achingly sweet caramel flan for dessert. And for me, all of these things together made the perfect meal.

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed
5 cups water
2 white onions, halved lengthwise, divided
2 large green bell peppers, halved and seeded, divided
4 bay leaves, divided
4 clove garlic cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup (2 ounces) dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon black pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro , for garnish (optional)
Lime wedges , for serving

Place beans in a large bowl, and add water to cover by 2 inches. Cover bowl, and let soak at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours. Drain well.

Stir together beans, 5 cups water, 1 onion half, 1 bell pepper half, and 2 bay leaves in a large pot or a programmable pressure multicooker (such as Instant Pot); bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until beans are almost tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and discard onion, bell pepper, and bay leaves.

Meanwhile, finely chop remaining onion and bell pepper halves. Smash garlic cloves on a cutting board using the flat side of a chef’s knife. Sprinkle garlic with 1 teaspoon salt; rub salt into garlic using side of knife to form a paste.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium. Add chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, and garlic paste; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in wine, cumin, oregano, tomato paste, and remaining 2 bay leaves. Cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is incorporated and wine is evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Uncover beans, and stir in onion mixture, black pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Increase heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and liquid is thickened, about 30 minutes.

Season beans with additional salt to taste, and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve with lime wedges.