Erzsi wrote:Can anyone suggest a cook book or a resource I could look into to get a better idea of all the possibilities that my pressure cooker will hold for me? I am assuming that I can cook most anything in there that I can cook on the stove but I'm interest to learn how to gauge the cooking times so that I don't over cook everything that I experiment on.

Thanking you in advance..

I have two suggestions-- first, your pressure cooker might come with a very handy instruction book. I consult mine all the time, as it has base cooking times for all manner of veg, meats, and beans. I also like Lorna Sass's cookbooks:
http://www.lornasass.com/cookbooks/cook ... re_cooking

The pressure cooker is great for beets or potatoes-- they get done super fast without getting waterlogged. Enjoy your cooker!

Best, Jen

I use my pressure cooker constantly for weeknight meals. I never use "pressure cooker" cookbook. Nearly any recipe that spends a long (read: an hour or more) time in a pot can be adapted for use in a pressure cooker.

I would avoid specific "Pressure Cooker" cookbooks. I find that they really don't focus on the food that you might want to eat. I would focus instead on making a few simple dishes and learning basic techniques. Then, you can basically make anything you want.

Also, my cooker is perfectly safe. It can't explode (there is a valve that releases excess pressure if it can't handle it). And it's impossible to open if there is any level of pressure inside (there is a safety switch that's activated by pressure).

Here are a few basic tips:
--Read the instruction booklet of your cooker carefully and understand exactly how it works.
--Start with this tip: Divide the amount of inactive (braising/simmering) time in a recipe by three, and use that for your time spent under medium-high pressure. For example, if a stew or soup requires an hour on the stovetop simmering, bring it to a simmer in the cooker and then put it under medium high pressure for 20 minutes and then quick release the pressure and you should be about done.
--Use the quick-release of pressure in the beginning until you really get the hang of it. Sometimes it's better to just let the pressure decrease naturally, off-heat, but quick-release always works. If it's not done, you can always go back for more.

Here's a basic technique that you can experiment with to learn to use it:
--Brown a seasoned cheap cut of meat in a little oil in the cooker. A hunk of pork shoulder, chuck roast, lamb shoulder chops, chicken thighs, whatever. It can be whole or cut-up.
--Remove the browned meat and sautee some seasoned mirepoix in the fat and fond from the meat.
--If you want a thicker gravy, coat the mirepoix with some flour and cook until the flour absorbs the fat.
--Cover with some liquid: stock/broth, wine, beer, water, coconut milk, whatever.
--Add herbs: bay leaf, thyme sprigs, you get the idea.
--Add back the meat and it's juices.
--Add anything else that might cook in the same amount of time as the meat. For example, a nice large hunk of whole chuck roast might cook in the same amount of time as a whole potato or big hunk of carrot. A thin chop would want the veggies to be cut smaller.
--Cook under medium high pressure for at least 15-20 minutes. The bigger the cut of meat, the longer it will take.
--Open, adjust seasoning, and enjoy. If you have the time, let it rest and de-fat it if it's not thickened.

From this basic technique you can make anything from pot roast to beer-braised pork shoulder with potatoes to chicken curry with thai eggplant.

Using a pressure cooker is a little like using a smoker. It takes a little finesse and learning your way around your equipment, but it's a great, versatile tool that will save you tons of time and money.

Best,
Michael

Michael,

What size pressure cooker are you using for daily cooking?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:What size pressure cooker are you using for daily cooking?

It is a 6-quart cooker. I would recommend nothing smaller.

Best,
Michael

Michael,

Thanks for the answer. I guess I was mistaken thinking the 6-quart was too big for daily use.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Thanks for the answer. I guess I was mistaken thinking the 6-quart was too big for daily use.

It might be on the large size, but it is not unwieldy. I tend to cook with the expectation of leftovers. Also, the key point to remember is that you need room in the cooker for the pressure to build up. There is a line inside every cooker over which you are not supposed to fill liquid. This reduces the usable space inside.

I think a 4-quart would simply be too small for any practical purpose.

Best,
Michael

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions. My pressure cooker arrived Friday night in the evening. My husband and I played with it last night just using water to get the hang of adjusting the heat, using the release and things like that.

I'm going to try to test it out today making a beef stock, and then possibly some chicken or a roast later if that turns out well. I'm very excited by this new tool, it's wonderful, and I'm quite enjoying seeing my mother back away from the stove in terror.

I had to respond to the recent pressure cooker thread as I am always looking for converts to this great piece of
kitchen equiptment. I use mine at least once a week. It is indispensable. The best gift for a new mother/cook.
I make a fabulous chicken in the pot/soup in mine--sometimes a mexican tortilla soup full of tomatillos and always a whole chicken that is done in 23 minutes! Risotto is fabulous in it--If buying, I recommend buying a cooker that is 8 qt. and comes also with a skillet for risotto. There are a couple of good cookbooks that are great guides--I make a lot of artichokes and beets, too. I would love to do more recipe sharing as most are into slow cookers and this is sheer speed with no mess for a week night dinner!

Erzsi wrote: I'm very excited by this new tool, it's wonderful, and I'm quite enjoying seeing my mother back away from the stove in terror.

Wow. I wonder if that would work on my Mom....

Erzsi wrote:I'm going to try to test it out today making a beef stock, and then possibly some chicken or a roast later if that turns out well.

Can I hope you are considering cooking a pot roast and not just a roast?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

Erzsi wrote:I'm going to try to test it out today making a beef stock, and then possibly some chicken or a roast later if that turns out well.

Can I hope you are considering cooking a pot roast and not just a roast?

Regards,

Actually a "roast" is very possible in a pressure cooker. A prominent French TV personality has this in his fast food cookbook. He uses a shoulder roast of veal (or flatiron/top blade-under blade cut) with no liquid. I've never tried this as I thought that you always needed some liquid to provide the "pressure" but he didn't.

Basically, the technique is to brown a salt/peppered veal roast (tied in butchers twine) in butter with a quartered onion. Add some fresh herbs and cover/pressure on high until the pressure builds up then reduce to low and cook for about 30 minutes. De-pressure and let roast sit, then enjoy.

Let me know if anyone tries this. It looks good but, like I said, I've never tried a pressure cooker sans liquid.

tyrus wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:

Erzsi wrote:I'm going to try to test it out today making a beef stock, and then possibly some chicken or a roast later if that turns out well.

Can I hope you are considering cooking a pot roast and not just a roast?

Regards,

Actually a "roast" is very possible in a pressure cooker. A prominent French TV personality has this in his fast food cookbook. He uses a shoulder roast of veal (or flatiron/top blade-under blade cut) with no liquid. I've never tried this as I thought that you always needed some liquid to provide the "pressure" but he didn't.

Basically, the technique is to brown a salt/peppered veal roast (tied in butchers twine) in butter with a quartered onion. Add some fresh herbs and cover/pressure on high until the pressure builds up then reduce to low and cook for about 30 minutes. De-pressure and let roast sit, then enjoy.

Let me know if anyone tries this. It looks good but, like I said, I've never tried a pressure cooker sans liquid.

I'm not sure why you avoided naming Mr. Pepin. This comes out of "Fast Food My Way", an excellent cookbook (which now has a sequel).

He says the recipe is his sister's. I've tried it and it works quite well. There is enough liquid in the vegetables and the meat to generate steam and moderate pressure under heat.

Best,
Michael

Cathy2 wrote:Can I hope you are considering cooking a pot roast and not just a roast?

Regards,

As referenced downthread I was thinking of attempting the recipe from Jaques Pepin. I happened to be looking through that cook book and came across it and it seemed interesting. Alas, I didn't have enough time to attempt that yet.

So far I've managed to make a lovely beef stock, I used neck bones, and while it usually takes me several hours I had a very flavorful stock in roughly an hour or so.

I also had a nice chicken stew the other evening using chicken thighs and was suprised that in roughly a half hour my chicken was done and only needed to be thickened up a bit.

The one thing that I am finding that I need to work on is seasoning. I'm someone that usually tastes mid way through and adjusts the seasoning again at the endwhich is something I didn't do either time I used the pressure cooker.

Erzsi wrote:The one thing that I am finding that I need to work on is seasoning. I'm someone that usually tastes mid way through and adjusts the seasoning again at the endwhich is something I didn't do either time I used the pressure cooker.

This is a bit of a challenge with a pressure cooker, you lose the ability to taste and adjust. But you can always go for a little open simmer at the end to help you adjust seasoning.

Also, I find that things that come out of the cooker have a flatter range of flavors (if that makes any sense). Fresh herbs and a bit of acid (citrus or vinegar) are often a necessity before serving.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:I'm not sure why you avoided naming Mr. Pepin. This comes out of "Fast Food My Way", an excellent cookbook (which now has a sequel).

He says the recipe is his sister's. I've tried it and it works quite well. There is enough liquid in the vegetables and the meat to generate steam and moderate pressure under heat.

Best,
Michael

At first, I had his name and cookbook noted and I revised it. I'm still sketchy about posting recipes on here so I avoided using his name and citing the cookbook as I don't have it handy to reference the page number, etc. as requested on this board. Also, since I haven't tried the recipe, I couldn't comment on any alterations, how it tasted, etc. also requested by LTH. Nor could I provide a direct link. I just wanted to share some information I recalled but had never tried and didn't want the moderators to come down on me for copyright infringement.

Glad to see it worked out for you, maybe I'll try it sometime.

eatchicago wrote:Also, I find that things that come out of the cooker have a flatter range of flavors (if that makes any sense). Fresh herbs and a bit of acid (citrus or vinegar) are often a necessity before serving.

I think I know what you mean - but isn't that an issue with any long-simmered or braised dish?
I tend to think of the pressure-cooker as an accelerator/energy conserver for those kinds of dishes.
The flavor differences in long simmered herbs and fresh (at the end) herb additions that are integral to many dishes - with both providing their distinct signature in dishes (say parsley in Italian and cilantro in Indian dishes).

sazerac wrote:

eatchicago wrote:Also, I find that things that come out of the cooker have a flatter range of flavors (if that makes any sense). Fresh herbs and a bit of acid (citrus or vinegar) are often a necessity before serving.

I think I know what you mean - but isn't that an issue with any long-simmered or braised dish?
I tend to think of the pressure-cooker as an accelerator/energy conserver for those kinds of dishes.
The flavor differences in long simmered herbs and fresh (at the end) herb additions that are integral to many dishes - with both providing their distinct signature in dishes (say parsley in Italian and cilantro in Indian dishes).

I don't have any scientific evidence for this, but I believe the pressure cooker mutes flavors more so than a simple slow cook. Not so much that I consider it a problem, but enough that I can tell. I can taste the difference in broths, sauces, and stews.

Best,
Michael

I received a pressure cooker for Christmas this year and used it 3 times yesterday to try it out and get the hang of it.

First, I made split-pea soup. The soup turned out great in just a few minutes- 7-8 minutes under pressure. However, the hamhocks were nowhere near tender, though they still lent a lot of flavor to the soup. Next time, I think I'll just cook the ham hocks under pressure first and then add the peas later for a few minutes at the end.

Second, I made a batch of greens - kale and collards. I think they cooked under pressure for about 8 minutes. For my taste, this was too much, as they were much softer than I prefered. I like a little bit of bite. Also, as eatchicago had noted, the flavor of the greens themselves were a bit more muted than if I had cooked them the regular way. I think I added too much water to it as well. The instructions were very adamant about not letting the cooker dry out so I bumped up the liquid a bit. I found that to be unnecessary. But they were still very good.

Finally, I braised a beef brisket. I cut the brisket in half to fit in the cooker to brown. I browned it off and added mirepoix, garlic, red wine, tomatoes, and water. I cooked it on high pressure for 40 minutes and then let it sit for 5 minutes with no heat before I released the pressure. This turned out pretty well. The brisket was tender but firm enough for me to slice thinly. The sauce was delicious spooned over the slices.

I think it would have turned out better if I had braised the traditional way but it was outstanding for the time it took. I'm looking forward to using it more during the week when I only have 45 minutes or so to get dinner ready.

I'd like to try more one-pot rice dishes like arroz con pollo or jambalaya, etc. but it seems that cooking rice is tricky because of the starchy foam clogging up the vent hole and also not letting the cooker run dry. Should I be too concerned with this? I have a large 8 quart cooker, so I imagine if it's only filled half-way, it should be fine.

Has anyone had experience cooking rice/rice-dishes in their pressure cooker before?

viaChgo wrote:Has anyone had experience cooking rice/rice-dishes in their pressure cooker before?

I've made a chicken and rice dish with the pressure cooker but would never pressure cook the rice. Basically, I pressure cook the chicken alone, remove and let cool before shredding (just like soup). Then I throw the vegetables in (carrots mostly) and pressure cook for about 3 minutes. Then, I add rice and cook normally, without pressure. Think of the pressure cooker like a "time-skipper" for your big meals.

It works great for stew. Brown meat, add onion/celery/spices. Add back meat and some liquid and pressure cook for 15-20 minutes. De-pressure and add the potatoes and carrots (or any other root vegetable) and back on pressure for about 3-4 minutes. If you add any "fresh veggies," just add them at the end - off pressure and cook until done.

Enjoy!

I used the pressure cooker last night to make a quick tonkatsu-style ramen broth. Basically, I stopped at Jewel on the way home & picked up some Chinese-style noodles in the "Asian" section of the produce aisle and some pork country ribs (not the boneless kind). I like these particular noodles even though they are a little bit thicker than normal ramen noodles. They work well for ramen.

I put the cooker on the stove, cranked up the heat as soon as I walked in the door. Then I filmed the bottom with oil and dropped in the meat for some browning. Then I cut a peeled onion in half and chucked that in along with 2 green onions, 4-5 cloves of garlic, hunk of ginger, a box of chicken broth, couple tablespoons of soy sauce, a star anise, and a tablespoon of sugar to round things out. I think next time I'll leave out the star anise. It's a nice addition to the broth but it kind of takes it into pho territory a bit.

I clamped the lid on and cooked for 20 minutes under pressure. I pulled all the stuff out and putin the noodles to cook for 3-4 minutes. Next time I'll cook the noodles separately as the broth gets too starchy otherwise. I shredded up the pork meat and added it back to my bowl with some chopped green onions.

It was a great bowl of ramen from scratch in about 30 minutes!

I recently followed CIs recipe for pressure cooker chicken stock. I typically slow cook my stock for several hours, sort of enjoying the experience. But, it was late and I needed it the next day and was out, so succumbed.

It was terrific! I didn't think it would be bad, mind you, but was surprised at how wonderful it was. I may be doing this more often.

My beef stock in the pressure cooker has been coming along over the last few months. I'm learning how to better season my dishes in the cooker without the luxury of the tasting in the middle of the cooking process. I'm really enjoying my cooker and learning to use it to my advantage.

HI,

When I am pressure preserving food, I have learned to back off on seasoning foods for two reasons: 1) sometimes the seasonings under pressure have a different taste from those prepared in a non-pressure environment, 2) It provides wider latitude later on how I use the product.

Did you experience any odd tastes from seasonings when you pressure cooked?

Regards,

razbry wrote:All this information was really great. However, what I'd really like to hear about are people's experiences with using the pressure cooker for canning.

Back when Green Stamps were the 'in' thing, I got myself a pressure cooker. I was going to can tomatoes. I spent most of the day; got everything in my then apartment kitchen dirty, and ended up with ONE pint of tomatoes. I use my pressure cooker for about everything BUT canning.

I do a great porkchop and sauerkraut dish that came from the original cookbook that came with that first pressure cooker. I've got a nice electric one now that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Put the sauerkraut in the bottom of the cooker. Mine is big so I use 2 bags of it but you can use one for a smaller one. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top of the kraut to taste. I use about 2-3 tbsp. Brown the pork chops and put on top of the kraut. I usually do 4 big ones or 6 smaller ones. Peel med size red potatoes and put on top of all that. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of water (don't drain the kraut). Do 15# pressure for 20 minutes after the pressure is up. Cool quickly and enjoy. Yummmm.

Cathy2 wrote:Did you experience any odd tastes from seasonings when you pressure cooked?

Regards,

Not sure if you were asking someone in particular, but I can't say I have noticed anything...are you asking because you have?

debkauz wrote:Back when Green Stamps were the 'in' thing, I got myself a pressure cooker. I was going to can tomatoes. I spent most of the day; got everything in my then apartment kitchen dirty, and ended up with ONE pint of tomatoes. I use my pressure cooker for about everything BUT canning.

Great memory with that post, debkauz. I was a kid and my grandmother gave me the stamps to collect. Boy, did I have fun with them!

Your tomato experience made me chuckle, too. I make pasta sauce - typical red sauce - and can it, but never start with fresh tomatoes. I buy good canned ones. For one, I know they are at a good acid level so don't have to worry about that (even though I bought a good pH meter to test for sure) and I don't have to spend hours reducing 30 pounds of tomatoes to a few quarts, lol.

I just got a terrific pressure cooker/cannerfrom my brother for Christmas, and have just been using the daylights out of it. It's wonderful for all the braising cuts of my cow: I don't have to think so far in advance what I'm going to make for dinner, because I can get them done in a little over the time it takes to cook a steak. Though it's got a steamer basket and directions on cooking veg, I usually add aromatics, but cook the rest separately and add them in after.

I've been doing soups and stock, too, and am finding that for stock, I need to take the lid off after the alotted time and just let it simmer for like an hour or so; still less time than simmering all day, though. I think it's because you aren't getting the evaporation to concentrate the flavors.

While this seems like a bit of a hassle (and a lot of dirty pots) it's been very helpful with time-management; I'm rarely organized enough in the morning to have dinner in mind - which meant braising was out of the question on weekdays...until now.

Mhays, similar to you adding some things afterward or allowing the stock to simmer a bit afterward, it's really effective for reducing the large time consuming part of something.

Hmmm, that didn't make much sense. Let me illustrate with bean soup. It's great to take the pork product and the beans and cook them for the recommended time. Then, I can add the tomatoes, the herbs, the whatever, and make my soup. I have soup in 45 minutes instead of 3 hours. It's not as good when I put it all together or it cooks one thing too long, or something. But, it allows me to cook the longest cooking item, add it to the shorter cooking items, and reduce total cooking time by quite a bit while not sacrificing flavor or texture.

Thank you, ViewsAskew - that was exactly what I meant. It's a great timesaver.

I also got a pressure cooker for Christmas but haven't had time to play around with it. I picked up Lorna Sass' (link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060505346) Pressure Perfect cookbook and it's pretty cool. I'm still reading through it but there's a lot of good stuff in there.

Through a slip on Amazon.com, I ordered two copies. If anyone is interested in picking up my second copy for a reasonable price, PM me.