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Cooking with a pressure cooker

C

Cook Chatty Cathy

New member
Do any of you use a pressure cooker on a regular basis? I have discovered making homemade tamales, and I have been using my pressure cooker to steam them it is working out fabulous!

What are your favorite pressure cooker meals? One of my favorites is stuffed bell peppers!
 
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Cathy, I love using the pressure cooker and my absolute favorite for using it, Pot Roast.
I love stuffed Bell Peppers too and have to check out your recipe. I have the the one you have for cabbage.
When I do stuffed peppers in the pressure cooker I like to use V8 juice for my liquid. My favorite part of stuffed peppers is the liquid the peppers cook in when it's done.
My filling for stuffed peppers is just a rice and ground beef mixture.
 
My grand mother used to make green beans and red potatoes in the pressure cooker and it was wonderful. I have one but I am scared to death of it. I wish I could get over the fear because I would love to use it. I just don't know how high to turn the stove to?
 
Barbecued Chicken

Serving Size : 8

2 chickens -- quartered
1/2 cup water or white wine
Your favorite barbecue sauce
=== MARINADE ===
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove -- minced or crushed
2 tablespoons finely-chopped green onions
= (or shallots)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs
= (rosemary is good with chicken)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Combine the marinade ingredients and mix well.

Place the chicken and the marinade in a large plastic food storage bag. Press the air out and seal. Massage the bag gently to distribute the marinade and set the bag in a large bowl or plate and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

In a 4-quart or larger pressure cooker, place the water or wine in the cooker, place the trivet inside, and add the chicken pieces.

Bring the pressure to the second red ring (15 pounds pressure) over high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain pressure at the second red ring and cook for 6 minutes.

Use Fingertip Release Method.

Take chicken out of the pressure cooker and grill for 3 minutes on a side, slightly longer for the leg and thigh sections. You can brush with your favorite barbecue sauce, or grill as-is.

This recipe yields 8 servings.

Comments: You can choose to marinate or not, but remember never to baste a cooked chicken with a marinade that has had raw chicken in it. Dispose of the marinade after use, as it may contain harmful bacteria.

-------------------------------------
Corned Beef

Serving Size : 6

3 pounds corned beef
2 cups water
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf -- see * Note

* Note: If seasoning packet is provided with corned beef, use packet and omit bay leaf.

Pour 2 cups water into cooker. Position steamer basket in cooker. Rub garlic powder into all surfaces of corned beef. Place corned beef in steamer basket. Add bay leaf.

Close cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe and cook 60 minutes at 15 pounds pressure, with pressure regulator rocking slowly. Let pressure drop of its own accord.

Source: National Presto Industries at Presto® Pressure Cookers and Electric Appliances
 
You can also do the cabbage by doing the following after the meat is done:

Place the wedges of cabbage in the pressure cooker. Lock lid in place. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe (if you have a first-generation cooker). Over high heat, bring cooker up to pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain pressure and pressure regulator rocks gently; cook for 2 minutes.

Quick-release the pressure. Carefully remove lid. With a slotted spoon remove the cabbage wedges.
 
I've gotten over the scare factor regarding pressure cooker cooking. I usually start out at medium heat and allow the pressure to build steadily. Things like rice, beans or beats cook in a snap. You could never equal the speed at which things cook using this device. We gave our microwave up to the dumpster and claimed our heritage of bygone era genius.
I also am enthused by this device since it uses less energy. One tip I've learn to do is turn the heat off early prior to the end of the cooking time and allow the pressure cooker to cool. Thus saving energy and removing the need to run (waste water) over the top of the pressure cooker to have it cool.

My latest kick is placing farrow in the pot and having it cook in a snap. Farrow is like rice when cooked, with a nutty sweet flavor. I buy it at a store which sells food in bulk.
The grain was used frequently during Roman times made into a gruel to feed to the Legions.

I also like mixing barley with mace (equal parts, half and half). The combination is wonderful. Barley can taste rather bland, however when mixed with the mace the flavor is more than wholesome.

If you're into having fully cooked food, then this tool is your best tool.
 
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Thank you so much for your input. I just planted bush beans and I will use the pressure cooker with red potatos and some bacon. It still scares the crap out of me though. Your input helped alot. I will put it on medium and run away probably. My grand mother used it and I just love her recipe for red potatos and green beans. Thanks again for the great advice.
 
You put your pressure cooker on high heat. I could never do that. Low heat scares the crap out of me. I wish I could get over it. I know they are wonderful tools for cooking. I am just so scared of it.
 
I have an old style(I guess the thing can explode?!) pressure cooker. I can't afford to go out and buy a fine new contemporary piece of equipment. I suppose if you put the pot on high and left the room, as you suggest ("run away"), you can expect your meal dangling from the ceiling when you return. What I do, when I see the pressure build up with my regulator hissing and flipping all over the place as it does. Turn the heat down, simple as that!
 
Actually I was replying to the other post about the high heat. U R great though. I am going to get it out and try it again. I think it is a newer model as well. It is only a couple of years old. You have helped me so much and I think I can, I think I can. Umphhh!
 
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