Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 2)

[blue_dolphin]

Last week, chicken drumsticks and bone-in, skin-on thighs were on sale for $0.99/lb so I bought 2 lbs of each and used them to make chicken stock in the IP.  Never made stock with just legs and thighs (more meat, less bone than usual) but why not?  I saved one thigh to roast for supper, hacked the rest up a bit with a cleaver and after 55 min in the IP, I had about 3.5 qts of flavorful, jellied chicken stock.  Now I'm all stocked up !

 

Also last week, I converted the rice cooker recipe for Chipotle Rice and Shrimp found in More Mexican Everyday to an IP version.  I used my usual IP 1:1 ratio of rice to liquid and cooking time of 6 min on high pressure for white rice.  Then I added the shrimp and set it on "steam" for 5 minutes to cook them.  I ended up with some rice stuck to the bottom of the pot, but it came off pretty easily and the dish was very tasty - picture over on the Dinner thread.

 

This morning, I wanted to try a rice and tofu bowl, cooking the rice and tofu together so they would both be infused with the seasonings.  I used a brown rice mix that usually takes 23 min to cook and was worried the tofu might fall apart but it was fine.  I cooked them together for 23 min, let the pressure come down for 10 min and then did a manual release.  I was going to steam my vegetables separately but decided to toss them in the IP, put the lid back on and set the timer for 1 min, then quick release.  I had yellow summer squash, sugar snap peas and red bell pepper and they were nicely cooked.  

[Tere]

On 2/16/2016 at 8:48 PM, Tere said:

OK, I think I know what I'm doing with it this weekend.

 

Partridge with lemon and tarragon loosely based on this https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity/search/?query=%22Mark%20Johnson%22%20tarragon%20chicken but with the cooking time similar to this quail recipe but probably a minute or two longer? http://www.hippressurecooking.com/braised-quail-on-fennel-carrot-salad-nest-pressure-cooker-recipe/

 

Then probably a chili on Sunday. I think I will try this recipe http://www.hippressurecooking.com/book-review-pressure-cooker-by-australian-womens-weekly/ but possibly put in a touch of cocoa powder, I like that idea from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/192357/pressure-cooker-chili/. I might also try the quick-soaking bean method from http://www.hippressurecooking.com/cannellini-and-mint-bean-salad-lesson-4-quick-soaking-beans/. It's been ages since I've made chili con carne and that seems to be a reasonable workout

 

I've been crazy busy this week but here, finally, is an update to this post.

 

I tried doing the partridge for 9 mins on high, similar to the quail, with the idea that it's a slightly bigger bird. It was a little on the tough side on the legs although the breast was fine, so I am wondering if I should have done it longer? The tarragon sauce was a bit of a fail - I did stare hard at the instructions to add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, all I can say is that the cook in question must have used a much milder mustard than best Maille Dijon. A quarter of the mustard would have been better. Still, I can eat Dijon straight from the jar so I didn't mind too much. Served with Anja potatoes and steamed runner beans that I should not have let my hubby watch as his idea of cooked and mine aren't the same

 

 

The chili on Sunday was also a bit of an adventure. I was really happy with the quick soak beans done for 2 mins. I then cooked them for 7 mins as the review suggested, rather than the 15 in the recipe, and they came out really well. I added a couple of teaspoons of cocoa but other than that basically stuck to the Australian recipe. Gave a nice smoky taste. The only issue was when setting off the chili, I kept on getting the dreaded overheat, and on poking the internet, chili and other tomato based sauces are notorious for it. Even after adding another 300 ml or so (almost doubling the quantity of liquid) it still wasn't playing ball. Thankfully I had time before dinner so I just set it to slow cook, which worked nicely. Served with my first cornbread, very easy and tasty. I'd do that again

 

 

Definitely a learning curve but I think the versatility is worth it. This weekend I am rescuing some waifs and strays from the freezer so no cooking apart from the roast for me

 

As a side note, the plastic cup measurement which comes with it appears to be 160 ml, which I can't equate to anything. American cups are 250 ml, right? (At least that's what hubbys cup measurement set is). It just seems quite bizarre that it's so different. Any ideas?

[Anna N]

I believe it is a Japanese rice measuremet. 

[blue_dolphin]

16 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I believe it is a Japanese rice measuremet. 

 

That is my understanding as well.  The IP cup is almost identical to the one that came with my rice cooker.

 

[Tere]

Ahhhhhhh (or naruhodo as the Japanese would say :D)

 

That makes sense. Thanks!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

48 minutes ago, Tere said:

As a side note, the plastic cup measurement which comes with it appears to be 160 ml, which I can't equate to anything. American cups are 250 ml, right? (At least that's what hubbys cup measurement set is). It just seems quite bizarre that it's so different. Any ideas?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gō_(unit)

 

But my question is what is "the dreaded overheat"?

[Tere]

Just now, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gō_(unit)

 

But my question is what is "the dreaded overheat"?

 

It didn't want to come up to pressure but went on strike and said "Ovht" instead. I reckon the chili was just too thick for it, it's a function designed to stop the food burning once it senses it's beginning to stick. 

 

The instant pot FB community seems to suggest that if you are doing pasta in sauce or something you dilute the sauce by the same amount of water to get it to work, and put the water in first without stirring. I might try the water first option next time. Ah well, all a learning curve

[Tere]

As an aside, I'm skimming through a couple of pressure cooker cookbooks at the mo, and the BBC Good Food Easy Pressure Cooker Favourites looks like it has some stuff well worth trying, and has several game recipes. It suggests pot roasting a pheasant for 20 - 25 mins with natural / slow release, so 9 with quick release may not have been the way to go. No partridge left now, but I do have a couple of pheasants....

[Shelby]

We made pork ribs again last night.  Threw them in the electric smoker at 160F for about 45 mins then into the IP with a cup of water for 50 mins.  NR.  Took them out, brushed some BBQ sauce on and broiled them at 400F in the Breville oven for oh about 4-5 mins.  SO tender and good.  I think ribs are my favorite thing to make in the IP...well, besides cheesecake....

 

[MSRadell]

On ‎2‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 10:13 AM, Shelby said:

We made pork ribs again last night.  Threw them in the electric smoker at 160F for about 45 mins then into the IP with a cup of water for 50 mins.  NR.  Took them out, brushed some BBQ sauce on and broiled them at 400F in the Breville oven for oh about 4-5 mins.  SO tender and good.  I think ribs are my favorite thing to make in the IP...well, besides cheesecake....

 

They certainly look and sound great but I'm not sure if you really need to use a three-step process to make good ribs!  About 3 1/2 hours in the smoker at 225° seems to do it very well.

[Shelby]

12 minutes ago, MSRadell said:

They certainly look and sound great but I'm not sure if you really need to use a three-step process to make good ribs!  About 3 1/2 hours in the smoker at 225° seems to do it very well.

No doubt there are tons of ways to make good ribs.  

 

This was a little faster, ribs were the most tender we've had and I like using my IP  .

[Anna N]

52 minutes ago, Shelby said:

No doubt there are tons of ways to make good ribs.  

 

This was a little faster, ribs were the most tender we've had and I like using my IP  .

Absolutely agree that there are many ways to cook good ribs. Sometimes I like them this way and sometimes I like them another way. Sometimes it will depend on the resources I have available. Sometimes it depends on the time I have available or the help I have available.   

[rotuts]

what interesting about IP ribs is the excellent 'eating' you get from so little time and energy

[HungryChris]

TJ's pork & red sauce tamales. I buy them fresh, but freeze them. Six minutes of steam and PR seems about right for four frozen tamales. Served with nachos, pico de gallo, sour cream and fresh salsa.

HC

[ElsieD]

I am planning on making a Cook's Illustrated recipe for dinner tonight called Pressure Cooker Asian Style Boneless Beef Short Ribs.  It calls for 3/4 cup liquid (hoisin,  soy and dry sherry) and the aforementioned boneless ribs.   My ribs are bone-in.  For bone-in ribs, they say to add 3/4 cup water and to cook at high pressure for 90 minutes, with a NR for 15.  Does 90 minutes sound right?  I looked in the four PC cookbooks I have and the time for bone-in ribs varied from 20 minutes to 45 which makes the 90 minutes seem awfully long.  Now, I know I can cook them for 45 and if not done, cook them some more but I would prefer not to be in a position where the rest of the food is done and then finding out the ribs need another block of time.  I also know I can go through this thread to see if other posers have addressed this, but I don't have time right now to read 19 pages plus all of part 1. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[rotuts]

i think 90 min is way to long.  are you using an IP ?  have you removed the inner membrane on those ribs ?

 

Id go with 30 min and either a 10 minute release or a natural release.  Ive forgotten that part.

 

you can then either broil the ribs on high for a few minutes w sauce or not

 

I think you will do fine with 30 m=in

 

please let us know  pics are always nice

[ElsieD]

Yes, I am cooking them in the Instant Pot.  What inner membrane?  I'm not planning on curing them up.  Or am I missing something here?

[Shelby]

24 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I am planning on making a Cook's Illustrated recipe for dinner tonight called Pressure Cooker Asian Style Boneless Beef Short Ribs.  It calls for 3/4 cup liquid (hoisin,  soy and dry sherry) and the aforementioned boneless ribs.   My ribs are bone-in.  For bone-in ribs, they say to add 3/4 cup water and to cook at high pressure for 90 minutes, with a NR for 15.  Does 90 minutes sound right?  I looked in the four PC cookbooks I have and the time for bone-in ribs varied from 20 minutes to 45 which makes the 90 minutes seem awfully long.  Now, I know I can cook them for 45 and if not done, cook them some more but I would prefer not to be in a position where the rest of the food is done and then finding out the ribs need another block of time.  I also know I can go through this thread to see if other posers have addressed this, but I don't have time right now to read 19 pages plus all of part 1. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

 

Elsie, I'd do them for 50 mins (that what I did my pork ribs at last time and they were perfect).   I'd stick with natural release...I've read over and over that quick release causes meat to be less tender.  

[rotuts]

the inner part of ribs has a very thin membrane  that needs to be remoked  it very tough and does not allow flavors to permeate it

 

you just peel it off very slowly.  maybe there are some YTube  vids on this ?

Edited March 6, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

pls look here :

 

https://www.google.com/?client=safari#q=removing+ribs+inner+membrane

 

and

 

 

[Anna N]

@rotuts

 

I was just as puzzled as Elsie and wondered if you were confusing her beef ribs with pork ribs and apparently that is so!  

[rotuts]

all ribs have the same sort of membrane.

 

beef ribs just have a lot more membrane.

 

i can't imagine a butcher removing them

 

but maybe

 

consider :

 

https://en.wikivet.net/Pleural_Cavity_and_Membranes_-_Anatomy_%26_Physiology

 

""   The outer pleura (parietal pleura) is attached to the chest wall ""

 

that's what you are eating when you eat ribs.  the chest wall.

 

no matter.  get rid of that membrane.

[cyalexa]

I find that removing the parietal pleura from beef ribs results in the meat coming off of the bone. I like to seve my beef ribs still attached to the bone so I leave the pleura attached. The diner can either remove (easily done) or eat it. I eat mine, my husband leaves his on the plate. When I prepare pork ribs I remove the pleura. 

[ElsieD]

I left meat on the bone.  I cooked it for 45 minutes, NR for 15.  It wasn't as tender as  I had hoped for so cooked it for another 10, with another 15 NR.  It was okay but not nearly as tender as I had hoped.  The best part about this was the sauce.  We really liked it and I would make it again perhaps with pork.  I much prefer my beef short ribs cooked sous vide to medium rare as  think I get a more tender product.  Anyway, here's for you, rotuts,  a picture of the meal.  We had it with a Spicy Stir Fried Cabbage dish courtesy of the NY Times and yam noodes. 

[Tere]

Busy weekend gardening, and the Instant Pot came in handy for a couple of meals. 

 

Last week I roasted a chicken and the Aga was playing up because of the weather being so still, so the legs were a little more under than I liked, so we ate the breast and I saved the legs and wings for a stew. Skin stripped and chunked, stuffing added as well (!) I made an umami bomb stew with tomatoes, mushrooms, lots of garlic and the last of the anchoiade that Really needed using up, as well as some jack in the hedge, olives and a few other bits and bobs like the posh tomato ketchup I bought and hated so has been going into every tomato based thing I could think of. Slow cooker for a couple of hours then on to keep warm mode when I picked the hubby up from the station. No pics as it was basically orange mush but it ate really well.

 

Sunday was even easier, defrosted something marked beef and mushroom ragout, sauteed it a little to bring it up to temperature then onto keep warm. While I sauteed I part microwaved some baking potatoes. Into the oven with them then back out for the last half hour of planting. Meant we could hold dinner while we both collapsed into a bath.

 

The keep warm function is invaluable on its own - makes Friday nights and busy nights so much easier! Not exactly cooking per se but definitely helpful. And I do like that you can do so many different processes all in the one pot