Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 5)

[Anna N]

 

 I positively had to try the green beans in the instant pot cooked for zero minutes. I was quite positive they would be overcooked but, au contraire, they remained a little too toothsome for my taste.   Will try one minute next time. 

[rotuts]

I think lean meat in the iP contracts at the high temp involved , and then the Inner Juices are pressed out of the meat

 

thus the dry feeling.   this idea come to me from studying SV and protein contractions at different temps.

 

fatty meat seemed to come out OK   i.e. baby back ribs  but not lean meat

 

ground meat seems to do well.

 

I can't say why the meat seems tough to you.

[weedy]

I'm going to have to do some time tests. 

 

Hut it I see an awful lot do chicken curry type recipes online. They can't all be coming out tough.

Can they?

[weedy]

Today I'm trying a pressure cooker Pho broth. 

I am expecting that to work fine. 

[JAZ]

17 hours ago, weedy said:

Chicken breast chunks in the sauce. 

I did 15 mins with natural release for another ten then released it quickly after that. 

That was what this recipe called for in terms of cooking times although I did my own curry sauce to cook in, not theirs. 

 

 

 

In my experience, that's way too long -- although many recipes call for times like that. My editor really wanted me to include chicken breast recipes in my Instant Pot book, so I did a lot of experimenting with them. My best results with boneless skinless pieces came from cooking them whole, for about 5 minutes on low pressure with natural release (which took about 8 minutes), or 7 minutes with quick release. I couldn't get chunks of chicken breast to come out tender and juicy, so the recipes that use chunks call for cooking the breast whole, then cutting it up afterwards and adding it back to the sauce. 

[rotuts]

@weedy 

 

your On-Line  CkCurry Rx's  :  with an iPot ?

 

granted that does not mean Rx's are really good

 

but maybe

 

what's the ref for iPot Curry Rx's ?

 

if you have one

 

what you might try in the iPot

 

CkBr vs CkThighs w the same curry Rx.

 

that would be an interesting result.

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, JAZ said:

 

In my experience, that's way too long -- although many recipes call for times like that. My editor really wanted me to include chicken breast recipes in my Instant Pot book, so I did a lot of experimenting with them. My best results with boneless skinless pieces came from cooking them whole, for about 5 minutes on low pressure with natural release (which took about 8 minutes), or 7 minutes with quick release. I couldn't get chunks of chicken breast to come out tender and juicy, so the recipes that use chunks call for cooking the breast whole, then cutting it up afterwards and adding it back to the sauce. 

 That definitely makes sense to me. I would certainly never choose chicken breast as an ideal protein to be cooked in the Instant Pot. 

Edited October 24, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[Anna N]

8 minutes ago, weedy said:

I'm going to have to do some time tests. 

 

Hut it I see an awful lot do chicken curry type recipes online. They can't all be coming out tough.

Can they?

Yup. They can!  Which is not to say they are but it’s surprising how many recipes turn out food that would be

inedible to most of us but still garner stars on the Internet. 

Edited October 24, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[weedy]

4 hours ago, JAZ said:

 

In my experience, that's way too long -- although many recipes call for times like that. My editor really wanted me to include chicken breast recipes in my Instant Pot book, so I did a lot of experimenting with them. My best results with boneless skinless pieces came from cooking them whole, for about 5 minutes on low pressure with natural release (which took about 8 minutes), or 7 minutes with quick release. I couldn't get chunks of chicken breast to come out tender and juicy, so the recipes that use chunks call for cooking the breast whole, then cutting it up afterwards and adding it back to the sauce. 

Yes. I see those recipes as well. 

But that frankly removes any reason at all to do it in the pressure cooker. 

My hope was to infuse flavour into the chicken. 

Otherwise I'm just as well off adding perfect Sous Vide chicken to my (made out side the ip anyway) sauce. 

[weedy]

But fwiw i have the same feeling about pork butt or shoulder chunks cooked in salsa verde in the ip. 

Good flavour but tough. 

Edited October 24, 2017 by weedy (log)

[Shelby]

4 hours ago, weedy said:

Today I'm trying a pressure cooker Pho broth. 

I am expecting that to work fine. 

I did that a week or so ago.  I thought it was great--especially for how fast it was.  

[Beebs]

18 minutes ago, Shelby said:

I did that a week or so ago.  I thought it was great--especially for how fast it was.  

 

I've been eyeing the pressure cooker Pho Ga (chicken) recipe on Serious Eats. It's going on this week's cooking list!

 

I recently made pork goulash which turned out only ok - but I think it was a recipe thing rather than a pressure cooker issue. I was aiming for a Czech style goulash, like what I had in Prague earlier this year. Anyway, the pork shoulder turned out great.

 

 

[weedy]

So the pork turned out soft and stringy (like in Europe) ? Not tough and hard?

[robirdstx]

 

Flat Iron Steak - marinated in red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt and black pepper for several hours in the fridge. Steak was allowed to come to room temperature and then browned in coconut oil on sauté in the instant pot and removed to a plate. Deglazed the pot with a bit of water. Onions sautéed until soft and starting to brown, then added the steak and juices back to the pot. Added the marinade, whole canned tomatoes and their juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Italian style seasoning to the pot. Cooked on Manual, High Pressure for 20 minutes, Natural Release for 25 minutes. Removed steak and vegetables from the pot and thickened the sauce for gravy and seasoned to taste with more Worcestershire sauce and black pepper.

Edited October 25, 2017 by robirdstx (log)

[JAZ]

2 hours ago, weedy said:

Yes. I see those recipes as well. 

But that frankly removes any reason at all to do it in the pressure cooker. 

My hope was to infuse flavour into the chicken. 

Otherwise I'm just as well off adding perfect Sous Vide chicken to my (made out side the ip anyway) sauce. 

 

Yes. If you aren't using the pressure cooker for the sauce, then there's no reason to use it for the chicken. Just like in stove top cooking, the longer you cook meat, the more liquid (and flavor) leaves the meat and transfers to the cooking liquid. So if what you want is a strongly infused sauce (or stock), then a pressure cooker is the way to go. Not so much if you've expecting the meat to gain extra flavor. 

[Beebs]

21 hours ago, weedy said:

So the pork turned out soft and stringy (like in Europe) ? Not tough and hard?

Definitely not tough & hard. Was it as unctuous as slow braising? Probably not. But it certainly wasn't dried out, not by a long shot. In fact, it could probably do with a shorter cook time, as some of the smaller pieces were falling apart more than I would like. IIRC, it was a 25 min cook time, and a 20 min slow release.

[weedy]

interesting.

I did a cubed pork shoulder in a salsa verde for similar times and felt the result was definitely 'dry'.

 

 

[rotuts]

I think any solid cuts or chunks of meat heated past certain temperature determined contraction points 

 

whether via a slow bubbly braise in the oven for hours or in an iPot for times you chose

 

are going to be dry as the moisture in the meat has been squeezed out into the liquid.

 

fatty meats might still be decent as some of the fat might still be in the meat.

 

' dry ' in the mouth is not just a water-jus effect but also a fat effect.

 

I had occasion to serve on a jury today , two towns over.

 

we were let out for lunch.   there was a BlurRibbon BBQ joint a block away 

 

I made a BeeLine to it.  the platters were huge  and I was in a bit of a hurry

 

I had the KC burnt ends in a sandwich.  it was fork-flaked

 

it was exceptionally tasty  as were the 4 different sauces you could try out on the side

 

fantastic beans and slaw

 

the the meat , in all its taste sauce  was very dry itself.  it was probably beef  which is not what I was thinking of

 

but being in a hurry , I didn't spot an option for just a few pork ribs.

 

my point is only that Dry is Dry and you know it when its in your mouth no mater what else is in there at the same time

 

is sauce.

 

Im fairly sure this meat was ' fork - tender ' to be flaked as it was

 

but tender is a fairly complicated thing

 

and quite different from dry.   tender does imply juicy-ness Id say.

Edited October 25, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[Beebs]

Hmmm... my pork wasn't juicy for sure, not in the way that grilling that same shoulder (actually, blade steak) would be juicy. But it also wasn't sawdust-dry in my mouth either. I'd say as far as tenderness goes, it's comparable to a braise, but lacking a bit of that something-something braising gives the meat - a certain "mouth feel" I guess?

 

 Or maybe I'm braising wrong???  I have definitely over-stewed meat on the stove before, and it did turn out objectively dry (hasn't happened with oven-braising, that I recall).  

 

It's interesting how Weedy's results are so different, given similar cuts of meat and IP cooking methods. Or maybe our benchmarks for "dry" is really different.....

 

 

 

 

[rotuts]

im not trying to encourage this ......

 

but way back in the iPot thread

 

baby back ribs were done.

 

I had some Fz and vac'd for some time.

 

its not my preferred pork rib cut , but well

 

when the Sirens Sing they Sale Songs .....

 

so I did them as had been done a la AnnaN

 

they were terrific.

 

of course I did broil the tops after adding a glaze  

 

maybe in the BVXL or the CSB

 

I can't recall

 

they were delicious  

 

Finger Licking Good

 

I dont propose to those who wish to experiment personally with  Dry / Tender / Juicy

 

exceptional dimensions ............

 

but if you fine some BBR's on sale

 

study the threads here 

 

way back 

 

and see what happens for you with these

 

do not skip the glad/broil step  Id advise  

 

now for a Dry / Tender / Juicy thread ?

 

Whoa , Chuck Wagon !

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[Shelby]

9 minutes ago, rotuts said:

im not trying to encourage this ......

 

but way back in the iPot thread

 

baby back ribs were done.

 

I had some Fz and vac'd for some time.

 

its not my preferred pork rib cut , but well

 

when the Sirens Sing they Sale Songs .....

 

so I did them as had been done a la AnnaN

 

they were terrific.

 

of course I did broil the tops after adding a glaze  

 

maybe in the BVXL or the CSB

 

I can't recall

 

they were delicious  

 

Finger Licking Good

 

I dont propose to those who wish to experiment personally with  Dry / Tender / Juicy

 

exceptional dimensions ............

 

but if you fine some BBR's on sale

 

study the threads here 

 

way back 

 

and see what happens for you with these

 

do not skip the glad/broil step  Id advise  

 

now for a Dry / Tender / Juicy thread ?

 

Whoa , Chuck Wagon !

 

 

 

 

I concur.  Pork ribs are awesome in the IP.  

 

We have started cold smoking them at 180F for 4 hours --and that's for a couple of racks.  Then I cut them up into portions for two people and vac pack and freeze.  When we want ribs, I grab one, thaw it out, throw it in the IP for 45 mins on high (do less time if you like them not falling off of the bone).  Then I put them in the oven , cover with BBQ sauce and broil until nice and bubbly and caramelized.  Heavenly.

 

Even if you don't smoke them first, they are still really good.

[rotuts]

@Shelby 

 

have you done traditional pork spareribs this way ?

 

St. Louis cut our not ?

 

you must have 8 iPot and you're just not telling us

 

got your house Re-Amped did Ya ?

 

nice

 

I can't get my kitchen re-amped as I seem to have had 

 

So Much  #$(&#%^&_#5463645   with contractors

 

and I know a good contractor  is a jem

[Shelby]

4 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Shelby 

 

have you done traditional pork spareribs this way ?

 

St. Louis cut our not ?

 

you must have 8 iPot and you're just not telling us

 

got your house Re-Amped did Ya ?

 

nice

 

I can't get my kitchen re-amped as I seem to have had 

 

So Much  #$(&#%^&_#5463645   with contractors

 

and I know a good contractor  is a jem

Yeah, ours are never baby back......I guess because the others are always cheaper around here?

 

I don't know what St. Louis cut is exactly....ours are the whole rib--so I guess that would be St. Louis cut?

 

HA nope, I only have my 2 original IPots.....it's been very hard to resist upgrading,  but why change when you love what you have....

 

 

[rotuts]

re robs:

 

its all here :

 

cuts of pork ribs

 

and this :

 

http://three-little-pigs-bbq.com/tutorial-on-pork-ribs-cuts/

 

StL's I think are what most restaurants use   its just easier to deal with

 

but the spareribs are very much the way to go for the best Piggy result :

 

 

BTW  as well all know

 

Baby back ribs are not from Babies

 

but baby sounds pretty tender and nice  , no ?

 

" how are you enjoying your Baby carrots ? "

 

do not taste to Carroty to me ?  but why bring that up and get thrown out ?

 

they are just the top of the ribs

 

more $$$$$$ to cut them out and made them sound Swell  

 

Id sway.

Edited October 25, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

I got these beauties test. at the local farmers market :

 

 

like the dummie I am , I only bought one bunch !  hope there will be more next week

 

Id like to iPot them pressure-steam  in a basket  after a light peel and a large chop.   I dump the tops

 

' Hip ' suggeest  4 min pressure steam ,  for ' sliced ' and 8 min for whole , natural release.  I don't plan on slicing them on the thin side

 

but thick side.   Id like the cooked but ' firm '

 

suggestions ?