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A question about Instant Pot technique

Shel_B

By Shel_B
in Kitchen Consumer

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Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
Posted

A few days ago I made I made Chris Young's Costco roast chicken stock: https://youtu.be/3k20zFlbFfE and it blew me away for it's simplicity, cost effectiveness, speed, and flavor. In the video, Chris shows the stock to have been gelatinized, but mine didn't turn out to be so.

 

In my preparation, I used the meat almost two whole chickens, holding back a small amount of meat for a sandwich. I added almost three quarts of water. The result of these amounts caused the pot to fill a fair percentage over the maximum fill line, reducing the head space inside the pot while cooking.

 

My question is this: could the reduced head space affected the formation of gelatin in some way, or reduced the amount of flavor extracted from the meat.

 

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 ... Shel


 

KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted
43 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

A few days ago I made I made Chris Young's Costco roast chicken stock: https://youtu.be/3k20zFlbFfE and it blew me away for it's simplicity, cost effectiveness, speed, and flavor. In the video, Chris shows the stock to have been gelatinized, but mine didn't turn out to be so.

 

In my preparation, I used the meat almost two whole chickens, holding back a small amount of meat for a sandwich. I added almost three quarts of water. The result of these amounts caused the pot to fill a fair percentage over the maximum fill line, reducing the head space inside the pot while cooking.

 

My question is this: could the reduced head space affected the formation of gelatin in some way, or reduced the amount of flavor extracted from the meat.

 

Head space is necessary in a PC to make sure that any kind of boiling/foaming doesn't reach the valves and potentially clog them, which could be catastrophic.  It shouldn't affect the flavor or anything else.  Gelatin doesn't come from meat - gelatin is made from connective tissue - this is why backs, feet, wing tips, etc are great for stock because they have a lot of connective tissue which converts to gelatin after a period of time of moist heat.

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Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
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Posted
20 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

@Shel_B How much stock did you end up with?

 

Just a little less than three quarts of very delicious stock. I will do this again ... and again ...

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 ... Shel


 

YvetteMT

YvetteMT

Posted
Posted

I save the carcass from costco rotisserie chickens for stock as well. And also add in whatever poultry backs, necks, pieces I've got on hand. 

Depending on the day/how much time I have dictates if i put in the IP or let simmer for hours/days on the stovetop. My last batch of said carcasses and pieces was on the stove and simmered for 24ish hours gelled nicely. 

If you want to be certain to get gel, buy some chicken feet. Even just a couple add a ton of collagen.

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Hunter, fisherwoman, gardener and cook in Montana.

MaryIsobel

MaryIsobel

Posted
Posted (edited)

Have not used chicken feet for stock because the nails skeeve me out. We always had chickens when I was a kid and I know what is under those nails! A local produce/butcher/bakery place sells air/freeze dried? chicken feet for which our dog would sell his soul (or mine!) 

Edited by MaryIsobel (log)
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Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
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Posted
2 hours ago, YvetteMT said:

I save the carcass from costco rotisserie chickens for stock as well. And also add in whatever poultry backs, necks, pieces I've got on hand. 

Depending on the day/how much time I have dictates if i put in the IP or let simmer for hours/days on the stovetop. My last batch of said carcasses and pieces was on the stove and simmered for 24ish hours gelled nicely. 

If you want to be certain to get gel, buy some chicken feet. Even just a couple add a ton of collagen.

 

Yes, I'm fully aware of that. My question was whether the amount of air space above the ingredients can affect extraction flavor and gelatin production. In the videoI saw, gelatin seemed to be produced from just the meat and skin, and that did not happen in my case. Hmmm ... maybe my problem stems from the lack of skin I used. I discarded some to reduce the amount of salt on the stock.

 

 ... Shel


 

ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted

I went to Costco today and picked up 2 of their chickens.  They are currently residing in my two Instant Pots.

KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Shel_B said:

 

Yes, I'm fully aware of that. My question was whether the amount of air space above the ingredients can affect extraction flavor and gelatin production. In the videoI saw, gelatin seemed to be produced from just the meat and skin, and that did not happen in my case. Hmmm ... maybe my problem stems from the lack of skin I used. I discarded some to reduce the amount of salt on the stock.

 

Lots of connective tissue in skin, so good for gelatin.

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YvetteMT

YvetteMT

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Shel_B said:

 

Yes, I'm fully aware of that. My question was whether the amount of air space above the ingredients can affect extraction flavor and gelatin production. In the videoI saw, gelatin seemed to be produced from just the meat and skin, and that did not happen in my case. Hmmm ... maybe my problem stems from the lack of skin I used. I discarded some to reduce the amount of salt on the stock.

 

Skin has a lot of collagen.  Using less water equals better stock, so sure, your excess water could be part of your problem

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Hunter, fisherwoman, gardener and cook in Montana.

Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
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Posted
2 hours ago, YvetteMT said:

Skin has a lot of collagen.  Using less water equals better stock, so sure, your excess water could be part of your problem

While I usedabout 33% more water, I also used twice the amount of chicken, so I don't think the water was the issue. I'm starting to believe, from comments hereand my own investigations, the lesser amount of skin used was probbly the issue. I removed the skin to cut down on the salt. Thenext batch I make I'll use of all the skin but rinse the excessie salt and seasoning and see whatt that does. Thanks!

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 ... Shel


 

Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
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Posted
7 hours ago, ElsieD said:

I went to Costco today and picked up 2 of their chickens.  They are currently residing in my two Instant Pots.

Are you using the entire carcass or just the meat and skin?

 

 ... Shel


 

blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Shel_B said:

Are you using the entire carcass or just the meat and skin?

 

Chris Young says he used the whole thing - skin, meat and bones.
How about you?

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rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

Using a commercially cooked chicken is :

 

1 ) easy

 

2 ) tasty

 

3 ) limits your ability to concentrate the stock , due to the salt content and seasoning choice of the establishment.

 

I use fresh chicken ,  InDoorSmoke // roast  plainly  and use minimum water , thus the stock gets concentrated

 

by water loss from the iPot each time you quick release .

 

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/155098-instant-pot-multi-function-cooker-part-5/page/81/#comment-2458957

 

etc.

 

I season at the time of use , and in different ways for different uses.

 

 

 

Edited by rotuts (log)
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Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
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Posted
7 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Chris Young says he used the whole thing - skin, meat and bones.
How about you?

 

I watched the video several times and saw no mention of him using the entire carcass. I saw no bones in the meat hesparated, but images went by quickly. He did mention wanting a meaty stock.

 ... Shel


 

ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Shel_B said:

Are you using the entire carcass or just the meat and skin?

 

I used the entire carcass.

Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
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Posted
1 minute ago, ElsieD said:

I used the entire carcass.

Wereyou pleased with the result? How was the salt content?

 ... Shel


 

blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
29 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

 

I watched the video several times and saw no mention of him using the entire carcass. I saw no bones in the meat hesparated, but images went by quickly. He did mention wanting a meaty stock.


If you discarded the carcass, you discarded most of the gelatin. 
Read the first comment on the video:

 

IMG_3999.thumb.jpeg.4e1aad160e2afcd170ffcc9f8cebc6ac.jpeg

 

 

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Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
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Posted
40 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:


If you discarded the carcass, you discarded most of the gelatin. 
Read the first comment on the video:

 

 

I didn't see that. I looked for comments and for some reason, even after two tries, I didn't see them. Thank you.

 ... Shel


 

Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted

Okay, I've watched the video and I've read all the comments and it still doesn't make sense to me. I can't see sacrificing all that good chicken just to make broth. I guess I want to have my cake and eat it too.

When I make broth for chicken soup, I also want some meat to put in that soup. I don't know how it is up there, but here, I can buy two whole raw chickens for the price of a rotisserie chicken. And I can buy the cheapest cut of all, the hindquarter or Maryland cut and have five times the amount of meat and bones for half the price of a rotisserie chicken. And I control the salt. I put those five hindquarters, 2 quarts of water and two teaspoons of good chicken bouillon in the pressure cooker and cook them for 18 minutes. Then I remove the chicken, strip the meat from the bones and save it. Then I return all the bone and skin to the pressure cooker and cook them for 30 minutes longer. That's enough to extract the collagen and whatever from the skin and bones so that I get a nice gelled broth. Any longer and it starts to get cloudy.

I've been making broth this way for 10 years and haven't had a complaint yet.

Yvonne Shannon

San Joaquin, Costa Rica

A member since 2017 and still loving it!

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