pressure cooker advice

[toddrtownsend]

Originally Posted by GordMay

These guidelines should be considered when making your selection:
1. Choose a brand . . . you could purchase from a well known companies and get ''more bang for your buck''.
Gord May

When I go I will definitely have a P'cooker. Even Tristan Jones extolls their virtues.

However, perhaps we should avoid the phrase "bang for your bunk" when discussing pressure cookers.

TrT

[hellosailor]

Lexxy, it sounds like you have totally not gotten the concept of pressure cookers.
"Fish is useless" Yah, since fish typically cooks in ten minutes and it takes longer than that to build up steam in a pressure cooker, that's something you wouldn't use it for.

"Chicken gets tasteless or tough," Well, if you overcook anything it gets tasteless but chicken can't get very tough in a pressure cooker, it just falls off the bone if you cook it too much. Matter of fact, the bones turn to jelly, too.

"It overcooks vegetables" Same as fish.

The only reason to use a pressure cooker is to make LONG COOKING JOBS short. And they work very well for that. But you can't broil a steak in a microwave oven. You can't do lots of things in a pressure cooker unless you're just using it as a pot.

You need to start over with the instructions and the recipe book, because pressure cookers DO WORK but you MUST use them per the instructions. And because you can't peek and taste to see how things are doing, you MUST cook blindly, and that means (again) follow the recipe and instructions, or be willing to pay the price of lab experiments in the kitchen.

Pressure cookers aren't for everyone, if it isn't for you, by all means sell it off. Most folks prefer to cook longer, and be able to peek and poke under the lid without having to pressurize things.

[sailingdog]

Pressure cookers are also excellent for foods that would be tough if cooked normally. The less expensive cuts of meat that aren't really that tender if cooked on a grill are wonderfully tender if cooked in a pressure cooker. This is why Pressure cookers are so good for things like beef stew.

A lot of vegetables and rice can be cooked in a pressure cooker, and will be fine, provided you take certain precautions. Potatoes are excellent in a pressure cooker...

Pressure cookers are also good if you're in a hurry. A chili that normally takes hours to cook properly can be cooked in a much shorter time in a pressure cooker.

[SoOkay]

hehe, ever tried frying bacon, or boiling pasta in 5-7 ft seas It really gets interesting Once the wind kicks past 30 kts.

Just the spill-proof side-effect of their design makes them a-ok in my mind. It allows you to have hot meals in conditions that would otherwise force you into cold ones.

Harry

[Eric!]

We make Thai curries and any dish that involves beans, from burritos to Indian Dahl. You can cook beans in under 15 minutes in a pressure cooker. Some people do canning with it and even bake cakes and bread.

I suggest you take a look at the pressure cooking thread on SSCA for more ideas and good books for pressure cookers.

http://64.70.221.24/DiscBoard/viewtopic.php?t=166

[Surfesq]

Check out this link:

http://www.fireflybooks.com/Publicit...778800288.html

I have this book and its pretty good. Here is a recipe for Pressure Cooker Chile by Alton Brown that I cooked onboard. It was excellent....until you know what started happening! lol.

Pressure Cooker Chili Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004
Show: Good Eats
Episode: The Big Chili

3 pounds stew meat (beef, pork, and/or lamb)
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer, preferably a medium ale
1 (16-ounce) container salsa
30 tortilla chips
2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Place the meat in a large mixing bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt. Set aside.
Heat a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pressure cooker over high heat until hot. Add the meat in 3 or 4 batches and brown on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per batch. Once each batch is browned, place the meat in a clean large bowl.

Once all of the meat is browned, add the beer to the cooker to deglaze the pot.
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the meat back to the pressure cooker along with the salsa, tortilla chips, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and ground cumin and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the steam begins to hiss out of the cooker, reduce the heat to low, just enough to maintain a very weak whistle. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully release the steam. Serve immediately....
And drink heavily of course!!!

[Ssor]

I don't use my pressure cooker on the boat but I can all of the meat that I take. That way it is already cooked and takes only a few minutes to prepare a meal. Mine is an 8 quart Mirro aluminum unit that will hold seven pint jars, of about twelve half pints. I put-up turkey, beef, pork, deviled ham, Chopped liver, baked beans, split pea soup, vegetable and meat soup, potatoes, carrots, plain dried beans, Stuffed cabbage, meatloaf, several kinds of sausage. I have had some success with canning steamed puddings but Nancy doesn't care for them so they are not high on my list.

I have learned that when cooking with canned meat you cook everything else first and add the meat last or else it will completely fall apart.


I use the " Ball Company, Blue Book for my canning guide.

[lexxy]

I gotta say that after reading this thread....I got busy and used my cooker more and have had some success with it. We can't buy canned chilli here in Venezuela so that recipe is good to try. I actually got out a PC cookbook I bought before leaving and tried some ideas. Only problem here is eating out is so cheap and tempting and doesn't heat up the boat....gotta use the AC and the PC will steam it up. Can't grill...against marina rules. We finally have net connection and it's fun to participate on discussions. Thanks for the inspiration.

In Bahia Redonda...nice cruiser socilizing here.