Hello, I am new to Chowhound, started in the cookware section trying to figure out new cookware.
I am also new to my 6 qt. Instant Pot Ultra and I've started looking up some recipes.
I am wondering if anyone here would have some sure thing recipes you would like to share for this or any electric pressure cooker that has worked out wonderfully.
Thanks!
Hey VF,
Oh, no, no. You didn't tell me you have an ULTRA! I'm jealous, I want an Ultra, too.
No recipes for you! :-p
D
Well....I'll fess up...I have one as well . Tonight's dinner was a rack of baby back ribs cooked 15 minutes low pressure. 10 minute natural pressure release (NPR). Then finished in the oven with a little Baby Ray BBQ sauce.
French fry cut Potatoes , cooked 1 minute in a steamer basket, chilled and then fried. And flan, cooked 8 minutes, 8 minutes NPR.
Thank you, Nannybakes, it looks very tasty. That's one thing I've done in the IP already- ribs. We had baby back and last time was spare ribs. We used Coca Cola and some liquid smoke. We set it on high pressure and did it 25 minutes. First time was 20 and my husband wanted to try them to practically fall off the bone this last time. I used to braise them that way in the oven slowly, then I also finish them with sauce under broiler with BBQ sauce, either Sweet Baby Ray's original or KC masterpiece. Sometimes I make a BBQ mustard golden sauce that's pretty good, too. Now it's in the IP and done much quicker with finish up in the oven. My husband is really pleased with pressure cooked ribs and is glad I got it. I might try it this other way next time.
I thought I'd share a really good and easy "oven fry" recipe I found was this:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/239143/o...
My kids like it better without the thyme and we don't usually use the cheese. But they come out tasting like "jo-jos".
That flan looks really nice.
Thanks for sharing!
Those potatoes look great....will definitely give them a try! In regard to the spare ribs, if your husband prefers fall off the bone style, he would probably prefer your timing.
Have you taken a look at the site dadcooksdinner.com? He has one section devoted to pressure cooking with a very large and varied selection of recipes. I've made his Chinese pork with dried plums several times...not sure how the prunes would go over with kids :) but the timing is spot on. I use boneless country style ribs for the pork. I'm planning on cooking a pork tenderloin sous vide in the Ultra in the next day or so and will report back.
Hi, Nannybakes, thanks for the link and recommendation, hadn't seen it before. My kids might not be able to tell, if the plumbs half disappear into the sauce. Sounds great!
Pork tenderloin in the Ultra using the pseudo vide method...set the ultra at 134* for the pork and monitored the temp with a digital probe. It kept the temp at 134* with no deviation. Cooked it for two hours with a sprig of rosemary and garlic cloves...tender and tasty .... but not better than the one I cooked for 45 seconds on high pressure!
Thank God you cooked it for 45 seconds. The folks on the IP Facebok page cook tenderloins for 45 minutes
A lot of very overcooked food over there unfortunately, in spite of some professionals offering some tips.
Yes, some cook times for pressure cookers (and slow cookers) leave me shaking my head in sympathy for the food, and the people who have to eat it.
I wonder if the cooks have ever looked at the time tables on the IP website. If pork loin cooks for 20 minutes/pound (which I'm betting is too long, but haven't attempted), how can a much thinner tenderloin cook longer?
Plus one for dadcooksdinner.com
His Turkey Chili with dried bean Chili is A+ in my books!
Hey Nannybakes,
I don't know how I missed your fries the first time I read your post, but you've got me wondering about them now. How do they compare to twice-fried or cold-oil fried? One minute sure is quick and easy, especially using a mandoline to cut them. I presume you dried them before frying, yes?
Duffy
Way better than cold oil fried! The equivalent of double fried or better. They were just paper towel dried before I fried them in just enough hot oil to cover them in a wok. I made some the other day as a “nibble” with a drink. For some reason they stay extremely hot and crispy until finished.....dh said they were the best fries he has ever had! I made one medium russet in a small steamer basket in the mini, I think I did high pressure one minute as mentioned above. I’ve yet to do it while they were still hot from the IP....next time! I find if I’m using the IP for something else, I will follow up with a potato cubed or french fry sliced and refrigerate until needed. This can become dangerous!
I just remembered that I soak the sliced potato in cold water for a few minutes to remove some of the surface starch before it goes in the IP.
Thanks! They're going on tonight's menu. We seldom make fries at home, because we're snobs about them. Cold oil is a lot of oil for an ok product, and double frying is an awful lot of bother. Now I'm excited to try these, and that's something that hasn't happened in a long time.
Follow-up: Used 2 russets. After removing the fries from the IP, I spread them on a paper towel-lined baking sheet, covered them with another layer of towels to blot dry, and shoved them in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Fried them in my wok, and they were lovely. Crispy and delicious. Overall, not quite as fast as cold-oil frying on my induction range. But much better.
Thanks again, Nannybakes, this is going into the keepers file.
Whew! So happy it worked for you. You might find it more convenient to IP the taters in the morning or a day or so ahead so that you are just dealing with the frying part at supper time. The reasons I chose to use a wok is for less oil splatter and the volume of oil is considerably less than using a flat bottom pan as I’m sure you know. But certainly you could try it on your induction range using a skillet or sauté pan, you might have the best of both worlds that way!
I think these would be very easy to have on hand in the freezer, good idea. Like you, the wok is my fryer of choice for small batch frying. Cold-oil frying is fast on induction, only taking about 15 minutes, because the oil heats so quickly. I'll likely continue to use that method when I need a lot of fries, just for the ease of frying them all at once.
But these are better, and didn't take much more time, so when it's the two fo us, I'll continue to use this method.
Hot Potatoes! Went directly from the IP into hot oil, very carefully. Did not splatter until I put a few shishito peppers into the oil after the potatoes started to brown up. These were irregularly cut cubes, a lot of surface crunch and creamy interior.
Just found this as I recalled an IP method and was looking for new ways to make fries for the current DOTM (hope you join us over there). Can you be a little more specific on your IP method? You said cooked 1 min in steamer basket, but what type of release?
I do a immediate release. For thin baton fries, one minute but I actually preferred irregularly shaped ones that I had steamed for 4 minutes while I was also steaming hard boiled eggs, also immediate release.I fried the cooked potatoes from room temperature, refrigerated and also directly after removing them from the instant pot. All methods worked. I rinsed and left in cold water as I was getting the IP set up. I made half of a large russet a few days ago , very thin and crispy style to have with an aperitif.
If they are really thin, probably just bring to pressure and release. And I intended to make some of the irregular shaped one and post in the next few days…so see you there!
There are a few of my posts upthread with pictures of the results.
Obviously, they need not be made in an IP, I think any steamed potatoes will work.
Hi nannycakes, I am very impressed and intrigued with your ideas. Can you tell me more about the potato fries in your IP? You said you always do that after you use the IP?
Edit: just read more of your later posts. So, just cut up the tot and high pressure cook it.
Hi xiaobao, I have had good luck with french fried potatoes in the conventional cut fry but I really like them in the irregular cut as well. As noted in previous posts, I’ve been happy with the results whether cooked and chilled or cooked when taken directly from the IP. I think I posted a picture in another Ip topic of the irregular cut, I’ll try and find it,
Cooking from the electric pressure cooker: part 2...see my posts from oct. 21 and oct.24....
Here you go, VFish, my best recipes, the ones that just work, every time.
Potato Salad - Adapted from Pressure Cooking Today - diced potatoes (Yukon or red work best, russets can fall apart), eggs. Add 1 cup water to IP, insert steamer basket. Add potatoes, then nestle eggs on top. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, quick release. Chill eggs and potatoes in fridge. While things are cooling down, make your favorite sauce. Dice eggs, combine with sauce and potatoes, chill again if needed and serve. It doesn't matter how many eggs or potatoes you use. Make as little or as much as you like. It's such a quick recipe that I'll whip some up using just 1-2 potatoes and 2-3 eggs, enough for the two of us for 1-2 meals.
Split Pea Soup - http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20.... Quick release breaks all the rules, but it works. I've never had soup spew out the valve of gunk up the inside of the lid. I use 4 cups chicken broth and 3 cups water, it's a little too thick for us with the recommended 6 cups liquid. I add 3 drops of liquid smoke to mimic the flavor of ham hocks. If you have smoked ham hocks, use them instead of the steak. If you have neither, add 1-2 teaspoons ham base to get the full flavor.
Chili Colorado - https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/.... A super easy dump recipe. Use your favorite homemade or store-bought enchilada sauce. We serve it as a stew (the way the Aztec gods intended) the first night, then shred leftovers for killer tacos.
Carnitas - https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/.... Perfect as written. Sometimes I fry the meat, sometimes I broil it, both work. If scaling down for 2-3 easily, sub boneless country ribs (same timing) or blade steak (25 min), and omit the water. The OJ, onions and peppers provide enough liquid.
Classic Pot Roast & Potatoes - From ATK Pressure Cooker Perfection, https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/.... Timing is a little off here, as I usually use a 2-3lb roast that's about 2.25 inches thick. It gets fork tender in 45-50 minutes. I steam carrots or broccoli in the microwave while the pot releases.
Weeknight Pot Roast - Cribbed from ATK book, with some changes. Mix 1 tbls dried onion flakes, 2 teaspoons beef base or bouillon, 2 tbls tomato paste, 1 teaspoon anchovy paste and 1 teaspoon soy sauce with ½ cup water in pressure cooker pot. Cut a 3 lb. chuck eye or chuck roast into 1" slices. Layer the slices in your IP so that they're not stacked right on top of each other. The idea is to avoid a single thick stack, so the beef can cook faster. Add 2 lbs small yukon or red potatoes, Cook for 30 minutes, with a 15-minute release. See steamed veggies, above. I have been known to grab a packet of onion soup mix when I'm lazy and omit everything but the tomato paste. Still tastes great.
Pork Chili Verde - http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20.... Almost perfect as written, but it is better with 1 more Anaheim/cubanelle and jalapeño (both seeded and diced) added after cooking. It gives it a more chile-forward flavor without adding much heat. A squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end adds brightness. Note that this makes a lot of sauce. If you're making tacos or burritos with it, add sauce to the meat until you get the consistency you want. If you add the meat to the sauce it will be too soupy.
Tomato Sauce - http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20.... Tastes like it cooked all day. I use San Marzanos and add 6oz tomato paste for more body and deeper flavor. Sometimes I forget to reserve some tomatoes, and it's still great.
Enjoy!
Duffy
Hi, Duffy,
These are awesome and sound delicous, thanks so much! I will have to look for those tomatoes, I saw that brand earlier somewhere, I think a bolognese sauce recipe.
I do get a hamhock when I boil a big pot of fresh green beans with sliced up onion and salt and pepper for about an hour or so on the stovetop. I wonder if I couldn't do this in the IP now (without destroying the beans)?
VF,
You're welcome. We prefer San Marzanos for their sweeter, less acidic flavor, but if you can't find them (there are several brands, look for the D.O.P. designation on the label) just use what you've got. It'll still be terrific. And you can always sweeten it up at the end, if you like.
I'm afraid your beans will be mush. Green beans will be fully cooked in 5 minutes, which isn't nearly enough time to cook a ham hock. It's going to need about 20-30 minutes. :-(
D
Great suggestions Duffy! I haven't made beans southern style and I only cook them in the IP for one minute.
I have used russets for potato salad without a disintegration problem but my timing is 4 minutes and it works for the eggs as well doing them "egg cake" style. I preheat the water in the IP while cutting up the potatoes so the overall cook time is a little shorter. In general, my cook times for pressure cooking is less than most peeps.
Hi Nannybakes,
I usually go 1 minute for green beans, too, because we're in the tender-crisp crowd. I've found it's perfect for young tender beans. They're one of the few veggies I really like to cook in my pressure cooker, because it's easy to get varying degrees of doneness, and tweaking the time to the thickness and age of the beans is so easy. When we go for a more southern style, we buy big fat older beans and take them to the full 5 minutes, and they're super soft and infused with bacon flavor.
Thanks for the warning, Duffy! I will have to look for that brand, I imagine in the international aisle. Thanks!
Carnitas are one of my favorite PC recipes. I reduce the liquid, after removing the meat, and pour it over before broiling for crispy edges. Just delicious!
I made this pozole from Skinnytaste a couple of weeks ago. I tweaked it a bit--all broth and some extra spices (ground cumin and coriander)--based on what I read in the comments about it needing a bit more flavor. I really enjoyed it! https://www.skinnytaste.com/pressure-...
Mine came yesterday - yes, the Ultra! For sous vide, or at least sous vide lite, LOL! I have to increase my meat intake so it will make cooking meat all the way through much easier since I'm a well-done person, and asking for tips to cook well-done meat generally brings on a torrent of you-should-not-be-allowed-to-ruin-that-steak type of posts. Now I can just set it to the temp I want and not have to worry about how to tell when its done all the way through.
But also for everything else it can do, including yogurt and fermenting dosa/idli batter.
I'll let you know. If I can find this thread again.
Hi VFish,
If you're in the market for a cookbook, I highly recommend Barbara Schieving's. It's written for electric pressure cookers, and has some really yummy recipes. The honey sesame chicken on the cover is a treat, and the book includes most of my personal favorites from her blog (150 of them are new to the book). Mine is one of the first reviews you'll see, under the name Sandy Toes.
https://smile.amazon.com/Electric-Pre...
Duffy
Thank you very much, Duffy! I have just reserved this at my library to have a closer look, it looks great!
All of her recipes have turned out great! I love her website pressurecookingtoday.com. The chunky potato soup is amazing! I'm eating it now for lunch! https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/...
All of her recipes have turned out great! I love her website pressurecookingtoday.com. The chunky potato soup is amazing! I'm eating it now for lunch! https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/...
Oh, here's a good one called "Life Changing Beef Stew" from a blog that I came across randomly. It is by far the best main dish IP recipe I have come across in 2+ years.
https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-be...
Extremely easy and the possibilities for variation are endless. I love not having to brown the beef first. The key is that it won't be like a traditional beef stew. Due to the cooking time the veggies get kind of mushy/saucy. But because there is not much liquid it is more like a braised beef ragu, so it's great over something like wide egg noodles or mashed potatoes. I use wine and any kind of tomatoes I have in a can as a sub for the tomato juice. And for the reduction part, I just pop it in the oven in the SS insert while the starch cooks. My picky eaters literally mop up every last bite. Just make sure you use chuck for the beef.
Thanks, nrthshr,
This is so easy, I'm going to make it the next time chuck goes on sale. I think, given the size of the beef cubes, it will be perfectly tender in about 25 minutes, which might result in less mushy veggies. I've got instant tapioca, so I figure to use about half as much, but it should all be fine.
Now if only I had the Mini to cook the potatoes while the stew reduces, life would be perfect.
Duffy
Thanks so much for posting this, nrthshr, I need some throw in the pot easy ones, too, and it looks great!
I just received a Brentwood 626 electric pressure cooker. I'm finding many recipes for the Instant Pot. Am I able to use those recipes in my new pressure cooker? I've never had an electric pressure cooker, only the old fashioned stove-top one.
Santa arrived early this year, bearing an IP Mini! It is just the cutest little thing, I immediately fell in love with it. Then I rushed over to Amazon to buy it accessories of its very own.
I'm so excited to be able to make sides and mains at the same time, no matter the cooking time.
Don’t underestimate the mini for mains as well.....I’m using it for a single rack baby back ribs with no problem. Enjoy and have fun with your new toy!!
Hey Nannybakes,
I usually halve most recipes, so expect the Mini to be the pot I reach for first. Except soup, I can never seem to make a half batch of soup.
I ordered some more *cough* accessories for my pots today, is there something wrong with me?
Nothing wrong at all! Love the decals! Just don’t ask me how many IP’s I have! Made yellow split pea soup using just a cup of the peas ( 20min), my veggie soups are determined by what I have in the frig, so I find it easy to make just what I need at the moment, adding whatever suits me. Also, 1 cup dried beans makes enough for several uses. IIRC, I “might” have cooked 1lb. white beans, but that’s at near capacity. As you know, the mini is 700 watts as compared to the 6 qts at 1000, but I haven’t found a substantial difference. I am presently fooling around with whole heads of garlic with the tops cut off...used a small colander....I certainly hope you bought one! ( The lotus type steamer fits the mini btw). I turn the small colander upside down and place a shallow plate/bowl on it , I did shelled eggs in it and it’s easy to get out of the IP. I also have a tall trivet that I use for ease of exit! The Asian markets have a lot of different sized trivets that I already had, but they are chromed and not stainless....they are also inexpensive. And I do use the mini the most....more than adequate for two and probably four as well. Looking forward to what you will be cooking in it!
Hi Nannybakes,
This steamer is coming tomorrow. It'll fit both the 3 and the 6. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B....
I have this tall SS basket steamer for the 6, which I love for potatoes, because it holds up to 3 pounds and nothing falls out when I remove it. The dude removed the handles for me. But now there's one with a bail-type handle, even better.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B....
Well you are all set to go then! I have some stainless steel mesh strainers in a couple of different sizes that I use in the 6. These were pre IP and work just fine. In addition, from a stove top pressure cooker(s) I have different inserts that happen to fit, so my purchasing was limited. I did buy some various sized Pyrex covered containers that I use for flan,. etc. That’s been the extent of my IP purchases so I think I’m pretty well covered....and there’s always some Rube Goldberg solutions !
Does anyone have a tried and true recipe for ham and bean soup in a pressure cooker? I have an Insta-Pot, a bunch of dried cannellini beans, and a LOVELY ham bone I froze at Christmas. I have never made beans in my IP so I'm very curious. Soak? Don't soak? Make stock first? Throw it all in at once? Help!
Hi migmigmig,
I love Savuer's Senate Bean soup, so adapted it from stovetop to pressure cooker. Here's the link:https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipe....
I soak the beans overnight, because I think they cook more evenly when I do. It could be the cheap generic supermarket beans I use, but it works for me.
I sweat the onion in the IP (sometimes I add carrot, too), add 6 cups liquid (I use half water, half chicken stock, but it's entirely up to you), the beans and the ham. I toss in a bay leaf when I remember. Cook 12 minutes with NPR. That's it, aside from blending some of the beans (this step makes it so creamy) and shredding the ham and seasoning to taste.
I like my beans on the soft and creamy side, if you want the beans a little more firm, cook soaked beans for 10-11 minutes. If you don't want to soak the beans, cook the soup for 30-35 minutes.
Duffy
I did some experiments recently with chickpeas and concluded that they cooked more evenly with an overnight soak (in salted water - I posted about this with links on the electric pressure cooker cookbook thread). A "quick soak" method also produced pretty good results (but required more babysitting of the pot). However when I make my ham and bean soup today I am not going to soak because I think my smoked ham hock should cook for a long time and soaked beans would fall apart. I will report back and let you know how the soup turns out.
Update: I made ham stock in the Instant Pot yesterday, and the white beans are soaking now. I think i will:
1. Let the beans soak for at least 8 hours
2. Sautee mirepoix
3. Add skimmed stock, soaked beans to mirepoix with diced smoked ham.
4. Instant Pot the whole mess for 15 minutes at high pressure.
That should do it, right?
Perfect! I did the exact same thing...I gave it a 30 min. NPR.
15 minutes is good. Timing is pretty loose on this, it all comes down to how you like your beans.
Will you post your results on our "Cooking from..." thread? https://www.chowhound.com/post/cookin...
Even though I didn't cook it from a book at all?
Yes. A lot of us have posted our own experiments on that thread. Actually, it would be great if you'd post on the "part 3" of the thread, now up here:
https://www.chowhound.com/post/cookin...
This series has been the go-to for sharing electric PC recipes and techniques.
What Mel said. We welcome all PC recipes, and all PC types, electric stovetop, whatever floats your boat.
Please read the top post to see how to post. It's really simple, mostly we want the recipe name in CAPS first thing, then the recipe (or a link/cookbook reference), and your impressions.
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