Instantpot LCHF / Keto Hot Wings

 There was a time when I was growing up that, chicken wings were the part of the chicken that no one wanted to buy. Like skirt steak (now used for fajitas), chicken wings were the cheap leftovers. Fast forward thirty years and chicken wings are as popular as hamburgers and french fries, and they now command a premium price as well. If you have read any of my articles and or recipes, then you know that we raise not only chickens but meat rabbits on our small homestead. And before you ask, no rabbit doesn't taste like chicken. Having said that, when you dress out a rabbit, each carcass presents you with two forelegs that are very similar in size and weight as a chicken wing.

In fact, you can cut the forelegs at the joint, and they are not only very similar in size to chicken wings, but they can be cooked in exactly the same way. So whenever we butcher some of our rabbits, we separate the forelegs and vacuum seal them by themselves so that we can prepare rabbit forelegs (hot wings) whenever we get the hankering for some hot wings. Having said that, if you do not raise rabbit and want to cook some great chicken wings, then you can follow this same recipe and simply substitute chicken wings in place of the rabbit forelegs.

As you may know, my wife and I have embarked on a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) way of eating about a year ago. The great thing about this recipe is that is a great LCHF / Ketogenic way to cook not only chicken wings, but rabbit forelegs. Because we do not use any flour or other ingredients other than the sauce (hot sauce and butter) to coat the meat, they are virtually carbohydrate free! Keep in mind that if you use any commercially prepared sauces they may have hidden carbs in the form of sugar and or sugar alcohols. You can find a number of LCHF sauce recipes on our blog if you need a good LCHF / Keto sauce for your chicken wings or rabbit forelegs. If your not eating LCHF, then sauce them as you wish.

I will say this, I love my Instant pot electric pressure cooker. It is great for reducing the cook times for a wide variety of dishes, and it is perfect for this recipe. Start to finish you can have a mess of wings ready for your friends and family to enjoy in less than 45 minutes, or less than 30 minutes if you use the quick release cooking method. So grab your electric pressure cooker and let's go make some hot wings / forelegs.

Chicken / Rabbit Hot Wings

You will need 2 to 4 pounds of chicken wings or rabbit forelegs for this recipe. I like to keep it simple when I am making buffalo style hot wings and simply season the meat with salt and pepper, but you can use any number of flavored seasonings, just keep in mind the final flavor profile you are looking to present as some seasonings may not be compatible with your sauce of choice.

2 – 4 pounds of rabbit forelegs or chicken wings

½ cup hot sauce of choice (Franks' or Louisiana Hot Sauce)

½ stick of butter (melted)

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the rabbit forelegs at the joint so that you have two pieces similar to that of a chicken wing. Season with salt and black pepper. Place a steamer rack in your electric pressure cooker and add 1 cup of water. Add the rabbit forelegs on top of the rack and close your pressure cooker making sure that the vent is closed. Cook the forelegs on high pressure (manual mode) for 10 minutes and then quick release the pressure; or, you can pressure cook them for cook for 8 minutes and let the pressure come down naturally (about 15 – 20 minutes.)

Chef's Note: I personally like to cook my wings/forelegs for the 8 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally. I find that this way the wings/forelegs are cooked to perfection and they are nice, tender and juicy. Using a steamer rack is an important step, I do not like my wings to sit in the bottom of the pressure cooker in the water, but this is just a personal preference.

While the wings/forelegs are cooking combine 1/2 cup of hot sauce with 1/2 cup of butter in a medium sized plastic bowl and heat in the microwave until the butter melts and them whisk until thoroughly combined. If you wish to melt the butter separately and them combine it with the hot sauce you can, but it does not really matter.

Once the pressure is released from your pressure cooker, remove the the wings or forelegs and pat dry with a paper towel if necessary. Place the wings/forelegs into the bowl with your wing sauce and toss them until they are totally coated with the sauce. Then remove them from the bowl and place them on a foil lined baking sheet.

Chef's Note: At this point the wings/forelegs are completely cooked, and you could eat them striaght form the bowl, and they would be quite good. However, broiling them for 5 minutes and then tossing them into the wing sauce a second time gives the final product a greater depth of taste as more sauce adheres to the wings/forelegs after they have been broiled and tossed a second time.

Once the wings/forelegs have been arranged on your foil lined baking sheet place it in your preheated oven and broil the wings/forelegs on high for about 5 minutes. Because every oven's broiler is slightly different carefully watch the wings/forelegs as they can quickly go from light brown to burned rather quickly. In my particular oven, 5 minutes is perfect.

Once your wings/forelegs have been broiled for 5 minutes and they are nice and brown, remove them from the foil and place them back in the bowl with the wing sauce and toss them one more time to re-coat the wings/forelegs. Then serve the wings on a platter, divide them onto equal portions, or simply eat them out of the bowl. 

Nutritional Information

The nutritional information for this recipe is based on a two pounds of rabbit forelegs and or 2 pounds of chicken wings. Farm raised meat rabbits like we raise are lean all white meat, and it is closer to chicken breast when you look at the fat content. Because of this, rabbit forelegs have quite a bit less fat than chicken wings with the skin on. However, the butter in the sauce does add a substantial amount of fat which still makes these rabbit hot wings a good LCHF option. Having said that, chicken wings with the skin on has almost six times more fat, so they are really a better choice if you need to increase your fat uptake.

Total Recipe

Rabbit Forelegs (2 lbs): Calories – 1682, fat 20 grams, protein 198 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Chicken Wings (2 lbs): Calories – 2091, fat 113 grams, protein 246 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Remember, if you are eating LCHF / Keto, the chicken wings would probably be a better choice if you had to choose between the two. Fortunately for us, we do not have to choose and all I can say it that the rabbit “wings” were fantastic.

Conclusion

As I have mentioned before, I love my Instantpot. Whether you have an Instantpot or other electric pressure cooker, you can make delicious hot wings in 30 to 45 minutes that both you and your family will love by following this simple recipe. Heck, you can have a big batch of LCHF / Keto friendly wings ready in less time than it takes to have a pizza delivered. So if you like hot wings, but have been missing out on them because those deep fried, flour coated deliciousness will blow you out of ketosis, then this recipe is for you. So fire up your electric pressure cooker, and turn on your broiler and let us know how you like this recipe.

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Instant-Pot Bone Broth

There are a lot of different approaches to making bone broth. The most common is either cooking the broth on the stove on in a slow cooker for 8 to 24 hours. Heck, a friend of mine cooks his bone broth in the slow cooker for two days. The idea behind the length of cooking bone broth is to get all of the goodness (minerals, gelatin, marrow, vitamins) out of the bones and vegetables and into the liquid. While both of these methods are simple, time tested, and effective, they are painfully slow. There is however a faster and more efficient way, and that is to use a pressure cooker.

As a homesteader, gardener, and canner, my wife and I have a variety of pressure canners, however most of them are quite large, 12-quarts or larger. However, a few years ago we bought a 6-quart Instant-pot electric pressure canner. This is our go to bone broth making machine as it allows us to make awesome, nutritious, and delicious bone broth in about 2 hours. So, in just two hours, (after the pressure cooker gets up to pressure) the pressure will leech out all the collagen, marrow, minerals, and vitamins locked into the bones and veggies that would typically take a stockpot or slow cooker 24 hours. So for us, using the Instant-pot is optimum choice.

Typically, whenever we roast a chicken, or buy a rotisserie chicken from our local supermarket, I save the bones and put them in the freezer, once I get about two or three pounds of bones, I put them in my Instant-pot pressure cooker and make bone broth. The best bone broth however comes from when we butcher an old laying hen which is no longer productive. Typically and older hen is a “tough old bird” hence the saying, and they are relegated to the crock pot or slow cooker in order to make them edible. In addition, an older chicken tends to have more fat (at least ours do) which is something we are looking for in a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) / Ketogenic (Keto) bone broth. Having said that, if all you have are bones, and or a couple of whole chickens you got on sale at your local supermarket that will work as well. Anyway, let's get on with making some awesome bone broth.

My Recipe

I will say upfront, the best bone broth comes from cooking one or two whole birds and reserving the cooking liquid and then after you have deboned the carcasses for other meals, add the bones back to the cooking liquid and add the remaining ingredients. Making bone broth this way gives the final product a depth of flavor that cannot be beat. However, many people make excellent tasting bone broth with just leftover bones.

2 to 3 pounds beef, chicken, pork, or rabbit bones

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar, with the Mother

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

mirepoix, optional (see below)

Place bones in your electric pressure cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Add enough water until the pot is ¾ full (my instant-pot holds 4 liters, so I fill it with liquid to the 3 liter line).

Chef's Note: Typically, you should allow the bones to sit in the water with the vinegar for 30 minutes. The idea is that this allows the vinegar to begin to soften the bones and helps to leech out the minerals into the broth. This increases your cook time, and to be honest, I do not think that it matters when you are using a pressure cooker, so I generally skip the additional wait time.

If you are using an Instant-pot electric pressure cooker, Select the 'Soup' button and change the pressure setting to 'low'. Then set the cook time for 2 hours (120 minutes). When the timer is goes off, unplug your Instant-pot and allow it to depressurize naturally.

All that is left to do is to strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and discard the bones and or any vegetables or herbs that you may have added to the pressure cooker. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. We like to store some of our bone broth in individual one cup portions and the remaining in glass Mason canning jars. (Yield: 2 quarts)

Chef's Note: Most of my bone broth comes from chicken or rabbit bones (we raise both for meat). If you have a good supply of beef, lamb, or pork bones, then roasting them in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes really kicks up the flavor profile. To see how to roast bones for bone broth see below.

Roasting The Bones

Beef, pork, and lamb bones when roasted in the oven adds a depth of flavor that you just do not get from simply boiling the bones. The great thing is that it only takes about half an hour to take your bone broth to the next level. To roast the bones, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees then place the bones in a roasting pan in a single layer, and lightly coat them with olive or canola oil and place them in the oven and set your timer for 25 minutes. When the timer goes off check the bones, they should be a deep rich brown color. If they are not, then roast for another 5 – 10 minutes.

Once the bones have been roasted to perfection, toss them in your stockpot of pressure cooker. Now another key to developing great flavor is to take a small amount of hot water and add it to the roasting pan after you have removed the bones. Then take a wooden or plastic spoon and carefully scrap all the bits from the pan (aka fond) and add them to your stockpot or pressure cooker.

Mirepoix (The Vegetables)

I will be honest, I keep my bone broth pretty virgin, just bones, water, salt, pepper and a basic mirepoix. However, if you want to throw in some additional odd vegetables or herbs please feel free to do so. In classic French cuisine, the way I was trained, when making beef, chicken or fish stock you would use a mirepoix (combination of onions, carrots, and celery). Which you would either roast with your bones or not, depending on the type of stock you were making. The amounts of vegetables used varies depending on the amount of stock or broth you are making, but the ratio stays the same, 2 part onions, to 1 part celery, and 1 part carrot. So for this recipe, my mirepoix contains a variety of leftover vegetables (ends and pieces) of onions, bell pepper, carrots, and celery that I keep in a plastic one gallon zip lock bag in my freezer. These are the trimmings from when I do any prep for our family meals (waste not want not). If you do not have any trimmings, then for this recipe I would suggest 1 cup diced onion, and ½ cup each diced carrots, and celery (a total of 2 cups of vegetables)

Of course, you can leave the veggies out and just make the bone broth without them and you will still have a delicious and nutritious broth. Having said that multiple studies show that the majority of the minerals found in bone broths come from the vegetable matter, not the bones that is in the broth. So while bones alone are good, bones and veggies are better.

Think of this base recipe as a blank canvas and you are the artist. You can add so many different vegetables, herbs and aromatics to this basic bone broth depending on your personal tastes. Some of my favorite additions in no specific order are: garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cilantro, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, kombu (dried seaweed), and Korean red pepper paste (gochujang). The skies the limit, so experiment and enjoy your creations.

What If Your Bone Broth Tastes Weak?

Well, the simple answer for a basic stock would be to cook it down until the water content is reduced to about one-third, or one-half. The quick solution however, is to enhance your bone broth by adding some powdered chicken or beef broth. I can hear you now, some of you are screaming 'NO!!!!!!', but yes, I will on occasion add a small amount of powdered bouillon to my bone broth if it needs it. I prefer the Knorr brand, but use whichever brand you prefer. If the idea of adding powdered bouillon offends you, then do not add it to your bone broth and simply simmer your broth until it reduces enough to concentrate the flavors to your liking.

Conclusion

There you have it. My fool proof recipe for a delicious and nutritious bone broth that you can make in less than three hours from start to finish. Not only is it great for those of you who are on a schedule of intermittent fasting, it is an excellent source of fat which helps you to increase your fat intake while you are on a LCHF / Keto diet. Bone broth contains electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus), and collagen (which contains the proteins glycine and proline), which are found in all land animal bones. There is, still no specific scientific research that supports the many of the health claims made about bone broth. In fact, the current limited scientific evidence suggests that many of the health benefits that are attributed to bone broth are simply false. As I often do, I have included many of the references I examined while writing this article so that you can go and do the research the possible benefits of bone broth and come to your own conclusions.

The bottom line, I like bone broth and it is a good source of natural fat, and if like me you are on a LCHF / Keto diet, or do any intermittent fasting (IF) then bone broth is an excellent way to add fat to your diet without any unwanted carbohydrates. In addition, many proponents of IF advocate and or allow the limited use of bone broth during the fasting period. And last but not least, bone broth is an excellent base for making homemade LCHF soups. As always, we ask that if you have found this article interesting or helpful, that you share it with your friends and share it on other social media outlets. Don't forget the checkout our Facebook page at CulinaryYouLCHF, or add use to your circle of friends on Google+. You can also check out all of our articles on Pintrest.

Related Articles On Our Blog:

Homemade Soup Base: Making Inexpensive, Delicious Soups At Home.

Investing In Good Stocks Will Save You Money: White and Brown Stocks, The Workhorse of the Restaurant.

Making Your Vegetable Broth: Delicious, Nutritious, and Best Of All It's Free.

Resources:

Christ, Scott, Is Bone Broth Good For You? Here's What Science Says, Pure Food, 2017. Accessed October 3,2017.

Kresser, Chris, The Bountiful Benefits of Bone Broth: A Comprehensive Guide,

February 21, 2017. Accessed September 22, 2107.

McCance, R.A., Sheldon W., Widdowson, E.W., Bone and Vegetable Broth, Kings College Hospital, 1934.Accessed September 28, 2017.

The Health Benefits Of Bone Broth: Science or Science Fiction? Lifetime Daily, 2017. Accessed September 25, 2017.

Heid, Markham, Science Can't Explain Why Everyone is Drinking Bone Broth, Time Magazine, January 6, 2016. Accessed October 2, 2017.

What's The Scoop On Bone Soup?, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, September 2015. Accessed October 1, 2017.

Pressure Cooker: Sweet And Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour dishes have always been popular in Chinese American restaurants throughout the United States. These dishes are usually made with chicken or pork and include pineapple, bell peppers and onions as well as garlic and ginger. The biggest difference from restaurant to restaurant seems to be the sweet and sour sauce used. The sauces either tend to be red in color or a more clear yellow color. The two sauces are made the same way, with the exception of the red sauce which has a tomato based component which in most cases is ketchup.

I have included two recipes for making sweet and sour chicken in your electric pressure cooker. Version one is the one illustrated in the photos in this article, and is the one I make most often. I have included a recipe to make your own red sweet and sour dipping sauce that is required for version two. You can of course use any sweet and sour sauce you have on hand for version two, but making your own is really easy and most of you should have the necessary ingredients in your pantry.

The Recipes

This recipe is pretty quick and easy to make. The part which takes the longest is coating the chicken with cornstarch and sauteing it prior to cooking. If you have read in my article on 'Electric Pressure Cookers', then you know that I do not brown my meat in my pressure cooker. No matter how hard I try, the meat always seems to stick and I get crappy results. So as always, I browned the chicken after it was coated in cornstarch in a skillet and then transferred it to my Power Cooker XL. Having said that, if you have had good results sauteing meat in your pressure cooker then please save yourself the trouble of washing an extra skillet and do it that way.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Version 1)

6 chicken thighs (de-boned and cubed)

1 (20 ounce can) pineapple chunks

½ cup water or chicken stock
½ cup cornstarch
1 green pepper, cut into medium chunks
½ onion, cut into medium chunks

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon ginger paste or minced ginger or ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
¼ teaspoon each salt and white pepper

Cut up your boneless thighs into small chunks and then dredge the chicken in the cornstarch or all-purpose flour and set aside. Place the inner pot into the Pressure Cooker. Press the CHICKEN/MEAT button. Set time to 10 minutes and add two tablespoons of olive oil and the chicken to the pressure cooker and sauté the chicken until it is slightly browned. Then add the remaining ingredients and place the lid on the Pressure Cooker and lock. Switch the Pressure Release Valve to Closed.

Chefs Note: If your electric pressure cooker does not have a CHICKEN/MEAT button like the Power Pressure Cooker XL, then set it on high pressure and select 10 minutes as the cook time. You may have read in my article on 'Electric Pressure Cookers' I do not brown my meat in my pressure cooker as no matter how I try I get crappy results. So as always, I browned the chicken after it was coated in cornstarch in a skillet and then transferred it to my Power Cooker XL.

After 10 minutes when the timer reaches '0' most electric pressure cookers will automatically switch to keep warm mode. Once the pressure has been completely released, remove the lid and serve over cooked white rice, or allow to keep in warm mode until ready to eat.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Version 2)

6 chicken thighs (de-boned and cubed)

¾ chicken stock or ¾ cup water + 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 cup red sweet and sour sauce

6 ounces pineapple chunks.
1 green pepper, cut into medium chunks
1 medium onion, cut into medium chunks
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ginger paste or minced ginger or ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
¼ teaspoon each salt and white pepper

Follow the same cooking instructions for version one.

Red Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup pineapple juice

½ cup ketchup

¼ white vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Combine cornstarch and two tablespoons of pineapple juice in a small bowl to make a slurry and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer then add the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened (about 5 minutes).

Conclusion

I hope you and your family will enjoy making this sweet and sour chicken recipe in your electric pressure cooker. It is far cheaper to make your own than it is to take the family out for Chinese food. If you prefer sweet and sour pork, then substitute 1lb pork butt cut into 1” cubes and coat and brown it the same as you would the chicken. If you prefer a little heat, you can add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to add a little zip to your meal. Add any additional vegetables you would like to this dish to give it even more flavor. Traditional additives such as sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, carrots and green onions make nice additions to this dish. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Similar Electric Pressure Cooker Articles On Our Blog:

Pressure Cooker Spaghetti

Pressure Cooker Stroganoff

Electric Pressure Cookers: A Review Of Sorts.

Moist Heat Cooking Methods

 

Moist heat cooking refers to several different methods for cooking food with, or in a liquid. The item to be cooked may be first seared or sautéed before being added to the liquid such as when braising or stewing or the item may be totally immersed and cooked in a liquid such as when poaching, simmering or boiling. The liquid required to perform moist heat cooking can be either water, stock, wine and even steam (pressure cooking is also a moist method that combines both liquid and steam). When it comes to moist heat cooking, there is a fine line between one technique and another and many of them are combined together to finish a particular meal. For example a pot roast or pork butt may be both braised and then simmered to produce a the final product that is both tender and succulent.

Braising and Stewing

When using the technique of braising, the item to be cooked is browned (seared or sautéed), and then covered with a liquid and gently simmered at a relatively low temperature for a prolonged amount of time. When using the technique of stewing, the item to be cooked may or may not be browned depending on the recipe, it is then covered with a liquid and gently simmered at a relatively low temperature for a prolonged amount of time. Sounds similar right? Most people use these terms interchangeably, and while the techniques are similar, they are different. Braising is used to cook large cuts of meats (roasts, pork buts, chicken etc...) that are partially covered in a liquid, whereas stewing is used to cook small portions of meats (cubed, diced or cut up) that are totally covered by a liquid. Not a big difference, but a difference none the less.

Braising and stewing can be done on the stove top, in a slow cooker, or in the oven. Of the three, the option that produces the best results for braising and or stewing is the oven, although the slow cooker is a close second. Braising or stewing in the oven allows the heat to fully surround the cooking container, cooking the food more evenly than if it were only heated from below.

Because a slow cooker functions like a small oven, (the sides and bottom tend to heat evenly due to it's heavy ceramic pot) it is particularly good at braising and stewing. The ability to cook food long and slow while you are at work or out for the day is a big advantage, after all most of us would not leave our oven on all day while we were at work. It's primary limitation is the size of the ceramic vessel making it not as flexible as your oven when it comes to cooking larger portions of meats. In addition, the slow cooker does not allow for the reduction of liquid as a traditional Dutch oven or saute pan so your stews and braised meats will have more liquid making any accompanying sauce a little thinner.

When it comes to cooking cheaper and tougher cuts of meat (ones with more connective tissues), braising and stewing are the best techniques. Cheaper cuts of meat generally come from older animals, and older animals have more connective tissue. It is the connective tissue of older animals make the meat tough, and only the long, slow application of moist heat will result in a tender end result as moist heat dissolves these connective tissues. In addition, as the connective tissues break down and dissolve they turn into gelatin which helps to thicken the liquid and give it a smooth, velvety texture.

Poaching, Simmering, and Boiling

As with braising and stewing, poaching, simmering and boiling techniques are similar. Each of these methods involves cooking food by submerging it in a hot water, stock, and on rare occasions oil (not frying however as this is a dry cooking method). However what makes each of these cooking techniques uniquely different is the different range of temperatures used by each method. Because foods surrounded in liquid cook very evenly, these three methods are very popular and effective with each technique employed for a specific type of food or desired outcome.

Of the three, poaching is done at the lowest temperatures (140°F to 180°F). At this temperature range you may see small bubbles forming on the bottom of the pan, however the liquid should not be bubbling at all. Foods cooked in this lower temperature range tend to be more delicate such as eggs and fish. Turn the temperature up a little (180°F to 205°F) and you will be simmering. When simmering foods the same small bubbles that you saw at the bottom of the pan when you were poaching will be gently rising to the surface of the water, however, the water is not yet at a full rolling boil. This technique is most commonly employed when preparing soups or stocks, or when something needs to be cooked slowly over a prolonged period of time (see braising and stewing). Boiling is the hottest of the three (212°F), at this point the liquid has reached it's highest possible temperature and the bubbles that form on the bottom of the pan are violently bubbling on the surface of the liquid. This rolling boil is not a method recommended for cooking delicate foods such as eggs, fish or pasta. In fact of the three, boiling is probably used the least in modern commercial kitchens.

Steaming

Once water reaches it's maximum temperature (212°F) it begins to boil. At this temperature, it's physical makeup begins to change from a solid and it becomes vapor (steam). While the water may be violently bubbling, the steam it produces is very gentle, making steaming ideal for cooking delicate items such as seafood and vegetables. Seafood that is steamed maintains it's delicate texture, while vegetables that are steamed maintain both their vibrant color as well as their essential nutrients that may otherwise be lost when they are boiled.
 

Unlike water, steam can be forced to exceed it's natural temperature (212°F), by pressurizing it. During the 1960's and throughout the early 1970's before everyone had a microwave oven, many home cooks used pressure cookers to substantially reduce food cooking times. Traditional pressure cookers are self contained cooking vessels that are usually made of aluminum with a locking lid and rubber gasket that uses a small amount of water which is heated to create steam. This steam is then kept under pressure by use of a weighted, dial gauge, or combination of the two to increase the heat of the steam. The higher the pressure, the hotter the steam becomes. The following temperatures are approximations of the heat of steam under pressure (5PSI = 220°F, 10PSI = 235°, 15PSI 250°F), keep in mind the altitude at which you live makes a difference.

During that last few years, several brands of sleek new easy to use electric pressure cookers have become available for the home cook. Because of their ease of use with their multiple preset buttons that not only controls the cooking time but the pressure setting they have become quite popular.

Conclusion

Knowing how to use the proper moist cooking method is an important skill for the home cook or anyone who is cooking on a budget. Using moist cooking techniques allow you to purchase cheaper and tougher cuts of meats which can then be turned into tender, juicy, delicious dishes that your family will enjoy. Whether you are using a slow and low temperature such as when braising or stewing, or using a faster and higher temperature technique such as steam generated pressure cooking, knowing which foods work best with each technique will serve you and your family well.

If you want a good reference copy of Wayne Gisslen's Professional Cooking, you can download a free PDF copy by clicking on the following link 'Wayne Gisslen's Professional Cooking 7th Edition'. If you are looking to find additional ways to stretch your food dollars, be sure and check out some of my other articles on the subject on our blog. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Related Recipes On Our Blog:

Beef Stew: It's What's For Dinner

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References:

Labensky, Sarah, Hause, Alan. ON COOKING: A Textbook Of Culinary Fundamentals. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999.

Gisslen, Wayne. Professional Cooking 3rd Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995.

Pressure Cooker Spaghetti (Pasta with Red Sauce)

When I was a bachelor, my brother and I lived off spaghetti. I think we must have had it 3 times a week, plus leftovers to take to work for lunches. It is cheap, quick, filling, and my recipe is delicious. Spaghetti takes almost no time in an electric pressure cooker as the overall cook time is only 6 to 8 minutes. Because red sauces give my wife so much acid reflux, I do not eat much pasta with red sauce anymore unless we have company or the family is over to visit. We have a large 8 quart electric Power Pressure Cooker XL, but this recipe should work in any electric pressure cooker.

This is one of the few recipes that I like to cook my pasta with the sauce. I personally think the spaghetti re-heats better if the pasta and sauce are in separate containers (I like my pasta al-dente and when reheated in the sauce is more done than I prefer). However, it does not make a lot of sense to cook a pasta sauce in the pressure cooker without the pasta. This recipe has a lot on ingredients, but I have also included a 'Minimalist Pantry' version that uses pre-made pasta sauce

The Recipe

8 to 16 ounces of ground beef

1 12oz package of spaghetti or pasta of choice

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced petite tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

2 ½ cups of water

½ cup red wine

2 bay leaves

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoons basil, dried

1 ½ teaspoons oregano, dried

1 ½ teaspoons parsley, dried

1 teaspoon marjoram, dried

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

½ teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)

Place the inner pot in the pressure cooker, add the ground beef and cook until brown and no longer pink. Remove the ground beef and sauté the onions in the remaing fat. If you are using lean ground or beef, you may need to add a small amount of olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) to the pot and sauté the onions. On the 'Instant Pot' cooker select the sauté button to sauté the onions brown the beef. If you are using the 'Power Pressure Cooker XL' press any preset buttons with the lid off to sauté the onions and beef.

Chef's Note: We purchase large amounts of fresh ground beef (3 to 5lb chubs) when it is on sale and pre-cook the meat with diced onions. Then we rinse it under hot water to remove any additional fat from the cooking process. We allow the ground beef to dry in a colander, and then bag it into 1lb zip lock bags and place it in the freezer. When we need it, either throw it in the fridge the day before, or quickly defrost it in the microwave to have pre-browned meat and onions ready for a quick meal.

Once you have browned the meat and sautéed the onions, drain the inner pot of any unwanted fat, then add the remaining the ingredients to your pressure cooker, place the lid on and lock it in place. Switch the pressure release valve to the closed position (or it will not build up pressure). Press the RICE/RISOTTO button and increase the cook time to 7 minutes (well done pasta) or 6 minutes (al-dente pasta).

Chef's Note: If your electric pressure cooker does not have a RICE/RISOTTO button like the Power Pressure Cooker XL, then set it on low pressure and select 6 to 7 minutes as the cook time. Different pastas cook slightly differently under pressure. In the picture below, I used a 12oz bag of Skinner Brand 'Trio Italiano' pasta (rigatoni, shells, and mostaccioli) and they all came out great, having said that some pastas tend to be more delicate than say elbow macaroni or rigatoni. So if you use different sizes or types of pasta you may have to try the recipe and adjust the cook time to get the results you like.

The Minimalist Pantry Recipe

8 to 16 ounces ground beef

1 12oz package of spaghetti or pasta of choice

1 24 ounce can Hunt's Pasta Sauce

1 cup beef broth

2 cups of water

2 bay leaves

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

½ teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)

Time Savings

Before we purchased or electric pressure cooker, this recipe used to take about 45 minutes to cook on the stove top to allow all of the flavors of the pasta sauce to simmer and blend together. In the pressure cooker, 6 to 7 minutes. If you want to save additional prep time, do all of your vegetable prep the day before and simply add everything to the cooker, and set the time for 6 or 7 minutes depending on how you like your pasta.

Conclusion

There you have it, quick fast and easy. If you do not like spaghetti noodles, then substitute the pasta of your choice, there are no fast and hard rules when you are cooking for you and your family. Remember cook what you like, not what someone else thinks you should. Different pastas cook differently, smaller pastas cook really fast and can turn into mush. If your kids love shells or elbow macaroni then try and use the medium sized ones rather than the small or large. As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new recipes or articles.

Other Related Articles On Our Blog:

Electric Pressure Cookers, A Review Of Sorts…

Pressure Cooker Stroganoff

Pressure Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is one of our favorite recipes that we cook in the electric pressure cooker. I had to play with this recipe a couple of times to get the sauce to the right consistency that we liked as it initially came out too thin. We have a large 8 quart electric Power Pressure Cooker XL, but this recipe should work in any electric pressure cooker. I like to cook my pasta or rice separately as we make meals for the freezer, and I also pre-cook meals to take for my lunch. I personally think the stroganoff re-heats better if the pasta and rice are in separate containers. However, I have included instructions based on other recipes for adding the pasta or rice to the pressure cooker should you want to cook everything in one pot, just note this is not the way I cook this recipe and your results may vary by doing so.

The Recipe

2 ½ to 3lb chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cubed

1 12oz package of egg noodles or 1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 cup sour cream

¾ cup beef broth

¼ cup dehydrated shitake mushrooms, chopped (optional)

3 cans cream mushroom soup

1 onion, diced

1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Place the inner pot in the pressure cooker, salt and pepper the cubed roast and set aside, then add a small amount of oil to the pot and sauté the onions. Remove the onions and then brown the meat in batches. On the 'Instant Pot' cooker select the sauté button to sauté the onions beef. If you are using the 'Power Pressure Cooker XL' press any preset buttons with the lid off to sauté the onions and beef.

Chef's Note: Honestly, I have gotten into the habit of skipping the browning stage and simply add the cubed roast and onions to the pressure cooker without browning either of them. It saves time, and no one seems to be able to tell the difference.

Once you have sautéed the onions and browned all the meat, add the remaining the ingredients except the sour cream or pasta to your pressure cooker, place the lid on and lock it in place. Switch the pressure release valve to the closed position (or it will not build up pressure). Press the CHICKEN/MEAT button and increase the cook time to 40 minutes (yes the meat will cook in about 20 minutes, but if you want the meat to be tender, you need to cook it for 40 minutes).

Chef's Note: If your electric pressure cooker does not have a CHICKEN/MEAT button like the Power Pressure Cooker XL, then set it on high pressure and select 40 minutes as the cook time.

Cooking The Pasta or Rice In The Pressure Cooker

After 40 minutes, release the pressure from the cooker and add your dried egg noodles and stir throughly. Close the lid making sure it locks, then close the pressure release valve and select the RICE/RISOTTO button and cook for 6 minutes. If your pressure cooker does not have a 'rice/pasta' button then cook on low pressure for 6 minutes. Once complete, release the pressure and remove the lid. Add the sour cream just before you are ready to serve, make sure you mix it throughly. If you want to use rice in this recipe rather than pasta, then add 1 cup uncooked long grain rice and select the RICE/RISOTTO button and increase the cook time to 10 minutes. If your pressure cooker does not have a 'rice/pasta' button then cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.

Chef's Note: Different pastas cook slightly differently under pressure, egg noodles tend to be more delicate than say elbow macaroni or rigatoni. So if you use different sizes or types of pasta you may have to try the recipe and adjust the cook time to get the results you like.

Cooking The Pasta Separately

After 40 minutes, all the steam to slowly release and the pressure cooker will go into keep warm mode while you cook your pasta or rice per the package instructions. Once you pasta or rice is ready, remove the lid, from the pressure cooker and add the sour cream just before you are ready to serve, make sure you mix it thoroughly.

Time Savings

Before we purchased or electric pressure cooker, this recipe used to take about 90 minutes to cook on the stove top in order to get the beef to be nice and tender. Using thinner cuts of meat could reduce the cook time, but we generally use any roast that we can get on sale (usually $1.49 - $1.99/lb). This tougher cut of meat takes longer to cook if you want it to nice and tender. Using the pressure cooker cuts the cook time to about half. If you wanted to save additional time, do all of your vegetable prep the day before and simply add everything to the cooker, and set the time for 40 minutes.

Conclusion

There you have it, quick fast and easy. If you do not like egg noodles, then substitute the pasta of your choice, there are no fast and hard rules when you are cooking for you and your family. Remember cook what you like, not what someone else thinks you should. I do not cook my pasta or rice in this dish, rather I cook the pasta and rice separately, so some experimentation on your part may be necessary if you want to totally go with one pot cooking. As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new recipes or articles.

Other Related Articles On Our Blog:

Electric PressureCookers, A Review Of Sorts...

Pressure Cooker Spaghetti
 

Electric Pressure Cookers, A review of Sorts...

If you have read any of my articles, then you know I have more than my share of pressure cookers and pressure canners. While my wife has used a few in her lifetime, she is not a big fan of the old style rocker/jiggler weight gauge pressure cookers. About 6 months ago she asked me about what I knew about electric pressure cookers, and I must admit I had to say “nothing”. So after our conversation, I spent the next evening trying to find out all the things I could about electric pressure cookers.

While there is a lot of good information out here on the “wide world web”, as with anything sometimes the information can be quite vague. While there are a lot of videos out there that share a good bit of information regarding specific products, sometimes weeding through them all to find that one specific answer to your question can be quite daunting. My parents already had a 6 quart 'Instant Pot' brand electric pressure cooker that they purchased about 4 months previously and they were very happy with it. Anyway, a couple days after our initial conversation, it was evident that my wife wanted an electric pressure cooker and I admit I was intrigued by the idea. So after looking on-line at prices and reviews, off we went to Walmart to purchase our 8 quart 'Power Pressure Cooker XL' electric pressure cooker.

The Power Cooker XL

Not rated the best in the top ten of electric pressure cookers, the Power Pressure Cooker XL ranked somewhere in the middle (4 or 5), but was definitely the best value for the money. As I mentioned, my parents owned an 'Instant Pot' electric pressure cooker, but it was about $20.00 more for a smaller 6 quart pressure cooker and we wanted an 8 quart model. In addition, the 'Power Pressure Cooker XL' claimed in their infomercials that I had watched on YouTube that you could can in them. My wife was excited about this as she was eager to help with some of the canning I do and she will not use a conventional pressure canner. So off we went an purchased a Power Pressure Cooker XL 8 quart electric pressure cooker. In this article I want to share with you some of our experiences that we have had so far with our electric pressure cooker.

One Pot cooking (Sort Of)

One of creator's or 'pitch man' for the Power Pressure Cooker XL claims you can do all your cooking in their pressure cooker, it fact it is their biggest selling point that he continually repeats in his videos. "No need to sauté your meat in another pan, you can do it in the Power Pressure Cooker XL". Unlike the Instant Pot, the Power Pressure Cooker XL does not have a specific button to sauté foods. On all their infomercials and videos on YouTube, to sauté they tell you to hit the meat button with the lid off to sauté or brown your meats and vegetables. The information on their website states “On the Power Pressure Cooker XL press any preset buttons with the lid off to sauté”.

What I have found is that no matter they type or amount of oil or cooking spray I use in the Power Pressure Cooker XL, the meat sticks and then burns to the bottom of the Teflon coated pot. Chicken, rabbit, and pork would all stick to the bottom of the pan every time I tried to sauté them in the pressure cooker. In addition, onions browned two quickly and would burn using this approach. The bottom line is that sautéing in the Power Pressure Cooker XL is a pain in the backside. This is not a deal breaker for me, but it is one their biggest claims, and in my experience it is an absolute fail. I now sauté my meats and vegetables in a separate pan on the stove and then add them to the pressure cooker. So much for one pot cooking.

My parents had told me that they sauté meats and vegetables all the time in their Instant Pot pressure cooker with no problems. So this weekend while I was there to help my father lay some new flooring, I took the opportunity to try out the Instant Pot. Unlike the Power Pressure Cooker XL, the Instant Pot has a stainless steel cooking pot. It also has a specific saute button you use to sauté meats and vegetables. So I added a little olive oil to the pan, hit the sauté button and browned a 3lb roast with no problems, it did not stick once during the process. Whether it is because of the stainless steel pot, or the fact that maybe the Instant Pot regulated the temperature better using the 'sauté' button I do not know, but it actually performed the way I expected it too when sautéing meats and vegetables and that was nice.

Is Canning In Your Electric Pressure Cooker Safe?

While they initially claimed that you could can using the Power Pressure Cooker XL, the company has backed off somewhat on that claim. However, on their website they still state “the units reach 80-kPa/11.6 psi, which is the required pressure for canning”. So in theory, any foods that only require a minimum of 10psi or less should be able to be canned safely, while any foods that require 15psi could not be canned safely in the Power Pressure Cooker XL. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) does not recommend any electric pressure cookers for canning except the 'Ball Automatic Home Canner' for which they give three specific reasons “(1) is not a "multi-cooker", but a dedicated canner, (2) comes with its own instructions and pre-set canning options for specific food preparations, and (3) has had proper thermal process development done to support the recommendations with it.”

Ok, so I am no thermal engineer, I am only a cook, but personally, I believe any experienced canner should be able to take foods that need only 10psi and should be able to safely can in an electric pressure cooker. I will admit canning is not an exact science, you have to adjust the jiggler (weight gauge) or pressure gauge until you get the right rhythm or sound coming from your pressure canner or until you get to a specific pressure reading. So if you want to can in an electric pressure cooker, use your noggin, look at your recipe, and follow the same process that you would when using a standard pressure canner. I am not endorsing this process, I am simply saying I think that it can be done safely. For those of you who live at high altitudes, I would not attempt to do this as higher altitudes require a higher pressure rating than the Power Pressure Cooker XL can reach (15psi minimum).

The NCHP's biggest concerns regarding electric pressure cookers appears to be as follows “low-acid pressure process times rely on a combination of heat from the time the canner is coming to pressure, during the actual process time, and then during the early stages of cooling the canner and jars. Even after the heat is turned off under the canner, at the end of the recommended process time, the food remains at high enough temperatures for another period of time that can still contribute to killing of bacteria. This retained heat while the canner has to cool naturally to 0 pounds pressure before opening is used to advantage in calculating the total sterilizing value of the process to preserve some food quality. If anything is done to shorten the cooling period, including using a very small cooker, then the food could cool down more quickly, and be under-processed. (That is why we recommend using only pressure cookers that hold four or more quart-size jars.) Bacteria are not killed in the food only during the process time; the time it takes the canner to come up to pressure, the process time, and the cool-down time all matter. There is no way at this point in time to know exactly the percentage of contribution from cooling for each of the canning recommendations.” If you are concerned about the quicker cool down time when using a electric pressure canner, the simple fix would be to increase the processing time of the recipe for about 10-15 minutes. Again, this is not a recommendation, just a personal observation.

So the big question is have I pressure canned in my Power Pressure Cooker XL? Not yet, I may try a few canning recipes that require only 10psi, but spring is just now here, and I have nothing from the garden that needs to be canned at this time, but I may try a few soups and sauces (spaghetti w/o meat, and barbecue) just to check it out.

Clean Up

I must admit I have also been disappointed with the Power Pressure Cooker XL's ease of cleaning. While one would assume that a non-stick Teflon coated pot would be easier to clean than one that does not have a non-stick coating, I have not found this to be true. For some reason, the cooking pot of the Power Pressure Cooker has a small textured hexagon shaped pattern on the bottom of the cooking pot. I am not sure if this pattern was designed to make foods less likely to stick but it does not work, and it makes it quite a bit harder to clean the inner cooking pot. Honestly, I found the stainless steel cooking pot of the Instant Pot that my parents own quite a bit easier to clean and that was somewhat surprising. As for the lid, it comes apart quite easily and you can throw it in the dishwasher and it is easy to clean, only the pot is cantankerous.

I will be honest, we used stainless steel pots and sauté pans in just about every restaurant in which I worked during my 18 years in the restaurant business and they clean pretty easily, and the coating never comes off. In the long run, I would prefer a stainless steel cooking pot, but the power pressure cooker does not offer one at this time.

Performance

So if you have read this far, you probably think that I hate my Power Pressure Cooker right? Actually, I like it quite a bit, for the most part it performs as advertised, and there are only a few minor inconveniences that bug me (sautéing, and non-stick surface), but nothing is perfect. In fact, I think it cooks quite well, meats come out tender in about a third of the time it would need to cook in a conventional oven. I make beef stroganoff in my electric pressure cooker in 40 minutes that is super tender, and it is about the best tool for boiling a dozen eggs in 6 minutes that peel perfectly and are cooked just right. We have actually began to use our electric pressure cooker quite a bit, because it requires less time and energy to cook the same recipes that we like as opposed to a conventional oven or slow cooker. Btw, it has a slow cooker mode, we have just never used it yet.

The instruction and recipe books that come with the Power Pressure Cooker are a joke, it has a few recipes (maybe 10-15). My parents use a book titled “The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book: 500 Easy Recipes for Every Machine, Both Stovetop And Electric” for use with their Instant Pot. I liked it so much I purchased one off Amazon for $15.09 with free shipping and had it here is two days, and it has some very good recipes in it. In addition, I will be posting some of our favorite recipes that we use in our electric pressure cooker here on the blog.

Pressure Settings (Low and High)

According to the The Power Pressure Cooker XL manual, all cooking modes except canning, use low pressure for cooking (7.2PSI or 50kPa). The canning mode is the only function that uses high pressure (12PSI or 82.7kPa) The only function that the preset buttons perform is giving you a suggested or default starting time for a particular type of food for which the cook time can be increased or decreased. From what I can tell from their website (under the cooking information), all of the Instant Pot default buttons indicate that it cooks at a higher pressure (10-2-11.6PSI or 70-80kPa) than the Power Cooker XL regardless of the cooking mode.

Conclusion

Overall, we are happy with our electric pressure cooker purchase. In hindsight, had I been afforded the opportunity to have tried my parents Instant Pot before purchasing the Power Pressure Cooker XL, I probably would have purchased the Instant Pot brand. However, the canner in me is intrigued at the possibilities of using the Power Pressure Cooker for canning food that require 10psi or less. This was after all my wife's original reason for wanting an electric pressure cooker so that she could attempt to help me can and preserve some of our harvest.

Eventually I am sure I will try and can with my Power Pressure Cooker regardless of the objections of the NCHFP. I have been canning long enough and know how to maintain proper food safety that I believe that I can overcome their concerns and or objections safely. If you wish to do so, it is at your own risk and I am not endorsing the Power Pressure Cooker XL as a safe canning device, I am simply stating my opinion. As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new recipes or articles.

Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes On Our Blog:

Pressure Cooker Beef Stroganoff 

Canning Related Articles On Our Blog:

To Pressure Or Not To Pressure, That Is The Question.

Canning Basics: A Step-By-Step Guide.

Yes You Can: Preserving Your Harvest.

References:

Power Pressure Cooker XL Website, www.powerpressurecooker.com

Instant Pot Website, www.instantpot.com

Burning Issue:Canning In Electric Multi-Cookers: Should I can in my electricmulti-cooker appliance?, National Center for Home Food Preservation, February 13, 2015.