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Beef, Dinner, Lactose Free, Pressure Cooker, Recipes

Pressure Cooker Cola Braised Short Ribs

June 12, 2018

These fall-apart tender short ribs make a quick dinner thanks to the magic of the pressure cooker. On any given day, I look at dozens of recipes on-line and this one from Chowhound really stood out. I must admit when I read “cola braised” my attention was drawn in. I’ve loved Coca-Cola since I was a teenager. I know sweet sodas are frowned upon these days, but I do enjoy a Coca-Cola once in a while. It’s the real thing after all! Anyway, you might think the recipe makes sticky, sweet ribs but the combination of ingredients produces a perfectly divine, savory sauce that just begs for a bed of creamy polenta beneath it.

The original recipe calls for bone-in short ribs. I tried this the first time around, but found that the bones just got in the way and the membrane surrounding the bones was unpleasant. I found beautiful boneless short ribs at Costco. This is definitely the way to go.

Two mini cans of Coca-Cola are perfect for this recipe.

You can see how tender the short ribs become after just 40 minutes in the pressure cooker.

Pressure Cooker Cola Braised Short Ribs

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Adapted from Amy Wisniewski - Chowhound

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (and up to 1 teaspoon for more heat)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
4 pounds boneless short ribs, cut into 2½-inch length pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
½ medium onion, small dice
2 mini cans Coca Cola 7.5 ounces each
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Preparation

Combine the salt, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture evenly on all sides of the short ribs. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a 6 - 8-quart stove-top pressure cooker over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add enough short ribs to cover the bottom of the cooker without crowding them. Sear short ribs on both sides until nicely browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a large plate and repeat with the remaining short ribs.
Add the garlic and onion to the cooker and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the Coca- Cola, soy sauce, and Worcestershire and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pressure cooker.
Return the ribs to the pressure cooker, turn to coat them in the sauce, and lock the lid in place. Increase the heat and bring the cooker to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure per the instructions of your pressure cooker and cook for 40 minutes.
Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and allow pressure to come down naturally for about 15 minutes. Carefully quick-release any pressure left in the cooker, then remove the lid.
Transfer the ribs to a large plate and set aside. Pour the liquid through a strainer disposing of any solids. Return strained liquid to the pressure cooker over medium-high heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Mix the cornstarch and water together. Add half of the cornstarch mixture to the sauce, whisking constantly until the sauce is glossy and thickened (about 30 seconds). Add a bit more cornstarch mixture if you want a thicker sauce. Remove from the heat and add the reserved short ribs to the sauce, coating well before serving.

Beans, Dinner, Lactose Free, Pressure Cooker, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Flageolet Beans & Wilted Greens

October 31, 2016

A few years ago I purchased Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton’s highly regarded Canal House Cooks Every Day cookbook. The book has gorgeous photos with straightforward, practical instructions and is formatted by the four seasons. It’s just a lovely book. I had not consulted it in several years but I won’t neglect it again. An example of their beautiful cuisine is this simple and delicious meal that lets the beans and greens shine.

The original recipe calls for borlotti beans but they weren’t available at any of the stores I visited. Instead, I used flageolets, one of my favorite beans. Beautiful pale green and ivory colored, they cook up nicely, holding their shape. I used my pressure cooker to save some time but you can certainly cook them in a Dutch oven if you don’t have a pressure cooker. As with all types of beans, some will break during the cooking process. A few will be too soft. Though it may take an extra 5 – 10 minutes, I sort through the beans discarding the broken and soft beans after they have cooked. Your finished dish will look beautiful and all of the beans will be the perfect texture.

Flageolet Beans & Wilted Greens

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Adapted from Canal House Cooks Every Day

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

1 cup dried flageolet beans, rinsed (sorted through to remove broken beans)
½ medium onion cut in half
1 bay leaf
good extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
5 ounces baby kale, spinach, or a combination (I used Organic Girl I Love Baby Kale mixture)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

For stove top pressure cooker:
Place beans in pot with 5 cups filtered water, bay leaf and onion. Pressure cook for 25 - 30 minutes. Let pressure release naturally. Check beans for doneness. They should be tender and cooked through but not mushy. If they need a little more time, pressure cook for a few additional minutes or simmer on the stove until done.
For Dutch oven stove top:
Place beans in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot along with the onion and bay leaf and cover with at least 2½ inches of water. Bring the beans to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down so the beans simmer gently. Check on the beans after 50 minutes to see how they are doing. Add more hot water as needed to keep the beans submerged. Continue to monitor the beans until they are completely cooked through but not soft.
If you made your beans in advance remove them from the refrigerator and place them in a pot with a few tablespoons of water and a good splash of olive oil (discard onion and bay leaf). Cover and heat on low until just warm.
Meanwhile, put 1½ tablespoons olive oil and the sliced garlic in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Rinse your greens and add it to the pan with the water still clinging to the greens. Sauté the greens, stirring and turning them in the oil, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, place beans in a shallow bowl. Drizzle beans with a little olive oil. Top with the wilted greens and season with salt and pepper. I serve this with open-faced ham sandwiches but toasted garlic bread would be a delicious accompaniment as well.

Chicken, Dinner, Lactose Free, Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Recipes

Pressure Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

July 30, 2016

We bought a pressure cooker several years ago and each time I use it, I appreciate its usefulness more and more. Some say that with pressure cooking there will be less flavor because of the shortened cooking time involved, but the opposite is true. Your food actually maintains flavor and nutrients when cooking in the closed environment of a pressure cooker unlike with other longer stove top cooking techniques. Besides being able to serve fork tender meat such as beef stew in just 25 minutes, pressure cooking keeps the kitchen cool and uses less energy. Chile verde is one of our favorite dishes. So Serious Eats, Kenji Lopez-Alt’s version of pressure cooker chicken chile verde was definitely a must try recipe.

Beautiful chiles, tomatillos, onion and garlic go into the pot along with the chicken. It couldn’t be easier. It may seem odd that there is no liquid in the recipe, but under pressure all the liquid necessary comes from the tomatillos, peppers, onions and garlic.

You’ll get the freshest flavor if you toast and grind cumin seeds, but in a pinch you can use ground cumin.

All the ingredients go into the pressure cooker. Seal the lid and in no time at all you will have the most delicious chicken chile verde.

The chicken becomes so tender, it pulls apart effortlessly and makes a great filling for tacos or burritos.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

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Recipe adapted from Kenji Lopez-Alt (Serious Eats)

Author: Kiyo Miller

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 6

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed well
1 pound tomatillos, husks discarded, rinsed and quartered
1 pound poblano peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded
6 ounces Anaheim peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems discarded
2 Serrano or jalapeño chiles, roughly chopped, stems discarded
1 medium onion - about 10 ounces, roughly chopped
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ cup packed cilantro + more for garnish
2 teaspoons fish sauce
corn tortillas for serving

Preparation

Combine chicken, tomatillos, poblano, Anaheim peppers, Serrano chiles, onion, garlic, cumin and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt in your pressure cooker. Heat over medium-high heat until gently sizzling then seal pressure cooker. Once the pressure cooker comes up to pressure, lower the heat to a low burner setting so that it maintains pressure without exceeding it. Cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and use the quick pressure release method either by pressing the button on the handle or by running cold water over the lid in the sink. Once all pressure has been released it is safe to open the lid.
Using tongs, transfer chicken to a bowl. Add cilantro and fish sauce to remaining contents of pressure cooker. Blend with an immersion blender and season with additional 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste (I prefer to keep the sauce a bit on the chunkier side).
Return chicken to sauce and coarsely shred if desired. Serve chicken over rice, in tacos or burritos.

Mexican, Pork, Pressure Cooker, Recipes

Pressure Cooker Carnitas

October 28, 2013

Ever since we bought a pressure cooker we’ve been having so much fun trying out new recipes. We also experiment with old braising recipes that once took hours to cook but now cook in a short time but taste every bit as delicious. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, consider buying one. You won’t regret it.

Mexican cuisine is notable for its variety as well as its bold, zesty flavors. These carnitas are no exception. We came across this recipe in an article on pressure cookers in Cuisine At Home magazine. I found it interesting that the liquid consisted entirely of citrus juice. I was very hesitant to try the recipe but with a bit of coaxing off I went to the market to pick up all the ingredients.

Once the pork has browned, all the ingredients get thrown into the pressure cooker and in no time at all, you’ll be feasting on some of the best carnitas imaginable.

The cooked pork is then finished in the oven until it begins to crisp around the edges.

Accompaniments include avocado, sour cream, salsa fresca, shredded cabbage, cilantro a bit of feta cheese and a dash of hot sauce all wrapped in corn tortillas warmed on a cast iron skillet.

Pressure Cooker Carnitas

Adapted from Cuisine At Home

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 1/4 teaspoons chile powder (I use Hatch pure mild chile powder and 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (pork butt) cut into 2 inch chunks (I buy at least 4 pounds and trim the pork very well, ending up with about 3 pounds)

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 cinnamon stick (3-inch)

1 1/2 cups strained fresh orange juice (about 4 – 5 large oranges)

1/2 cup strained fresh lime juice (about 4 – 5 juicy limes)

Preparation

Whisk together oil, salt, cumin, chile powder, and pepper.

Toss the pork in the oil-spice mixture. Brown the pork in the pressure cooker in two separate batches over medium-high heat. Return first batch of pork to the pressure cooker.

Stir in the onion, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon stick. Add the orange and lime juices.

Cover the pressure cooker, lock on the lid, and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. Once the pressure cooker comes up to pressure, lower the heat to a low burner setting so that it maintains pressure without exceeding it. Cook pork for 25 minutes. Remove cooker from the heat and allow pressure to release naturally. Remove the lid and transfer pork to a baking sheet (I use my jelly roll pan).

Preheat the broiler to high with the rack 6 inches from the element.

Degrease liquids from the cooker in a fat separator and discard fat (I trimmed my pork really well and was able to skip this step). Shred pork with two forks on baking sheet. Pour 1 cup strained cooking liquid over the pork.

Broil until the pork starts to crisp, about 7 minutes. Stir and broil another 5 minutes more, watching carefully so the pork doesn’t burn. Serve with warm corn tortillas and your favorite accompaniments.

***I froze the leftovers but it wasn’t long before we pulled it out from the freezer and devoured the rest of the carnitas.

Appetizers, Pressure Cooker, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Pressure Cooker Artichokes

August 30, 2013

Artichokes are curious little veggies. With thorny leaves and not much to eat, one wonders why so much time is spent fussing over them let alone the 45 minutes it typically takes to cook them. But there’s something quite special about dipping those little leaves into a bowl of garlic infused melted butter or homemade mayonnaise. And once picked bare, you’re rewarded with a delicious meaty artichoke heart.

I may have mentioned that I’m in love with the pressure cooker we recently purchased. I find it absolutely delightful how quick you can cook food in it. Perfectly cooked artichokes in 10 minutes? Yes!

Pressure Cooker Artichokes

Serves 2 – 4 as an appetizer

Ingredients

2 large artichokes, washed and trimmed

1 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Wash the artichokes thoroughly under cold running water, rinsing between the leaves. Cut off the stem end of the artichokes close to the base. With a sharp knife, slice off the top 1 1/2 – 2 inches of each artichoke. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut off the sharp points of the leaves. Place artichokes in pressure cooker and fill with water just below the maximum liquid limit. Add olive oil if using and salt. Secure lid on cooker and bring to full pressure over medium-high heat. Once the pressure cooker comes up to pressure, lower the heat to a low burner setting so that it maintains pressure without exceeding it. Continue to cook for 10 minutes. Quick release the pressure by pressing the button on the handle or by running cold water over the lid in the sink. Remove artichokes and drain upside down on a paper towel lined plate. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. The artichokes can be made in advance, covered and refrigerated and heated before serving.

Beef, Dinner, Pressure Cooker, Recipes

Best Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

July 7, 2013

After contemplating buying a pressure cooker for a long time and reading a recent review in Cook’s Illustrated, John finally hit the “place your order” button on Amazon and in a week we had our new 8 1/2 quart Fissler pressure cooker. We agreed on beef stew as our first trial recipe. I found a few recipes that I thought would guide me in the right direction and just gave it a go. The beef stew turned out remarkably good. I was in love with our pressure cooker from that day on.

I did learn that the vegetables needed less cooking time because they were a bit too soft the first time around so I decreased the cooking time to 5 minutes and they were perfect.

Swanson beef stock works really well in the stew. With the addition of a few tablespoons of veal demi glace, the gravy turns out rich and flavorful just as though you had simmered your stew for hours yet it takes just 25 minutes in the pressure cooker for fork tender beef stew.

I bought a little over 3 pounds of chuck roast and trimmed it really well. I ended up with 2 1/2 pounds of good looking meat for my stew. Below is my recipe for perfect pressure cooker beef stew.

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds well trimmed chuck roast cut into 2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 26 ounce box Swanson Beef Cooking Stock

2 tablespoons veal demi glace (optional but highly recommended, we use Williams Sonoma brand)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid, pureed in a food processor

4 medium carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/4 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (I used fingerlings, I love the way they keep their shape)

3 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 cup green peas

Preparation

Trim the meat well and cut into large cubes, about 2 inches (they will shrink considerably). Place meat in a large bowl and season with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper making sure to coat all sides well. Sprinkle in the flour and with your hands (I use disposable gloves) mix the seasoned meat with the flour.

Combine the beef stock and demi glace with the Worcestershire and Dijon mustard. Set aside.

Quickly puree the diced tomatoes in a food processor, just a few pulses does the job. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef to the pan and brown well without moving the pieces then turn over and brown the other side. (Just an advance warning. Once you add the meat to the hot oil there will be a lot of wild spattering going on so use a spatter screen if you have one). Remove browned pieces to a plate and continue cooking the other pieces adding more olive oil if needed. Once all the beef has browned, discard any excess fat in the pan.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes just until the onion softens. Stir in the beef stock mixture and tomatoes and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the beef to the pressure cooker and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Cover the pressure cooker, lock the lid in place and over medium-high heat bring it to full pressure. Once the pressure cooker comes up to pressure, lower the heat to a low burner setting so that it maintains pressure without exceeding it and set the timer for 20 minutes.

Remove the cooker from the heat and release the pressure using the quick release method by pressing the button on the handle or by running cold water over the lid in the sink. Taste the gravy and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the carrots, potatoes and thyme to the pressure cooker. Cover the cooker once again, lock the lid and bring back to high pressure. Once the cooker is at full pressure, turn the heat down to low to medium low and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the cooker from the heat and release the pressure. To thicken the gravy add a few shakes of Wondra and let the stew simmer for just a few minutes. Stir in the peas before serving. We like spooning the stew over hot rice that soaks up all the delicious gravy.

***I used an 8 1/2 quart pressure cooker.

Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker Cola Braised Short Ribs

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Flageolet Beans & Wilted Greens

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Pressure Cooker Chicken Chile Verde

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Pressure Cooker Carnitas

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Pressure Cooker Artichokes

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Best Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

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