Pressure Cookers

[mguerra]

We have talked some about sous vide. Is anyone here enthusiastic about using pressure cookers? I'm researching it a little to see if it is worth adding to our kitchen.

[Syzygies]

Re: Pressure Cookers

Cooks Illustrated recommends Fissler as best-of-category:

Stovetop Pressure Cookers (Cooks Illustrated; subscription required)

Fissler Vitaquick Pressure Cooker, 8.5qt (Amazon)

"The only cooker to reach 250 degrees at high pressure, it cooked food to perfection in the time range suggested by the recipes."

Mine just arrived; they go in and out of stock, and word is that buzz is only increasing for the category in general, and Fissler in particular.

There's a thread over at eGullet; this is where Nathan Myhrvold frequently posted on sous vide before writing Modernist Cuisine:

Pressure Cookers: 2011 and beyond (eGullet)

I have Modernist Cuisine at Home. It advocates sous vide, pressure cookers, and microwave ovens as standard tools. The series has a bit of an identity crisis, for it wants to proclaim it's the last cookbook, but if it were, it would entirely teach problem solving for adapting modern methods to any classical cuisine of our choosing, such as Moroccan tagines. Instead it is a series of recipes, but not those that I'd want to finish out my life cooking. However, more than anything, I have trouble reading it without cracking up, because the format reminds me so strongly of my Home Depot books on plumbing and home repair.

In contrast, I absolutely love Heston Blumenthal's "at home" book:

Heston Blumenthal at Home (Amazon)

Stunning production values, font and layout choices creating a brilliant calm. The book doesn't claim to be anything but what it is. Some say, perhaps his home, but not so far off from your home or mine.

In any case, there are eight pages of stock recipes, one per page, for white chicken stock, brown chicken stock, beef stock, lamb stock, fish stock, crab stock, vegetable stock, mushroom stock. Each one involves a pressure cooker; at 250 F the Malliard reaction can take place underwater. I literally bought the pressure cooker to make these eight stocks; if I use it for anything else that will be a bonus. Stock is very important to us.

As a side note, I put away stock in chamber vacuum pouches, which I seal with a $40 impulse sealer. This would be quicker even if I owned a chamber vacuum machine. The pouches are heat safe, and so inexpensive that I put up smaller quantities in one cup multiples. I thaw by simmering the pouch in boiling water, then slit a corner to use the stock, perhaps in stages.

[Syzygies]

Re: Pressure Cookers

How would this fit into a cooking routine, opening up new options?

Last week I made a Provencal daube for guests. (KK content: I baked the bread over fire.) The real reason to cook daube is to be able to make a ravioli the next night with meat and greens, which was the best ravioli I've ever eaten.

In any case I used beef short ribs for the daube. A great stew meat, though it can fall apart. After trimming, the pile of bones and scraps is easily half the total weight. An "everything but the squeal" approach to cooking demands that one makes a quick stock with the scraps, to layer into the dish.

What? Quick beef stock? Enter pressure cooker, stage left. Unfortunately I didn't have one, but this would have been a perfect application.

[Dugger]

Re: Pressure Cookers

I have been a great fan of pressure cookers for 35 years since I inherited my granmother's, which is still going strong. For stocks, soups and pulses they are invaluable not just for speed but for concentrating and the higher heat effects. I now use an induction hob which is much more powerful and controlable than gas or electric. Most of the time I use a German made pressure cooker by MWF.

I am with Syzygies on both Moderniste Cuisine at Home and Heston Blumenthal. One remakable product from a pressure cooker is a sauce for pizza. Salted sliced ripe tomatotoes (let enough jouice run to provide liquid), garlic, a ton of thyme and basil (throw in leaves stalks and all) 10 minutes on high pressure, sieve through mouli legume then boil down rapidly. Adjust seasoning. This is an adaptation from Blumenthal and extracts most of the Umaami which is concentrated in the gel around the tomato seeds.

Simon

[ThreeDJ16]

Re: Pressure Cookers

I know nothing about sous vide, but I am a pressure cooker enthusiast. With three at home and two at work, I absolutely cook more with pressure cookers than with any other cookware (including the grill). I use Fagor brand cookers, but have had no complaints over the years of using them. They can be had at a local B, B & B for under $100. But would suggest a 10 quart SS model as I started with a 6 quart cooker and found even with two people, I quickly needed a larger pot.

As I mentioned in another thread, beans are wonderful. There is no better way of cooking fresh, frozen or dried legumes and with a super fast cooking time. Most people think that dried beans are an all day affair, but with a pressure cooker, even more difficult beans are only 12 minutes at pressure (average bean are 8-10). They still benefit from a soak, but after that, there is no comparing the cook times. Also the flavor and texture is so much better. No mushy beans.

Practically any vegetable benefits from pressure cooking. The time is so fast that they loose less color and natural flavor. If you like any greens, they all take 4 minutes at pressure. Typically I pressure cook a smoked ham hock or end piece of country ham first, as it takes 10-20 minutes to fall apart. Then add the greens for 4 minutes. Coworkers and my wife can't get enough of them. I won't suggest many cuts of meat in a pressure cooker. Maybe a pot roast or cooking down a chicken for soup. Love making fresh stocks for all my cooking needs too. But can't see a pressure cooked rack of ribs....nasty.

Here is a great web site which has tons of recipes and the all important timing chart. http://missvickie.com/

-=J

Just remembered one other meat in which I use the pressure cooker. Leg end pork shoulder when I am making schweinshaxe. It is the best way I have found to get the meat tender all the way to the bone, without it falling completely apart before I roast it in the oven or grill to crisp up the outside.

[talisker63]

Re: Pressure Cookers

I have a Fagor also, been absolutely great.

Two words that justify pressure cooking... Spaghetti bolognese

[cruzmisl]

Re: Pressure Cookers

I've had a WMF perfect plus for years. Works great. Quick stocks, chili etc. A great tool to have. When I bought it I couldn't help but thinking about my mom using them when I was a kid. Then they went out of style and no one used them. Maybe they're the bell bottoms of the cooking world

[mguerra]

Re: Pressure Cookers

It occurs to me that I have enough time, at odd intervals, between patients, to prep and cook at work, with a pressure cooker. It could drastically reduce the amount of take out we consume during the work week. I look forward to trying this. BTW, that guacamole that I vacuum packed is still bright green and tasty. We are going to Houston this weekend so I roasted and ground some nice Sumatra/ Ethiopia and vac packed it for use in the hotel. This will be WAY better than those nasty hotel pods. The vac packer is the bomb!

[Syzygies]

Re: Pressure Cookers

It occurs to me that I have enough time' date=' at odd intervals, between patients, to prep and cook at work, with a pressure cooker.[/quote']

A salad of eight minute golden beets. Mmmm!

[Syzygies]

Re: Pressure Cookers

Here's a very interesting site for pressure cooking. Very diverse set of applications:

Hip Pressure Cooking

[mguerra]

Re: Pressure Cookers

I did my first pressure cooking today between patients. Since 1:00 PM Central I have cooked a big pot of Mexican rice; total time with prep 17 minutes. And a pot of Creole chicken thighs cooking now, prep time about 8 minutes and cooking for about 20. After reading a number of Amazon reviews, I just randomly picked the Secura 6 in one. I would have just as readily have picked Nesco, or Instant Pot. This has a stainless pot which I slightly prefer in lieu of a non-stick. But Secura does offer a non-stick pot as an accessory. I think this will be a super cool cooking method to add to our arsenal of tools! Combined with the Vacmaster sealer we may be eating out a LOT less. Like a number of other electric pressure cookers, this one is also a rice cooker and a slow cooker. I used the rice cooker function for the Mexican rice. A very nifty little gadget.