Cooking Under Pressure -The Ultimate Electric Pressure Recipe Cookbook and Guide for Electric Pressure Cookers.: Revised Edition #3 - Now Contains 175 Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes. (2 page)

How
It Works-The Secret Behind the Magic Trick

To understand how a pressure cooker works, you’ll need to know just a teeny bit about physics. Don’t get nervous. I won’t be discussing Einstein’s Unified Field Theory, Quantum Mechanics, or anything like that. Just plain gas physics, and not much of that.

We need only be concerned with a few fundamental physical laws, the main one being the Ideal Gas Law. Without all the scary mathematics, it just says that water under pressure can reach a higher temperature than the normal boiling point of 212°F. It is derived from Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law, Avogadro’s Law, and Amonton’s Law. Sounds kind of like a physicists poker game, doesn’t it? All these laws mean, as far as the home cook is concerned, is that under normal circumstances, water boils at 212°F. Once that temperature is reached the water will get no hotter, nor will the steam, no matter how much heat is applied. The Ideal Gas Law adds a closed-system to the deal, where pressure from the steam can build up. What this means for you is that now, the water and steam can reach considerably greater temperatures than 212°F. At 15 psi (normal cooking pressure), the temperature inside your pressure cooker is actually around 275°F.

This is exactly what a pressure cooker does. Other parts of these laws deal with heat transfer. Under pressure, steam has 6 times the heat potential, meaning it is 6 times more efficient at transferring its heat energy to a cooler object. To illustrate this, if you briefly put your hand in a 350°F oven, you won’t get burned immediately. If you leave you hand in there, in a moment or so, the heat will get uncomfortable, and in a few minutes, it will start to hurt, and you will remove it, but no tissue has actually been damaged at this point. However, if you put your hand over the spout of a boiling tea kettle at 212°F, even for an instant, you hand will immediate be scalded, and blisters will soon appear. Your tissue has been damaged by the brief contact. That’s because the steam transfers heat much faster than air. Under pressure, it is even 6 times more efficient. So now you have an idea of how a pressure cooker works.

There is one other factor worth mentioning. In conventional cooking methods, the outside of the food gets hot, and the heat is slowly transferred to the inside, meaning the outside of your food is well-done, and the inside barely cooked. Under pressure, the food is at the same temperature inside and out, whether it is one chicken leg, or a 15 lb. turkey. So the food is cooked evenly, inside and out. Isn’t physics wonderful? Now that we know the theory, we can get into the nuts and bolts.

Here is a typical pressure cooker:

1.
Lid - this goes on top (self-explanatory)

2.
Pot - this holds the food, water and pressure

3.
Lid Handle - this is so you can remove the lid without burning your hand. On a pressure cooker, the lid, and pot handles are designed so that you can use both at once, to move the entire unit from the stove, or off a burner when needed. Electric cookers do not need these.

4.
Pot Handle - so you can move the pot, when needed.

5.
Pressure Regulator - this is just a weight, with a cone-shaped bottom. The weight is just heavy enough so that when the proper pressure is reached, steam pressure can come up through the vent and move it to the side, allowing a ‘poof’ of steam to come out, and keep the internal pressure constant. The weight moving from side-to-side is what gives pressure cookers their characteristic sss-sss-sss-sss sound when cooking. Since electric pressure cookers have sensors that regulate the temperature and pressure, this part is redundant, but still included as an extra safety feature. This is why electric cookers are so much quieter. The regulator is seldom ‘tripped’.

6.
Over-Pressure Plug - a rubber plug that pops out when the internal pressure reaches dangerous levels. It immediately reduces pressure. This is not required on electric cookers because they have automatic emergency shut-off circuitry.

7.
Vent Pipe - allows steam to escape when needed to regulate pressure.

8.
Sealing Gasket - makes an airtight seal between the pot and lid.

9.
Friction Lid Locks - holds the lid on when the unit is under pressure.

10.
Food Rack - keeps food off of the bottom of the pot, and out of direct contact with the liquid.

Pretty simple, huh? Not bad for a gadget that was invented in the 1600s. This is just a bare-bones basic cooker. They come a lot fancier, with pressure indicators, and such, but they all do the same thing. Electric pressure cookers are the same as well...almost. Because of modern technology, electric cookers are much ‘smarter’ and safer. They have sensors that tell the main control circuitry what is happening inside the cooker at all times. Then the controls make whatever adjustments are necessary, including a complete shut-down, if needed. And if any of the sensors fail, it shuts itself off. That’s why you can just load them, set the time, and forget about it until the time is up.

Electric cookers have other neat features as well. One of the biggest dangers of the old stove-top pressure cookers was opening the lid before all the pressure was gone, meaning you had to scrape your supper from the ceiling and walls, and tend to semi-serious 2nd degree burns as well. This was probably the very first recipe ever done in a pressure cooker back in the 1600s....Projectile Chicken. Modern electric pressure cookers are designed so that it is difficult, if not impossible to open the lid if there is any remaining pressure inside. Most models are programmable, so that you can load them, set the timer, and they will start cooking at that time, then hold the food at a warm temperature, some models for up to 2 days. So you could load the unit, and have supper ready for you when you come home from work. Aaaaaah! Modern technology....got to love it...

So, here is what happens when you cook in a modern electric pressure cooker. Add some water-based liquid (never use any oils by themselves. We’ll discuss that in the safety section....) to the bottom, add your food, and put on the lid. After you seal the lid, and close the vent, both the temperature and pressure rise until the inside is at 15 psi, and roughly 275°F., if you remembered to turn the unit on...(don’t laugh...it’s happened to the best of us). Sensors constantly monitor both pressure, and temperature, and send signals to the heating elements, causing them to make whatever adjustments are needed to maintain this environment. If there is any deviation whatsoever from this environment, the sensors immediately send an emergency signal to the heating elements to shut down, NOW! This happens long before there is any danger of damage to your unit. It also happens if pressure does not stay at the proper levels. Some models even have an audible (meaning “loud and irritating”) alarm that will go off when this happens. Digital models will display an error message informing you of what it thinks is wrong. The usual cause of this situation is simply the gasket not being seated properly, or being too worn out to create a seal.

If none of the above happens, your cooker is happily steaming away at 15 psi, and 275°F. Your food reaches cooking temperatures, both inside and outside, at the same rate as the steam, so cooking is immediate. Since there is more pressure outside of the food, than inside (more of those physics laws...), moisture, nutrients, and flavor is being driven into the food, rather than leaching out, as in conventional cooking methods. That’s why it takes much less spice, and the food tastes sooooo much better in a pressure cooker. Since, according to those laws we talked about earlier, the steam is now super-efficient about transferring heat, the food cooks in a fraction of the time, even if frozen.

And that’s how your pressure cooker works. Modern electric pressure cookers are so easy and safe to use that you may find yourself seldom using other methods. You may also find that you are eating less, because the food retains more of its nutrition, and is more filling and satisfying.

A good electric pressure cooker could be the perfect solution for creating healthy meals, while still maintaining a busy schedule. More and more people are turning to pressure cooking with electric cookers as a way to eat healthier, and still be productive. In today’s fast-paced world of ‘grab what you can, when you can’ eating habits, with the attendant food additives, excess fats, salt, msg, and other not-so-desirable tidbits in ‘fast’, and processed foods, an electric pressure cooker may be just what you need.

Perfect....A
nything

It’s so easy to cook in these pressure cookers that instead of giving you an individual recipe for each thing, I can just tell you the technique, and you can create your own culinary masterpieces.

You can cook any meat or vegetables in your cooker. This recipe will work for pork, turkey, lamb, chicken, beef, or game meats. Just consult the Cooking Time Chart to set the timer. If you want to mix things, try to use meats that have similar cooking times if possible. Otherwise, use the cooking time for the longest cooking ingredient. For game meats, use the closest thing on the timer, ie; Beef for deer, elk, moose, antelope, etc... Chicken for squirrel, rabbit, opossum, doves, quail, etc...

This recipe also works with fish, but you need to wrap the fish in parchment paper so that it won’t fall apart. Carp is especially delicious prepared like this. Just season each piece like you want, and add a veggie or two, or a slice of lemon, or lime, if desired, wrap the pieces individually and stack them on the rack, which you set on the vegetables, or other ingredients. When you open the packets (I just slit the paper across the top and serve it in the packet, to hold in the juices), you will be amazed at the tender, moist fish, just full of flavor!

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Large pieces of meat, or any roast that will fit in the cooker.

■
Your favorite vegetables (potatoes, broccoli, carrots, celery, etc...)

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Salt, pepper, spices to taste.

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2 cups of water

■
Add water to the cooker.

■
Add vegetables to the bottom.

■
Rub meat with your favorite spices.

Place rack on top of veggies (you can omit this step, It really doesn’t matter much. It just makes it a little easier to remove the meat after cooking), or set the meat directly on top of veggies.

Set the timer for whatever meat you are cooking. If you are not sure, beef and pork will absolutely cook all the way in 45 minutes to an hour (45 for thawed, 1 hour for frozen), usually a lot less. But 45 minutes will almost always work. Chicken goes about 10-20 minutes, maybe 30 if frozen solid. Turkey roast, about 1 hour, or 90 minutes if frozen. Fish, 5 minutes, or 10 if frozen. You really don’t have to worry much about over-cooking in these cookers. They are very forgiving.

When the time is up, either let the pressure reduce on its own, or vent it manually.

Remove the lid, place food on plates, and chow down.....and remember to save the liquid to use in other recipes.

That’s really all there is to it.

Tips, Tricks and Techniques

Pressure cooking is easy, but there are a lot of tricks you can use to make your food even better. None of them are very difficult, and they can really enhance both the flavor, and appearance of your culinary creations.

■
Basic Cooking:
It is really hard to mess up with a modern pressure cooker, especially the electric ones. One time, I put the lid on without checking the seal, and it never developed pressure, but the chicken and corn on the cob I had in it still came out delicious. I don’t recommend this, but this is just to calm any fears you might have about using pressure cookers. Most have safety devices to keep you from doing anything too dangerous, like opening the lid when there is pressure in the unit. And you really don’t even need a recipe for most things. Since a lot of spice is not needed, in some cases, none at all, you can just throw stuff in the cooker, add liquid (at least 1 cup), lock the lid, close the vent, set the timer, and let it do it’s thing. If you miscalculated on the time, and your food is under-done, just put the lid back on, and add more time on the timer. If you cook it too long, the worst thing that will usually happen is that your food will be super-tender (even seafood, which usually gets tough when over-cooked in a conventional oven...). If you added enough water, it is difficult to burn your food, unless you go out for a few hours and leave it cooking with little water in it. Since it is a closed system, the water cannot evaporate out. You only lose a small fraction through the vent. Most of the water keeps circulating as steam.

One of the most basic tips is that when you are using raw onions, garlic and other quick-cooking ingredients, the flavor can be concentrated by sautéing them first. Heat up your cooker, and add some oil, or better yet, fry a piece of bacon, fat-back or salt pork in the pot. You can also add wine, beer, liquor, tea or anything else you want to flavor it with. When the onions get translucent, add the liquid, and proceed with your recipe.

Sometimes, you may want a little bit of a crust on your meat. Warm up the cooker and add a little oil to the bottom. Now, add your meat, and brown it on all sides. Just add liquid when you are ready to stop the browning process. Or, you can transfer things like pasta and marinara sauce into a casserole dish, top with mozzarella cheese, and place it in a hot oven until the cheese melts and gets a little brown, for a fantastic Italian casserole.

White rice takes on a whole new flavor when it is toasted before cooking. Add some oil, or butter, to the bottom of the warm pot, add your rice, and stir it occasionally, until it gets a nice light tan color. Add liquid to stop the browning process. Now, just add water or stock, and set the timer to the correct time for the type of rice you are cooking.

Another wonderful thing about pressure cookers is that you don’t have to pre-soak beans and grains. You can make delicious beans by just putting them in the cooker with the required amount of water (some beans need more water than others. Check the chart for liquid and cooking times) , a little salt and pepper to taste, and setting the timer for the correct time for the type of beans. They will come out fully cooked, and creamy, with plenty of natural flavor. Whole grains become a culinary treat when served as side dishes, or even main servings for hot breakfast cereals. Bulgar wheat, whole wheat berries, barley, amaranth, millet and other grains can be cooked and eaten just like rice, and oat groats can be flaked, steel-cut with a hand-grinder, or cooked whole for a delicious breakfast repast.

If you want to cook with things that may foam, just add a tbsp. of oil. This will prevent foaming.

Unless you are making pudding, most of the time, you don’t want milk to boil or scald. When making cream soups and sauces, add your milk after the main ingredients have cooked, and let it finish with the lid off. This also works for cheese sauces as well.

If you want a crust on your entrée, like ribs, chicken, etc...., after pressure cooking, you can transfer the food to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes to create a nice, crispy crust.

Sp
ecial Techniques

You may not realize it, but your pressure cooker can do many other things besides pressure cook. Try these techniques out and you’ll see how a pressure cooker, especially the electric ones, can be one of the most versatile appliances in your kitchen.

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Popcorn:
You won’t believe how perfect your pressure cooker can make popcorn, where almost every kernel pops, and not a single one scorched. It takes about 3 minutes to pop 1/3 cup of popcorn.

Step 1:
Heat up the cooker, set the timer for 30 minutes (time doesn’t really matter...it’s just to heat up the cooker...omit the timer with a stove-top cooker) and add a little oil to the bottom, just enough to cover it (in this case I am using olive oil because...well, I just like olive oil).

Step 2:
Allow the oil to heat for a few minutes.

Step 3:
Add the popcorn and put on the lid, but don’t lock it, and don’t close the vent.

Step 4:
You will hear the popcorn when it starts to pop. It may take a few minutes, but it will start. When the popping slows down, turn the timer to ‘0’, or remove the cooker from the heat source. Do not open the lid, yet.

Step 5:
When it sounds like all the popping is done (there is always one kernel that will wait until the lid is off to pop, no matter how long you leave it...), remove the lid and transfer the corn to a serving bowl. Add salt, butter, or whatever you want, and enjoy!

Your pressure cooker is also great for making perfect boiled eggs:

Put enough cold water to cover the eggs in the pot. Leave the vent open. Add the eggs to the cold water.

Set the timer for 9 minutes for hard-boiled, 6 minutes for medium, and 3 for soft-boiled eggs. I set these for 9 minutes, to make egg salad with. As you can see, the eggs came out perfect, with nice creamy yolks that are not over-cooked and dry.

Another useful thing your pressure cooker can do is sterilize things. Glass jars, tweezers, scissors, and other things can be made 100% sterile by placing them on the trivet, locking the lid, closing the vent, and setting the timer for 5 minutes or so. Just be careful not to put anything in it that might melt, like things with plastic handles. And be careful with metal items, so you don’t scratch the non-stick surface inside the pot.

You can also use your pressure cooker for hot towels. Just fold a towel (one that will fit) and place it on the trivet, and pour a cup of water in the bottom of the pot. Lock the lid, close the vent and set the timer for 3 minutes. You’ll probably have to let the towel cool a little before you can handle it, but it makes a nice hot towel for shaving.