Braising in a pressure cooker?
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
OP
OP
Skittle68
Sous Chef
Andy M. said:
Great! I looked at it briefly and will review it more thoroughly before I pick a recipe. Thank you so much for all your help!
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
babetoo
Chef Extraordinaire
i blew one up as a teenager. put to much rice in it, forgetting rice expands. it blew the pressure gage one way and the lid another way. luckily i wasn't standing over it when it blew. there was rice everywhere including the celling. haven't used one since, and that was many moons ago. am tempted to buy one of the newer ones, am sure they are much safer now. good luck skittles, you will do just fine. follow andy's advice.
I'm going to have to disagree with the bolded. While you should never fill a pressure cooker more than 2/3 full, you DO need plenty of liquid because the explosions are caused by too little liquid. The steam is what is regulated by the temperature. Once it boils/stems dry, there is no way to regulate the temp and the pressure builds up to the point of exploding. Adequate liquid is the very POINT of using a pressure cooker.
OP - I have a larger version of what you have among my 3 pressure cookers and 2 pressure canners that I use regularly. The manual posted is your best friend. Good luck and be safe!
OP
OP
Skittle68
Sous Chef
velochic said:
Thank you velochic
I will follow the instructions, and be very careful!
joesfolk
Head Chef
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Pressure cookers can differ greatly considering age, and models. More modern pc's may not have a jiggle valve. Mine just closes and locks and releases steam through a hole that is kind of in the handle. The gasket is the circular rubber thing that fits into the lid and seals the pan closed. The unit will not open until the pressure has come down. The fastest way to do this is to carefully place the unit in the sink and run water over it. But I would not try this with a unit that has a jiggle valve as it would be too easy to knock the thing off in the process. I hope you are able to get the right manual and I'm sure you will read it carefully. Roasts made in the pc can come out dry if cooked too long. But it sounds like you have gotten some good advice and the manual will have some recipes for you to try. Just for the record, when I cook a roast I put the onions and roast in the pan with several cups of water and my seasonings. I bring it up to pressure and cook till it is about half done (or a little more). Then I release the pressure, open the unit and throw in my veggies. I close the unit and bring the pressure back up again. By the time the roast is done so are the veggies. The pc is great for tough cuts of meat. I hope you find this helpful.
Now we see where the differences in experience occur. I use very little liquid, about the same amount I would use for a slow cooker. However, that is my experience and my pressure cooker.
The only time I have had an explosion was because I tried to take the lid off before all the pressure was released...and before safety features to prevent removing the lid too soon.
Skittles,
It was absolutely NOT my intention to belittle your knowledge or make you feel stupid...just trying to make sure we avoided a tragedy.
Don't let them scare you!
I do agree that you should learn the basics of pressure cooking for your safety.I am assuming that you won't be using grandmas cooker.Modern P/C's have several safety features that make them no more dangerous than any unattended pot on your stove.There are several things that you have to be aware of and this is not the place to get them.It is hard to explain what to do for most of us because there really is a lot of different things to consider.I bought Miss Vickie's pressure cooker cook book.It covers everything and I am sure all of this info can be found for free on the Internet.There's a lot of different things you can do with a P/C. Almost all of them I still need to try.
I do agree that you should learn the basics of pressure cooking for your safety.I am assuming that you won't be using grandmas cooker.Modern P/C's have several safety features that make them no more dangerous than any unattended pot on your stove.There are several things that you have to be aware of and this is not the place to get them.It is hard to explain what to do for most of us because there really is a lot of different things to consider.I bought Miss Vickie's pressure cooker cook book.It covers everything and I am sure all of this info can be found for free on the Internet.There's a lot of different things you can do with a P/C. Almost all of them I still need to try.
Kur
Senior Cook
I would highly recommend anyone who is serious about doing a lot of pressure cooking to save up and invest in an electric pressure cooker. They are much easier to use than traditional pressure cookers. You put your food and liquid in (at least a half a cup for most things, more for rice/legumes, soup, obviously), press in your minutes to cook, and wait for it to beep that it's done... And then you either wait for the steam to release naturally or you release it all at once by pressing a button or turning a knob. It's unbelievably hassle free and my favorite appliance in the kitchen hands down. Absolutely no fear of blowing up: the lid is locked secure automatically until the last bit of steam is released and the part I love the most is that the food and flavor have all been locked in as well, rather than being lost in the air or in boiling water like traditional cooking - much more nutritious! I've used mine several times a week for a couple of years now to make all the veggies I once steamed or boiled in at least half the time, (fresh green beans, cabbage, literally in three minutes), kale with bacon in 10, pork loin in 25 minutes, and tons of Indian food, and stews, like tonight's pot roast in 40 minutes. Really, electric pressure cookers take all of the fear out of it, nothing could be easier! And there is a browning feature on mine, which is usually recommended before pressure cooking most meat for best flavor. I highly recommend an electric pressure cooker. It's a whole new world for me since I got mine....
I highly recommend an electric pressure cooker. It's a whole new world for me since I got mine....
Kur
Senior Cook
And did I mention they are non-stick and the pot part can be put in the dishwasher? Awesome appliance...
Josie1945
Head Chef
I love my electric pressure cooker. So easy to use and clean.
Josie
Josie
sparrowgrass
Head Chef
I have had my pressure cookers for 35 years, and they are as safe as the one I bought last year. They are Presto cookers. I cannot take the top off before the pressure is released--maybe a very strong person could, but it would take a great deal of effort. (I know the new ones have an interlock thingie that drops to release the lid when the pressure falls, but the amount of strength it would take to turn the lid on mine when the pressure is high is incredible.)
Read the manual, follow the directions. If it is old, check the gasket--it should be flexible. If it is not, or if it shows any cracking, buy a new one. The other thing that might need to be replaced is the safety release--it is a small bolt on the underside of the lid, with either rubber or metal showing thru on the top of the cooker. If pressure/temperature gets too high, that plug will melt and you will have stuff sprayed allllllll over the ceiling. But the cooker itself will not explode!! I am very careful not to put my face over the cooker while it is cooking, just in case that safety plug goes!
I had one blow once--before it happened, I noticed that a tiny amount of water was bubbling out of the plug. Now I replace them every 5 years or so, just to make sure. I do a lot of canning, so you might never have to replace yours.
Mine have the weight that goes on top and jiggles, and I have had no problem putting it in the sink and running water over it to cool it down. I put some water in the sink, and run cold water over the top. I have never accidentally knocked the weight off.
Read the manual, follow the directions. If it is old, check the gasket--it should be flexible. If it is not, or if it shows any cracking, buy a new one. The other thing that might need to be replaced is the safety release--it is a small bolt on the underside of the lid, with either rubber or metal showing thru on the top of the cooker. If pressure/temperature gets too high, that plug will melt and you will have stuff sprayed allllllll over the ceiling. But the cooker itself will not explode!! I am very careful not to put my face over the cooker while it is cooking, just in case that safety plug goes!
I had one blow once--before it happened, I noticed that a tiny amount of water was bubbling out of the plug. Now I replace them every 5 years or so, just to make sure. I do a lot of canning, so you might never have to replace yours.
Mine have the weight that goes on top and jiggles, and I have had no problem putting it in the sink and running water over it to cool it down. I put some water in the sink, and run cold water over the top. I have never accidentally knocked the weight off.
Claire
Master Chef
Another source for the user's manual is used book stores. The old Presto booklet is very small (so you know what it looks like), maybe 3x5, just a pamphlet. The biggest safety hint is never open the pot until that rocker is totally still. You can quicken the process by putting it in the sink and running cold water over it. But whether you let it cool naturally or not, you tap the rocker with a utensil. If steam still comes out with pfist type noise, then you cool it further until tapping the rocker releases no steam. Only then do you twist and release your lid, otherwise ... well, not pretty picture if you're leaning over it.
Now, know that I haven't used one in 6 or so years. Also, Mom used to oil the gasket regularly. When it dries out too much, you won't get a good seal so will miss some of the benefits.
This is for older models, specifically old Prestos from a number of years back. Since you don't have the manual/recipe book, I'm assuming yours is old.
Now, know that I haven't used one in 6 or so years. Also, Mom used to oil the gasket regularly. When it dries out too much, you won't get a good seal so will miss some of the benefits.
This is for older models, specifically old Prestos from a number of years back. Since you don't have the manual/recipe book, I'm assuming yours is old.
joesfolk
Head Chef
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2010
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Oh, also some gaskets can get stretched out. When they get too big to fit in the pot properly they have to be replaced. To replace them check with a hardware store. Most of them carry parts for pressure cookers. I know that Ace hardware stores in this area carry them. You have to know the model number. And if yours is really old like my big pressurer canner was you might have to google the model number to see if you can find a replacement. Worked for me.
