New Toy. Pressure cooker recipes?

[Aurora]

This is my favorite pressure cooker:

http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/k/00/k37000.001?​

I got it before Thanksgiving this year and it is so versatile. First of all it has an oval pot. This is great for all kinds of non-round food and meats. Additionally, it has a full 8 quart capacity at 2/3 full. All other pressure cookers I've seen list the capacity filled to the top and since you can only pressure cook with the vessel 2/3 full the net capacity of other 8 quart cookers is only 5 1/3 quarts.

There is a built in delay start and stop cooking timer. You can brown, steam and keep warm and and it will cook at high or low pressure. It is also safe for cooking rice, pasta and beans.

The pressure vessel is coated with nonstick DuPont's Silverstone and lifts out of the base for easy cleaning.

QVC.com has a this 8 quart model or a round 6 quart electric model.

http://www.qvc.com/asp/frameset.asp?class=4005&tmp=hp&cont=sn&cm_re=HP-_-SIDENAV-_-KITCHENELECTRICS


See item No. K37000 and Item No. K97468

 

[Corey123]

The purpose of a pressure cooker is to increase the pressure inside the pressure vessel to increase the boiling point of the liquid. At 15 psi, the pressure is equal to approximately 2 atmospheres. The boiling point of water at 2 atmospheres is approximately 248 degrees F. or 120 degrees C.

The metal of the pressure vessel could be as high as 248 degrees F.

Yes!

You will NEVER be able to get that high a cooking temperature in just an ordinary pot of boiling water. Plus, as the water begins to heat up to the boiling point, air has to escape through the vent pipe, alllowing the pressure to build up to 15 psi. 248 degrees is extremely hot!!! This is the exact same process used in hospitals and dental facilities to sterilize the tools used during operations and dental work.

Yes, most pressure cookers have you either cool them at once in the sink with cold water running over half the top or you'd let the pressure drop of it's own accord. With mine, you just and slightly lift & tilt the jiggler on the vent pipe to the side, and the pressure is released.

And the rubber gasket DOES help keep the pressure inside from being lost during the cooking cycle. Think of it as a big plane that's pressurized in the air. If a door seal is broken, pressure will begin to escape.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

One word of caution though; Not telling any of you how to cook, but 248 degrees of steam is dangerously hot!!!! If you should ever accidentally scald yourself with it, then you're on the way to the hospital for emergency medical treatment in the ER. Someone I know was scalded by one of these! Please be careful when using these sophisticated cooking devices.

And BTW, I DID forget to mention that I've also done a pot roast in mine. It came out very good and tasty!


~Corey123.

 

[txoldshirley]

I just bought myself a Fagor 6 qt pressure cooker for my birthday (my present to myself)!!! I wanted to cook a chicken in it. Any recipes? I didn't see one in the book that came with it that really caught my eye, but I did find a pork chop recipe in there that I might use.
Thanks all.

 

[kitchenelf]

Do you want to just "stew" a chicken for maybe chicken and dumplings?

One of my favorites is Chicken Adobo (the real stuff, not the seasoning adobo).

I would use a couple cups of water - maybe about 3/4 cup soy sauce and 3/4 cup white vinegar, 5 or so large cloves of garlic (smashed), a bay leaf, and a sliver of ginger (smashed). Bring to high pressure for 35 or so minutes for pieces and maybe about 1 hour for a whole chicken.

Make rice or egg noodles to serve with it.

 

[txoldshirley]

Oh Kitchenelf, that sounds good. What I cooked was a recipe from the book that came with the cooker. It was a potato and pork chop "casserole" but it really wasn't a casserole in my book. It was to die for. First you brown your 1" thick butterfly pork chops in 2 T of EVOO (season the pork chops with salt & pepper before browning). Then you place them in a warm dish in a warm place (I put mine in the oven that I had preheated to 150 and then turned off). To the oil you used to brown the chops in, you add 1/4 C water, sliced potatoes and onion and then season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and rosemary. Place a bay leaf on that layer of veggies then place your chops on top of the veggies. Add the remaining veggies on top of the meat (I used 2 very large russett potatoes and 1 whole sweet onion). Add a little more salt, pepper, nutmeg and rosemary and another bay leaf. Then you pour 1/2 cup of white wine over the entire mixture and cover, pressure on high for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium low (on electric stove) and cook another 15 to 20 minutes. I let the pressure off mine naturally, not the cold water method. My pork chops just fell apart and the mixture made a sort of gravy.