Cooking under pressure
A few weeks ago when it was rainy and cold, my friend and I had
a hankering for some barbecue. Being a guy, he really wanted some
ribs. But cooking ribs inside usually means a long, slow process
since it takes a while to get the ribs to a tender texture and to
develop the flavor.
Cooking under pressure
A few weeks ago when it was rainy and cold, my friend and I had a hankering for some barbecue. Being a guy, he really wanted some ribs. But cooking ribs inside usually means a long, slow process since it takes a while to get the ribs to a tender texture and to develop the flavor.
But my friend had a trick up his sleeve in the form of a pressure cooker – an appliance I have never used before. After prepping the ingredients to go into the pot, and searing the ribs in a saute pan so they would have a nice, crisp exterior, the lid went on. It looks like a regular stovetop pot, but it has a knob on top that begins to whistle as steam builds up inside it. The whistling was quite unnerving to me as I continued to prep ingredients for side dishes of sauted green beans in red wine vinegar and mashed potatoes. Every time the whistle sound rose, I jumped a little bit.
The big challenge came halfway through the cooking process, when the recipe directions call for opening the pressure cooker to make sure the ribs weren’t sticking to the bottom. My friend, who bought the pressure cooker at a flea market, didn’t actually have a manual with it, but he did know that opening the pot up is a big no-no. Before we could open it, we had to make sure that all the steam was out of the pot. He did this by removing the pot from the heat, pushing the steam release valve with a long bread knife and guarding his face with an oven mitt. There was no sticking, and in the future, we would just leave the pot closed until after the ribs are done rather than risk a steam burn.
After the ribs were cooked, I poured the remaining ingredients from the sauce into the pot with all the juices. The mix of flavors worked perfectly and the ribs were falling off the bone. These baby back ribs were done in under an hour, as opposed to the multiple hours needed on a grill, in the oven or in a smoker.
The other great thing pressure cookers can be used for is cooking up a quick pot of beans. They eliminate the need to soak the beans before cooking them up and keeps the time down to under 40 minutes to cook a tasty pot of beans.
Garlic-ginger barbecued baby back ribs
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
2 lb. baby back ribs, cut into individual ribs
1 tbsp. Essence, recipe follows
1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. hot sauce
2 bay leaves
2 c. canned low-sodium beef broth
Sauce:
1 c. ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. molasses
Place the ribs in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and toss with the Essence. Place the ribs in a pressure cooker and add the onions, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, hot sauce, and bay leaves. Sear meat over high heat until browned. Add broth, lock lid in place and place over high heat. Once a steady stream of steam is emitted from the release valve, turn heat down to medium. Cook for 40 minutes, opening twice, following method in manufacturers’ instructions, and stir to prevent sticking. Remove the ribs from the pot. Using a spoon, carefully skim any fat from the top of the cooking liquid that remains in the pot. Add the sauce ingredients to the pressure cooker and cook on low heat, stirring for 5 minutes. Return the ribs to the pot and gently stir to coat.
Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 c.
Pressure cooker chili beans
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown
3 lb. stew meat (beef, pork, and/or lamb)
2 tsp. peanut oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 (12-oz.) bottle of beer, preferably a medium ale
1 (16-oz.) container salsa
30 tortilla chips
2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
1 tbsp. adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
Place the meat in a large mixing bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt. Set aside.
Heat a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pressure cooker over high heat until hot. Add the meat in 3 or 4 batches and brown on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per batch. Once each batch is browned, place the meat in a clean large bowl.
Once all of the meat is browned, add the beer to the cooker to deglaze the pot.
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the meat back to the pressure cooker along with the salsa, tortilla chips, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and ground cumin and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the steam begins to hiss out of the cooker, reduce the heat to low, just enough to maintain a very weak whistle. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully release the steam. Serve immediately.
Melissa Flores can be reached at [email protected]. She writes a blog at http://melissa-movielines.blogspot.com, where she writes about trying new ingredients, eating at new restaurants, movies and more.
