Bear in mind that my mother never used a pressure cooker and I had heard wild tales of them exploding and decorating the kitchen ceiling. But I had heard so many people raving about the convenience and it sounded like it would make cooking easier and cleanup faster.
Well, Santa (or one of his helpers) obliged. Within days I screwed up my courage to give it a try using recipes that came with it. I liked the idea that the Instant Pot could saute so that is the type of recipe we tried. Frankly, I was less than enamoured with the process; it didn't seem to be any faster or better than if I had cooked the same thing in my big skillet. So the IP went on the shelf and I returned to the methods I had been using for over 50 years.
Recently I started feeling guilty about not using it so I ordered some cookbooks and began marking recipes that looked good (or at least manageable). My first attempt was Grown-Up Mac and Cheese.
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| Photo from the cookbook |
Nevertheless, I left the IP out on the counter as a constant reminder that I need to use it or lose it.
Next I tried Pork Carnitas for tacos. Six pounds of pork butt falling apart in 50 minutes -- now that's worth talking about! And it was delicious, too.
My bravery increased and I even purchased some silicone accessories at the kitchen outlet store last week. First I steamed some butternut squash; it was OK but a bit overdone. Undaunted, last night I cooked a boneless Turkey breast. I put it in the new steamer basket ...
... with petite Yukon gold potatoes stacked on top ...
All I can say is it's a new day in the Smith household! Delicious! I'm hoping a new cookbook with recipes for two will keep me going in this new direction.
I have a different brand but have used it only once; it was an unexpected gift from my daughter. Initially I hadn't the counter space but now I do, so maybe I'll pull mine out again and give it another chance. I'm really interested to see how rice will cook in it as my rice cooker is technically under a recall [years ago] from a company no longer in business.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Lee, you show up as "no reply." I would love to know from you or anyone else how the rice cooker feature is working for you. I haven't tried it yet.
ReplyDeleteMy Instant Pot is also languishing in the cupboard, and most of the cookbooks don't seem to be worth the paper they're printed on. Can you recommend a cookbook?
ReplyDeleteI got a new Instant Pot this summer but haven’t tried it yet. I think I’m going to make some split pea soup first. Sometime. Maybe before Christmas, even! That pork butt idea sounds good too!
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed with the recipes you've tried! I have used mine mainly for rice, and we love it. I use parboiled rice with chicken broth for the liquid and follow the instructions in the manual, and it is perfect every time. I've never thought about trying a pork butt, one of my favorites! You are inspiring me to look at IP cookbooks and use it more.
ReplyDeleteI cook white rice in mine at least once a week. You need to rinse the white rice well to wash away the starch. Put in IP in equal amounts of rice/water. One cup chicken broth and set on manual for 4 minutes. I have never used the rice function for this. Please share your Pork Carnita recipe. Been wanting to try that.
ReplyDeleteDetails, Libby!! I want details!! My own IP sits (abandoned) at the end of the counter, but for one or two recipes that there family enjoys.
ReplyDeleteI haven't acquired one yet, but you encourage me! :)
ReplyDeleteI got an Instant Pot a month ago when our kitchen renovation began. The instructions enclosed in the box were minimal. I figured out how to set it up and how to pressure-cook, but the other features were a mystery. The other day I realized i could borrow IP cookbooks from the library! Now I have three of them. I think I will buy one eventually to have as a reference, but for now the library copies will do.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I had never used a pressure cooker, either, for the very reason you cited.
ReplyDeleteI make my rice in the instant pot and meat - I don't use it for much of anything else as it either seems to over cook veggies or not enough - I also boil eggs in it but I can't say the whole process is that much of a time saver.
ReplyDeleteI've used my instapot several times - mostly for a chicken and rice burrito bowl which is delicious every time. Besides the speedy cooking of meat, etc, one of the advantages I've found is that it automatically switches into 'keep warm' mode when it's done cooking. So very useful when dinnertime is running late or contingent on someone's arrival.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother cooked all her roasts in a stove-top pressure cooker, and I used to have a big one that I used for canning but it was a bit too big for meal recipes. I plan to keep exploring the uses for this little countertop wonder.
Thank you for this post, Libby. As you may know I love small appliances and I have been following this Instant Pot movement. I coincidentally have my slow cooker out making pea and carrot soup today. It sounds like the Instant Pot does a great job on meats. Happy it is working out for you.
ReplyDeleteWe are definite slow cooker users, but the instant pot doesn't appear to be on the radar of the male chief in our household.
ReplyDeleteLadies, try the FREE pressure cooker recipes at pressurecookingtoday.com. I loved Barbar's recipes so much I bought her cookbook. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1558328963/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
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