Pressure cooker for meats...does anyone use one?

[Cricket4t]

I bought a cheap little pressure cooker at Bed Bath and Beyond that was on clearance for $15.00 because I wanted to try one out and see if I liked it before I spent very much money on one.

Well I LOVE it!!! I come home stick a 3 pound roast in it with 1-1/2 cups of broth and in 35 minutes I have one of the best roasts I've ever eaten.

Now I want a bigger better pressure cooker and I don’t know what to look at. Does anyone have one they use and like?

I would appreciate any help here.
Thanks,
Betty

[Charski]

Hi Betty!

I have an electric digital one which I just love. It's an 8 quart, oval jobbie, I got it at QVC, I think it's Cooks Essentials brand.

It makes the BEST stews, chile verde, beans, whatever!

[SNUGGS11]

I got a medium sized one on QVC -I believe mine is cooks essentials also. i love it. You can cook a whole chicken w/veggies in about 25 min. How wonderful! so far that's the only thing i've played with. I've had the pot for months but just started using it 2 months ago. I make a chicken once a week in it. LOVE IT and would love any recipes you guys have also for it.

[Barbo]

THE PRESSURE COOKER IS BEING RE-DISCOVERED.

31 years ago my husband bought me a stainless steel great big ole
Presto pressure cooker. I said NO WAY am I going to use that thing.
My mom's blew a gasget when I was a kid and scared me half to death.
He said WAY!! I'm going to teach you how to use this. He used to sell
them in one of his jewelry stores on Broadway and Manchester in Los Angeles
in the early sixties. So we made a roast. I was so scared when it started
chugging. Now I'm a pro. I love my machine and cannot understand why
the Food Network isn't teaching people about them. If you soak your
beans in them overnight. you can have a huge pot in no time. I used
to do corned beef in 25 minutes, take it out, put in the cabbage and carrots
and potatoes, and in another 10 minutes we had a delicious Dinty Moore
dinner. Swiss steak is another fabulous thing to cook in that pot.

I also learned to can in the pressure cooker and that's how I do it to this
day. So easy and so fast. Wouldn't be without one.

Thanks for bringing up the subject. My pot is old but in perfect condition
so I don't really know the new market on them. I would think Google
would give you lots of different varieties.

[Motts Landing]

Originally Posted by Barbo

THE PRESSURE COOKER IS BEING RE-DISCOVERED.

31 years ago my husband bought me a stainless steel great big ole
Presto pressure cooker. I said NO WAY am I going to use that thing.
My mom's blew a gasget when I was a kid and scared me half to death.
He said WAY!! I'm going to teach you how to use this. He used to sell
them in one of his jewelry stores on Broadway and Manchester in Los Angeles
in the early sixties. So we made a roast. I was so scared when it started
chugging. Now I'm a pro. I love my machine and cannot understand why
the Food Network isn't teaching people about them. If you soak your
beans in them overnight. you can have a huge pot in no time. I used
to do corned beef in 25 minutes, take it out, put in the cabbage and carrots
and potatoes, and in another 10 minutes we had a delicious Dinty Moore
dinner. Swiss steak is another fabulous thing to cook in that pot.

[COLOR="Red"]I also learned to can in the pressure cooker and that's how I do it to this
day. So easy and so fast. Wouldn't be without one.[/COLOR]
Thanks for bringing up the subject. My pot is old but in perfect condition
so I don't really know the new market on them. I would think Google
would give you lots of different varieties.

Hey Barbo.... I never thot about it till now but seeing that you have actually canned things in your reg. pressure cooker makes me wonder why in the world couldn't I reverse that thot and pressure cook meat in my Pressure CANNER?? Yes... mine was specifically called a "canner" but shouldn't it work just the same as your cooker? Can't see why not...if so.... what a wonderful idea. I am glad you mentioned that you can in yours! I have canned both veggies as well as roasts/chicken in my canner for years.

BTW Barbo... I see you are in San Juan Cap... I USED to live in San Clemente off Camino de Estrella! (or was it Avenida de Estrella... been 10 years so hard to remember) LOVED it there!!!
Julie

[tim964]

I have an 8 quart (I think) Presto that I got at Kohl's a couple years ago for about $50. It is absolutely the best way to make roasts. I also love to cook bone-in chicken breasts in it to use in other recipes. They come out unbelievable tender.

This last year, I did use it for canning - it was much faster than the traditional boiling water method - also kept the kitchen much cooler. The only problem I had was that my pressure cooker is only big enough to hold 5 pint jars. I'm thinking of a getting a bigger one this year so I can use it for canning quarts.

Tim

[Motts Landing]

Originally Posted by tim964

I have an 8 quart

This last year, I did use it for canning - it was much faster than the traditional boiling water method - also kept the kitchen much cooler. The only problem I had was that my pressure cooker is only big enough to hold 5 pint jars. I'm thinking of a getting a bigger one this year so I can use it for canning quarts.

Tim

Well mine is HUGE! Since mine was designed specifically for canning foods & I used to can tons of stuff.... mine is what they call a "double stack" canner. It is so tall! It holds 7 pints on the bottom...there is a special rack that goes on next... then it holds an additional 7 pints on top. OR if doing quart jars...I can get 7 jars on bottom only. Gizmo is not quite tall enough to double stack qts!
Since several of you seem to have great success using your meat cooker for canning also... then seems to me I should be absolutely fine using my canner to cook meat Do you add liquid when pressure cooking meat? My instruction book is only for canning. I guess I could google to get cooking methods for pressure cooking
Julie

[Cricket4t]

Thanks everyone for your help, I’ve just about decided to get the Presto 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker/Canner at Amazon for $59.99; they seem to have the best price with free shipping.

My daughter’s MIL cans roasts (both pork and beef), seasoned ground beef, ribs and chickens in quart jars and my daughter says her MIL comes home from work and if she doesn’t have supper on the table in 15 minutes that something’s wrong.

When she first told me about this I was a little skeptical but hey it might be worth looking into.

[Motts Landing]

Originally Posted by Cricket4t

Thanks everyone for your help, I’ve just about decided to get the Presto 8-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker/Canner at Amazon for $59.99; they seem to have the best price with free shipping.

My daughter’s MIL cans roasts (both pork and beef), seasoned ground beef, ribs and chickens in quart jars and my daughter says her MIL comes home from work and if she doesn’t have supper on the table in 15 minutes that something’s wrong.

When she first told me about this I was a little skeptical but hey it might be worth looking into.

YES! I have canned meats (roast & chicken) many many times in both pint & qt. jars. With roast however... I add my "thickening" stuff AFTER I open the jars to reheat. I was told NOT to cook the meat with the veggies (they will get mushy cos of processing time on meats). As far as chicken goes.... I prefer to use WIDE mouth pints (wide mouth is easier to get any kind of meat out of without tearing it all up) opposed to qt. jars cos a pint of chicken breasts yields me approx. 2 cups cooked meat which is perfect amount for a casserole or for chicken salad etc. It is just 2 of us at home so any larger quantity would be too much. By the way.... when I can chicken breasts... NO NEED to add water. Just chicken & salt. It makes its own broth!! I freeze the broth for soups. Tastes like roasted chicken when you open the jars. I still have some canned chicken in jars from 7 years ago & they are PERFECTLY sealed and quite tasty!

[aingael]

I have a futura pressure cooker (the lid goes inside the pot not on the outside) and I use it a lot, especially in the summer. When you want something like a roast but it is too hot to use the oven. It comes out wonderful every time.

I also use it for fresh veggies from the garden. I fill the pot (up to the minimum) with green bean, about a 1/4 cup water, bring it up to pressure and turn it off. Then after the pressure subsides the beans are done, they taste wonderful, so much different than just boiling them plus most of the nutrients and vitamins are not cooked out into the water like boiling.

It is also fantastic for stocks. Just a few bony pieces of meat, chicken etc. and you have such a flavor filled stock you wont want to use canned again.

Happy pressuring.

[RVcook]

My friend has a Fagor stainless steel and I have a pressure-fryer made by Magefesa which allows me to pressure cook as well as pressure fry. Love it and my friend loves her Fagor. Both types have a quick-release valve to bring the pressure down immediately and none of that...allow a small stream of water to drip on the edge of the cooker to bring the pressure down completely before opening...

Spend the money and invest in a good one that will last you many years.

[Barbo]

Yes it's still there. Estrella that is. I am there often as Stater Bros.
Market is there and my favorite little China Well Restaurant is there
off Camino de Estrella. You wouldn't recognize the neighborhood.
It's also full of Dr's offices and of course the hospital must have change
hands 4 times since you lived there. It's a lovely place to live.
I do water aerobics at the Ole Hanson Pool and Park Club. San Clemente
has grown and it is beautiful. It has expanded out in the mountain side
with shopping and beautiful homes etc. Come on back. It's better than
Florida

My daughters bought me a big canner like yours way back in the day.
Now it's too much work, but then I canned everything that I grew.
I have two pressure cookers and that takes care of my small bit of
canning that I do now. We have peach tree (Elberta) big ole naval
orange tree, lemon, and our really old apple tree finally bit the dust.
I never have canned meats.

Let me know how it goes ok?

b

[pooticus]

Can you broast chicken in a pressure cooker? That's where you put in a small bit of oil and it "frys" the chicken without having to put a crust on it, just spices?

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by pooticus

Can you broast chicken in a pressure cooker? That's where you put in a small bit of oil and it "frys" the chicken without having to put a crust on it, just spices?

You could do that in a pressure-fryer like mine, but it is absolutely a NO-NO in a regular pressure cooker/canner!

[pooticus]

Thanks RV! There used to be a broasted chicken place in Dallas that made such awesome breadingless fried chicken. Haven't had any for years and it would sure be fun to be able to make it at home! Will have to google pressure fryers I think!

[Sassay]

I would love to have pressure cooker recipes! I have a digital one but have never used it. Cooks Esentials and I got it about 2 years ago. It's just going to waste.

[Cricket4t]

I see a lot of pressure cooker cook books advertised on the net. If you have a bookstore near you maybe you could pick up a small one to give you some ideas.

I used a roast to make Swiss Steak out of last night and it was so good the 3 of us ate the whole 3 pound roast.

There are two main things to remember about pressure cookers.
1. Don’t fill the pot more than half full.
2. Check your manufacture's instructions to get the correct time for the meat your cooking.

For the Swiss Steak I cut the roast in steaks, browned them in the pressure cooker added onions, bell pepper, celery, tomatoes and some homemade beef broth. Locked it down and cooked it for 25 minutes. It was ready to eat and so tender that we cut it with a fork.

[lowcarblulu]

I have a 6-qt Kuhn-Rikon and love it! One of my favorite recipes is unstuffed cabbage - mainly layering cabbage with meatballs, adding tomatoes, caraway seeds and a tiny bit of sweetener on top. Cook for about 1/2 hour and tastes like it took all day. Mmmmm!

I have cabbage in the fridge, time to make this again.

[Charski]

You can also google "pressure cooker recipes" and you'll get LOTS! Most are easily converted to low-carb too.

[Cricket4t]

Originally Posted by Charski

You can also google "pressure cooker recipes" and you'll get LOTS! Most are easily converted to low-carb too.

Hi Char,

How are you doing?

I’m exhausted; my son and I are in the middle of building a new chicken house and I’m straining muscles that I forgot I had. My old one is falling apart and I had a raccoon get in it last month and he killed most of my old hens. I have to buy eggs now and I didn’t realize how expensive they’ve gotten!!!

We’re in the process of putting the roof up and once that’s on all we will have left to do is put the siding on. I ordered my chicks and they are supposed to ship April 16th.

I should have done this last spring; this is what I get for putting it off.

[decodiana]

This is one of my favorite pressure cooker meals....Bistro Chicken Thighs:

LowCarbFriends Recipes - Pressure Cooker Bistro Chicken - Powered by ReviewPost