How does a pressure cooker work?

Pressure Cooker - Ingrid Hoffman Simply DeliciosoPressure cookers rely on some basic science you have to understand.

If you put a put of water on your stove, the water will reach 212 degrees Fahrenheit and boil.  No matter how hard you try, you cannot get water raise the temperature any higher.  It does not matter how high you set the heat on the stove or how long you let the water boil — it will never go above 212 degrees.

By raising the pressure on the water, you can get the water to go higher that 212 degrees.  As the pressure rises, the boiling point or maximum temperature water will reach will also rise.

Water and steam also transfer heat much more efficiently than air does.  Consider your oven — at 400 degrees you can reach into your oven without hurting yourself as long as you don’t touch anything and don’t leave your hand in there for a long time.  However, if you reach into a boiling pot of water you will be scalded almost immediately.  This demonstrates how much more efficient water is at transferring heat than air.

This is where the pressure cooker comes in.  Just as boiling water will scald your hand quickly, boiling water and steam will transfer heat into the food quickly and efficiently.

This speed has two attractive points for cooking.

The first is obvious, meals can be prepared much faster than conventional cooking methods.

The second benefit is less obvious — food cooked quickly in a pressure cooker tends to be more healthy and flavorful than food cooked in an oven or on the stove top.

As the pressure cooker does its job, the cooker is sealed.  This prevents nutrient rich steam from escaping into the air and this steam collects in the cooker itself.  This flavorful steam will collect with the juices at the bottom of the cooker.

 

The Presto 23 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker and Canner

The Presto 23 Quart Pressure Cooker and Canner has a large capacity suitable for cooking large meals or canning.

Pressure Cooking is a great way to eat healthy, as the pressure cooking process preserves the food’s natural flavors and nutrients.  Additionally, pressure cooking usually results in dramatically shorter cooking times so you can have delicious meals quickly at night after a long day of work.

Built out of heavy-duty aluminum, this a professional quality tool that will last for years if properly maintained.  The stay cool handles ensure easy lifting, although I would probably still wear oven mittens if lifting this while it was full and hot just to prevent accidental touching of the sides.  The lid is built of the same heavy-duty aluminum as the base and provides a strong lock for pressurizing the cooker.

There is a removable rubber gasket in the lid to help provide a tight seal.  This rubber gasket should be removed after each use.  By cleaning and inspecting the gasket you can ensure the gasket will be ready for you the next time you want to use this professional quality tool.

For canning, this item comes with a rack for the bottom of the pan that will keep cans off the bottom, allowing water to circulate around the jars.  This allows the jars to be heated all around and prevents the jars from touching the bottom of the cooker.  By applying an even heat to the jar, the jar should not break due to uneven heating.

Excess steam is vented through an over pressure  built into the lid.

The lid also has an easy to read pressure gauge.  The pressure gauge should be tested to ensure accurate readings.  Your local Cooperative Extension may be able to test your pressure gauge for you, or provide you with information on local sources to have it tested.  If nothing is available locally, try contacting the manufacturer.  Be prepared to pay a little for service from the manufacturer, but this is a safety issue you really should not skip.

The dial gauge is also a delicate part of the pressure cooker and should be handled with care.  The booklet supplied with this pressure cooker provides instructions on handling and cleaning the dial gauge.

The air vent and overpressure plug should be removed during each cleaning.  The vent pipe and open holes can then be easily cleaned with a pipe cleaner or small nylon brush.

Click here to read more reviews about the Presto 23 Quart Pressure Cooker and Canner

Pressure Cooker Chili

Little compares to a hearty bowl of chili on a bitter cold winter night.  Coming home to a home filled with the smells of a day long chili are something to look forward to the entire day.

But what if you have a hankering for chili but you did not plan ahead?

Using your trust pressure cooker and many of the same ingredients, you could be sitting down to a good bowl of chili in about thirty minutes.

Topped off with some freshly grated cheese, this chili will be rich and fulfilling.

Definitely something to warm you up on those cold winter nights.

 

1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
2 cups water

  1. Brown the ground beef in the bottom of the pressure cooker.  Once browned, drain the beef and move to a holding dish.
  2. Add the chopped onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and the olive oil to the pressure cooker.  Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently.
  3. When the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes),  add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in the beef and all other ingredients to the pressure cooker.
  5. Lock the lid onto the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to build.
  6. Reduce the heat to maintain the pressure.
  7. Cook for about 10 minutes.
  8. Remove from the heat, and allow the pressure to come down on its own, about 10 minutes.
  9. Release any remaining pressure and remove the lid.
  10. Stir and serve the chili.
  11. The chili can be garnished with grated cheese, or crushed crackers, or any way you would like.

How to clean a pressure cooker

Like any fine cookware, cleaning is part of routine maintenance to keep your pressure cooker working for many years.  You pressure cooker should be thoroughly cleaned after each use and dried before putting it away.

It is important that pressure cooker parts are never placed in an automatic dishwasher.  In the dishwasher, food particles or dishwasher detergent could collect in the safety valves or pressure valves causing the valves not to work properly.  If fully disassembled, some pressure cooker bottoms can be run in a dishwasher, you should check your manufacturer instructions for more information.

Avoid using abrasive detergents and scouring pads on the pressure cooker, as these may cause permanent damage to the seals, valves and surfaces of the pressure cooker.   Abrasive detergents may also scratch the finish and make cleaning even harder in the future.  These scratches can shorten the useful life of your pressure cooker.

To clean your pressure cooker follow these steps:

  1. If your pressure cooker has a rubber seal, you should remove it and clean it separately.  Some pressure cookers don’t use a gasket.  The gasket should be cleaned using a mild detergent such as Bon Ami or similar non abrasive cleansers.  While you clean the rubber gasket, inspect it for any tears, cracks or rips in the rubber.  If you find any problems with the gasket, you should replace it before using the pressure cooker again.
  2. Remove all parts that can be removed from the lid, such as the pressure valves, safety valves, handles or knobs.  There are many different styles of pressure cookers, and you may need to refer to your manufacturer instructions.
  3. You should clean all holes and valves with pipe cleaners to ensure no food is left that may interfere with the normal operation of your pressure cooker.
  4. Clean the bottom and the lid using non abrasive detergents and nylon pads.
  5. Dry all the parts using a soft cloth or air dry.
  6. Reassemble the pressure cooker.  take care that all knobs, handles and valves are properly seated and tightened.
  7. Inspect and tighten any screws or nuts.
  8. Remember that when using the pressure cooker, it tends to get very hot.  Ensuring that all knobs, handles, nuts and bolts are all tightened properly will help ensure the pressure cooker is safe to use.
  9. Store the pressure cooker with the lid upside down to allow some air to circulate.  If any moisture is left in the pressure cooker, you don’t want to seal it by the lid sitting on its gasket.   Also, you want the gasket to be relaxed during storage, not pressed by the weight of the lid.
  10. If you are storing your pressure cooker for a period of time, you might want to sprinkle some baking soda into the bottom of the pressure cooker.  This will prevent any smells from building up — just be sure to rinse out the baking soda before using the pressure cooker in the future.

Easy Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak by kawanet, on FlickrOne day at the grocery store, my wife asked if I wanted one of those frozen salisbury steaks packages.  Knowing that it would take at least two to feed our family, and that I don’t find them all that appetizing, I told her I would take care of that when we got home.  We grabbed some fresh ground beef and I threw this together.

I had some left over vegetables I heated in the oven with the salisbury steaks.

The kids all loved the salisbury steaks and went back for seconds.

My wife is planning the couple of left over patties for lunch this week.

All around a successful kitchen experiment.

 

2pounds lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced finely
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mesquite grill seasoning ( I use Weber)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup quick cook oats

1 can Golden Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cans water

Combine all ingredients except the soups and water.  Mix well and form into around a dozen or so patties.

Brown the patties in a frying pan on the stove top.  They will cook just like a hamburger — roughly 5 minutes on one side and 4 on the other.

I would transfer them to a plate with paper towels to let drain.  You want to catch as much fat as you can before baking.

Place the patties in a oven baking dish.

Mix the water and soups and pour over the patties.

Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

When you take out the baking dish, if any fat is floating on the gravy, remove with a spoon or turkey baster.

How do you season a Cast Iron Dutch Oven?

For many people, a cast iron dutch oven is the best cookware they own.  It has a versatility that allows it to be used in the oven, on the grill, or even over an open camp fire.  Properly maintained, a cast iron dutch oven will last a lifetime.  Many people have cast iron cookware that is handed down from generation to generation.

If you have a brand new cast iron dutch oven it is important to season the cookware properly before it is ever used.

You may also have an old cast iron dutch oven that has been forgotten and over time allowed to show signs of rust  Never fear, you can clean up that old cast iron dutch oven and return it to its former glory.

The seasoning process involves baking oils into the surface, both inside and out.  Because you will be baking oils, you likely will generate a lot of smoke.  This is normal and nothing to really be alarmed about, but it would be better to do this outside.  If outside, it would be preferable to use a gas fired grill.  You could use a charcoal grill or wood grill, just take care to control your fire to minimize the amount of soot that may rise into the dutch oven.

Throughout this process, be sure to include the cast iron lid for your dutch oven.  It should be seasoned the same way to protect it from water and rust in the future, and to make cleaning the inside of the lid as easy as cleaning the dutch oven.

Before you start, be sure the surface is as clean as possible.  Unlike normal cleaning, since your purpose is to season the surface, you could use metal scouring pads.  In fact, if you are dealing with rust, you almost have to use some metal scouring pads or steel wool to remove the rust and reveal the bare metal.  However, using metal scouring pads could cause some discoloration that would be visible after the seasoning process.

Basically, by removing the rust, you expose the bare metal.  That metal will take a new seasoning that will not color match the old seasoning right beside it.  It will not affect the performance of the cast iron dutch oven, and it is necessary to remove the rust.  This is just a point to be aware of — after seasoning, the cleaned area may have a slightly different color.  Over time, this should even out and fade to match the rest of the dutch oven.

All rust must be removed.  In extremely bad cases or rust, you could use a power tool to polish or buff away the rust.  You would want to limit this to the extreme cases.

Take care to clean the outside as well as the inside.  If the cast iron dutch oven has been used over open flame, such as a grill ot camp fire, be sure to remove all soot from the outside.

Once the dutch oven is cleaned completely inside and out, rinse well with warm water.  Never use cold water, as it may cause the cast iron to crack.  It is doubtful that it would cause a cold dutch oven to crack, but always using warm water is simply a good rule of thumb.

Completely dry the dutch oven.  It is essential that the dutch oven is completely clean before you begin the seasoning process.

Once prepared, you want to rub down the inside and outside of the dutch oven with an oil.  There is a considerable debate as to what type of oil is best for seasoning cast iron.  Any of these oils are generally accepted for seasoning:

  • vegetable oil
  • olive oil
  • lard
  • do not use butter or anything that will burn at high temperature.

Whichever oil you choose, make sure the oil is not rancid.  If you use rancid oil to season cast iron, the rancid taste will be absorbed by the cast iron and then to the food it cooks.  This will take a long time to work its way out of the cookware.

Your target temperature is around 350 degrees.  Place your dutch oven upside down in your oven.  It is important to do this with the dutch oven upside down, so the heated oil will run and drip off the dutch oven.  This will help get a uniform coating over the dutch oven.  If the oven is placed in upside up, then the heated oil will collect in the bottom of the pan, resulting in an uneven finish on the dutch oven.

Allow the cast iron dutch oven, and its cast iron lids to heat for about an hour.  If you are doing this inside in your oven, be sure to monitor the smoke that is being generated.  I usually setup fans and keep many windows open to drive the smoke quickly outside.

After an hour you can turn off the heat, or remove the dutch oven from the heat.  If you are doing this inside, you could simply turn off the oven and let it cool off over time.  If you are working outside, you could turn off the grill or just let the grill burn itself out if it is coal or wood fired.

The cast iron dutch oven and the cast iron lids should be left alone for at least 30 minutes.  You could simply let it sit until it comes back to room temperature.

Even after 30 minutes, the cast iron will still be extremely hot.  Always use oven mitt if you need to move it before it cools to room temperature.

If you are working in a cold environment, such as outside in the dead of winter, you may need to take additional precautions.  The cast iron needs to cool slowly, and not be subjected too quickly to the cold air or it may crack.

Once cooled,  you should wipe down the entire inside and outside with a paper towel or clean rag,  This should bring out seasoned finish.

If you were trying to recover old cast iron that was in extremely bad shape, you could repeat the seasoning process if necessary.  You can judge this by examining the seasoned finish to determine if it needs another coat… or three.  It really is a judgement call.

 

Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven

Mmm... garlicy beef pot roast and roasted veggies by jeffreyw, on FlickrI have a young boy that loves to eat anything meat — meatloaf, hamburger, hot dogs, chicken, fish.  Practically anything, but roast.

For the longest time, much to my wife’s chagrin as she loves pot roast, she could not sneak roast by him.

The first time she served him pot roast, he refused to eat it.  She was shocked — he had never refused meat in his life.

She tried adding ketchup, no dice.

Every time she tried pot roast — no matter what she put on it he would taste it, shake his head then eat the rest of the plate.  Always handing back an empty plate with the now discovered roast left untouched.

She even tried roast beef on a sub hidden with other cold cuts — he handed her back an empty plate with the roast beef piled up on the side.

Every form of roast she tried to sneak by him, he found it and handed it back.

One weekend, my mother handed him a plate with roast on it.  He asked what it was, and she simply responded ‘it is meat — you will like it.’  He ate it and asked for more.

To this day, our house refers to this as ‘Meat Dinner’.  And he gobbles it down.  My wife is pleased.

2 tablespoons of Vegetable oil
4 lb Pork shoulder roast
1 can Cream of mushroom soup
1 Pouch dry onion soup mix
1 1/4 c Water
1 teaspoon Thyme leaves
1 Bay leaf
8 medium Potatoes; quartered
8 medium Carrots; cut into 2 inch
2 tablespoons of Flour

I usually start by turning the oven on to 350 degrees to preheat while I prepare the roast.

In your Dutch Oven, heat the vegetable oil.  Once the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides.  Once the roast is browned on all sides, set aside covered in aluminum foil.

Remove any fat left standing in the Dutch Oven using a spoon or a turkey baster.

Add the water, thyme, bay leave, the can of soup and the onion soup mix.  On your stove top, bring the mixture to a boil.

Put the roast back in the Dutch Oven and cover.  Place in the oven, cook for 45 minutes.

Turn the roast over, and add the vegetables.  Return to the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.

The vegetables should be fork tender and the roast should be done.  Move the roast to a platter and cover with aliminum foil.  Let the roast rest for 15-30 minutes before slicing.

While waiting, you can turn the liquid in the pan to a gravy.  Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter.

On the stove top, liquids in the Dutch Oven back to a boil.  While waiting, combine a 1/4 cup of water with the flour.  Once boiling, slowly add the water/flour mixture.  Stir constantly until the gravy begins to thicken.

 

How do you clean a dutch oven?

Cast Iron Dutch OvenBy maintaining the seasoning on a Dutch Oven, you can make clean up quick and easy.

The first step to cleaning a Dutch Oven will be to scrape any excess food using a plastic scraper.  It is important not to use any metal utensils or scouring pads on the Dutch Oven.  The abrasive nature of the metal could take off the seasoning on the Dutch Oven.  If the seasoning is lost or damaged during the cleaning process, it is important to restore that seasoning to protect the Dutch Oven from rust or to cause food to stick next time you use your Dutch Oven.  So, plastic scrapers are best to remove excess food.

Using warm water and a clean dish rag, clean the inside of the Dutch Oven.  If the Dutch Oven is seasoned properly, this should be easy — nothing should stick to the Dutch Oven.  Never use cold water, especially if the Dutch Oven is hot or warm.  Cold water can cause the Dutch Oven to crack or could cause damage to the seasoning.  Warm water should be all you need.  Try not to use dish soaps on the Dutch Oven, as the soap could leave a residue on the seasoning that will transfer to the food the next time you use the Dutch oven.

After the Dutch Oven has been wiped down with warm water and a clean dish rag, rinse the Dutch Oven thoroughly with just warm water.  You can now dry the interior with paper towels, or simply heat the oven enough to dry the Dutch oven.

If you are still building a good seasoning, you may occasionally need to wipe down the interior of the Dutch Oven with a thin coating of vegetable oil.   This step is not necessary for a well seasoned Dutch Oven.

Once cleaned, be sure to store your Dutch Oven somewhere where it will stay dry.  Some people  will hang a paper towel over the edge of the Dutch Oven lip with the lid partially o, holding down the paper towel.  This will help keep the air dry inside the Dutch Oven to try to keep rust away.