Have you ever just felt intimidated by kitchen equipment?
Some years ago I ordered a Kuhn Rikon, Swiss made, pressure cooker.
I'm one of those people who will spend days or weeks reading reviews on Amazon and Consumer Reports before making a purchase.
Even though it was pricey this was the one I wanted, saved for and purchased.
I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I have only used it a couple times.
What I've finally admitted to myself is that I was just unsure and a little intimidated about using it.
So, I've resolved to get over myself and start doing some pressure cooking.
What's so great about pressure cooking?
Well, quite a lot actually.
Most things cook in one third of the time it would take in a conventional oven.
It saves energy which also saves money.
That was part of what originally drew me to it.
So I thought the first obvious meal would be roast beef.
I remember my own grandmother often using the pressure cooker to make roast. My grandparents were farmers who lived in the country.
They didn't have air conditioning and that small house would really heat up in the summer.
When my grandma was cooking it was almost unbearable. So this is probably why she started using one in part.
I bought a 3.5 lb roast and cut it in half.
I heated 2 Tbsp of oil up in the pressure cooker and then browned the meat on all sides to lock in the juices and flavor.
After it was browned I removed it from the pan and added a coarsely chopped onion along with a splash of sherry to deglaze the pan.
After the onions were softened I added in 1/2 cup of chicken stock, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of Soy.
Next I added back the roast and covered it with a packet of dry Lipton Beefy Onion soup mix.
I added another 1 1/2 cups of water to the sides of the pan to add liquid volume.
The pressure cooker should never be over 2/3 full.
I cooked this for almost an hour and 20 minutes which was actually a little too long.
This could've cooked in 45-60 minutes which is just astounding to me.
Still, the taste was wonderful. It was savory and delicious.
You can make whole pot meals with these so I could've added in carrots and potatoes but I was initially trying to avoid extra points.
To be honest my husband wanted them so I pressure cooked them with the au jus later and it only took 10 minutes for potatoes and carrots to cook!
Isn't that cool?!
So, I think I'm getting over the intimidation and moving into a place of excited optimism about using this.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Let me know if you have any pressure cooked favorites.
Happy Cooking!
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