- Foods that traditionally do best with slow cooking and moist heat are wonderful when made in a pressure cooker - and are ready to eat in a fraction of the time. These include:
- Beans, either soaked or unsoaked
- Tough cuts of meat, like shoulder, shanks, or short ribs
- Grains and sturdy vegetables, like beets, potatoes, and greens
- When a recipe specifies a cooking time, you should begin counting that when the pot has reached the desired pressure. This process leading to that - the heating and building of pressure -- can take up to 10 minutes. If you heat the liquids while you chop and add the rest of the ingredients, you can cut this time down and get dinner on the table faster.
- If there is a range of time on the recipe, take if off the heat on the earlier end. You can always add more time, but you can't undo it. If the food is a little undercooked, just simmer it on the stove until it's done. If it's very undercooked, lock the lid back in place and bring back to high pressure for a minute or two.
- High altitudes will affect your cooking time in a pressure cooker. If you're cooking above 2,000 feet, add 10 percent cooking time for each additional 2,000 feet.
- When adapting your favorite stove top recipes to the slow cooker, reduce the liquid by about 20% and increase spices and herbs by one and one half percent.
- If you're using wine in the recipe, add it before you put the lid on and cook off the alcohol to avoid a bitter flavor.
- Browning meats in a little fat for soups and stews add a lot of flavor. Just make sure you scrape up the brown bits with some broth or wine before closing the lid to avoid a bitter and burnt taste.
- Add fresh herbs, cheese, and quick-cooking items, like fish or shrimp, at the end of cooking.
- Beans and pressure cookers are a match made in heaven. Although you can cook unsoaked beans in your pressure cooker, soaked beans cook more evenly and are easier on your digestive system. Use 3 cups of liquid for each cup of beans and do not fill cooker more than halfway. To prevent foaming (and clogging the vent), add about 1 tablespoon of oil for every cup of beans. If you want to add some flavor to the beans, include a halved onion and a couple of bay leaves. Just avoid adding salt - it toughens the beans and slows the cooking process.
- Certain foods, like beef, cheesecake (yes, cheesecake), beans, and rice require a natural release from the pressure to finish the cooking process. Simply remove the pot from the heat and let the pressure reduce by itself, which can take anywhere from three to 20 minutes.
- The quick-release method is good for cooking foods that can easily overcook, like chicken or vegetables. To bring the pressure down immediately, set the pot under cold running water while holding the release button.
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