Instant Pot owners, what's your favorite recipie?

[Chaotic42]

I'm making a pot roast right now. I seared it off, added in potatoes, celery, onion, and Brussels sprouts plus seasoning. Cooking it on manual/high for 70 minutes per a recipe I found. We shall see.

 

[Kaido]

I'm making a pot roast right now. I seared it off, added in potatoes, celery, onion, and Brussels sprouts plus seasoning. Cooking it on manual/high for 70 minutes per a recipe I found. We shall see.

That sounds about right. For big cuts of meat, a lot of recipes will tell you to let it rest for 10 minutes after cooking and then do a pressure release, apparently it helps the meat not dry out from a sudden release of all the steam that way. With rice, I always do a NR because that's part of the cooking process for the rice. With frozen halved corn on the cobs, I always do a QR, because they get soggy if I do a NR.

Tip: Pressure cooking tends to reduce the flavor of seasonings & sauces. So either over-season before cooking, or do it after. Like with pulled pork, I always add the BBQ sauce in after pressure cooking. But with crack chicken, I just use a whole packet of Ranch Dressing powder before cooking & it comes out great. The nice thing with pressure cooking is that, if you're following the same recipe again a second time (and using say a similar size/weight cut of meat), it will come out exactly the same, so once you do nail down a recipe to your liking, it's very easy to make it over & over again. Which is nice because I am very much a recipe-based cook myself rather than like a free-style cook where you just throw things together. I would much rather use recipes that other people have developed & vetted, and then tweak them to my personal preferences, and then add that to my recipe box so that I can use it again in the future & have it come out exactly how I want it.

 

[Kaido]

And I thought that I was moving up in the kitchen world, getting a slow cooker. Now you're telling me, I'm behind in technology, I need to get an "Instant Pot"?

Ugh. Gotta start somewhere, I guess.

You'll love your crockpot. An Instant Pot is just a faster crockpot. 30 minutes instead of 4 hours. That's why they're so popular...you can get home & make dinner & have it ready that night instead of having to plan ahead & start the slow cooker in the morning.

 

[Chaotic42]

The pot roast came out pretty good. The meat was fork tender and the potatoes are soft but not mushy. The sprouts are almost gel, but that's okay. All in all it was cheap and easy for the number of meals I'm going to get from it.

 

[Kaido]

The pot roast came out pretty good. The meat was fork tender and the potatoes are soft but not mushy. The sprouts are almost gel, but that's okay. All in all it was cheap and easy for the number of meals I'm going to get from it.

Two tips:

1. A lot of people like to do "one-pot meals", which sometimes means spacing out the cooking with other food still inside. So you cook the meat, then add the brussel sprouts, then do another cooking cycle - that way stuff doesn't liquify or turn to mush.

2. Roasted brussel sprouts are amazing (although you do them in the oven, not the IP). Cut in half & cook at 500F for ~20 minutes. I'd venture a guess that anyone who hates brussel sprouts hasn't had them roasted with EVOO, salt, and pepper:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/12/easy-roasted-brussels-sprouts-food-lab-recipe.html

 

[Kaido]

The pot roast came out pretty good. The meat was fork tender and the potatoes are soft but not mushy. The sprouts are almost gel, but that's okay. All in all it was cheap and easy for the number of meals I'm going to get from it.

Also YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH you did it! Welcome to the IP *users* club!

 

[renz20003]

Two tips:

1. A lot of people like to do "one-pot meals", which sometimes means spacing out the cooking with other food still inside. So you cook the meat, then add the brussel sprouts, then do another cooking cycle - that way stuff doesn't liquify or turn to mush.

2. Roasted brussel sprouts are amazing (although you do them in the oven, not the IP). Cut in half & cook at 500F for ~20 minutes. I'd venture a guess that anyone who hates brussel sprouts hasn't had them roasted with EVOO, salt, and pepper:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/12/easy-roasted-brussels-sprouts-food-lab-recipe.html

Try a beef shoulder roast with 3-4 cut up onions with a can of beef stock. Best French onion soup ever plus roast beef as a main!

 

[daveybrat]

Try a beef shoulder roast with 3-4 cut up onions with a can of beef stock. Best French onion soup ever plus roast beef as a main!

Now that sounds really good!

 

[renz20003]

Now that sounds really good!

I discovered it by accident, I had a roast to cook but no other veg to go in it but onions. After it cooked and removed the beef it looked just like French onion soup so I had to try it!

 

[Chaotic42]

Two tips:

1. A lot of people like to do "one-pot meals", which sometimes means spacing out the cooking with other food still inside. So you cook the meat, then add the brussel sprouts, then do another cooking cycle - that way stuff doesn't liquify or turn to mush.

2. Roasted brussel sprouts are amazing (although you do them in the oven, not the IP). Cut in half & cook at 500F for ~20 minutes. I'd venture a guess that anyone who hates brussel sprouts hasn't had them roasted with EVOO, salt, and pepper:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/12/easy-roasted-brussels-sprouts-food-lab-recipe.html

Cool, I'll try the spacing thing out. I actually roast sprouts that way pretty often. They're delicious and usually fairly cheap. I'll have to check and see if Costco has some bulk sprouts next time I go. Thanks for all of the tips.

 

[Kaido]

Try a beef shoulder roast with 3-4 cut up onions with a can of beef stock. Best French onion soup ever plus roast beef as a main!

Hmm, I may have to try that. I'm the odd man out with beef...I love burgers & steak, I actually hate pot roast & brisket lol. I'll IP or BBQ literally anything else, but neither of those do it for me. I'll have to try the beef roast with the beef stock & onion trick though, that actually sounds pretty dang good!

 

[Kaido]

Cool, I'll try the spacing thing out. I actually roast sprouts that way pretty often. They're delicious and usually fairly cheap. I'll have to check and see if Costco has some bulk sprouts next time I go. Thanks for all of the tips.

Have you ever had roasted butternut squash? Oh man. That was one of the dishes that actually turned me onto vegetables in a big way...I didn't really know that veggies could be spectacular before that. They were always just a side that I ate to get filled up & round out the plate & "eat healthy". That dish really changed my perspective on veggies actually being GOOD.

 

[Chaotic42]

Have you ever had roasted butternut squash? Oh man. That was one of the dishes that actually turned me onto vegetables in a big way...I didn't really know that veggies could be spectacular before that. They were always just a side that I ate to get filled up & round out the plate & "eat healthy". That dish really changed my perspective on veggies actually being GOOD.

That's another thing I cook quasi-regularly. For squash I really like blue hubbards. They're big and ugly, but really tasty. Just split them open, seed them, fill the middle with butter and seasoning, and bake away. I've always really liked vegetables (except carrots). I'd say they make up 75% of what I cook.

 

[RossMAN]

Also YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH you did it! Welcome to the IP *users* club!

I saw that. *glances over at his unboxed but unused IP*

 

[Scarpozzi]

Two tips:

1. A lot of people like to do "one-pot meals", which sometimes means spacing out the cooking with other food still inside. So you cook the meat, then add the brussel sprouts, then do another cooking cycle - that way stuff doesn't liquify or turn to mush.

2. Roasted brussel sprouts are amazing (although you do them in the oven, not the IP). Cut in half & cook at 500F for ~20 minutes. I'd venture a guess that anyone who hates brussel sprouts hasn't had them roasted with EVOO, salt, and pepper:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/12/easy-roasted-brussels-sprouts-food-lab-recipe.html

If the pot is already hot, it doesn't take as long for it to pressurize again. I've got the Cuisinart model and use it for low-pressure veggies @ 10 minutes after my meat is done. You can leave the meat in for that 10 minutes, or just throw the veggies in the beef stock... I do this with pork roast as well.

 

[Kaido]

I saw that. *glances over at his unboxed but unused IP*

Ah, you're at Level 2:

1. Level 1: Order the IP
2. Level 2: Unbox the IP
3. Level 3: USE the IP

 

[Chaotic42]

Ah, you're at Level 2:

1. Level 1: Order the IP
2. Level 2: Unbox the IP
3. Level 3: USE the IP

Level 4: BE THE IP

Maybe I can bring it to work and cook stuff in my cube for lunch. The cafeteria is getting really crowded these days. Damned new employees.

 

[RossMAN]

Ah, you're at Level 2:

1. Level 1: Order the IP
2. Level 2: Unbox the IP
3. Level 3: USE the IP

Hey I'll take 2/3

 

[Kaido]

Level 4: BE THE IP

Maybe I can bring it to work and cook stuff in my cube for lunch. The cafeteria is getting really crowded these days.

My buddy has one of those new(ish) Crockpot Lunch Warmers. They come in 20 & 24-ounce sizes:

https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPLC200-G-20-Ounce-Lunch-Warmer/dp/B006H5V8QW

The heated base stays at work & the pail acts as a food thermos until you heat it up. So you can cook a large meal in your IP, fill up your crockpot lunchbox, and then heat it up at work. Very nice system! They have 3 for $30 straight from Crockpot themselves:

http://www.crock-pot.com/specialty/for-lunch/crock-pot-lunch-crock-food-warmer/SCCPLC200-MASTER.html

 

[ponyo]

Ah, you're at Level 2:

1. Level 1: Order the IP
2. Level 2: Unbox the IP
3. Level 3: USE the IP

RossMAN needs to repent. I'm already at level 2 and I only had the IP for a day. I'll hit level 3 tomorrow. I just got back from the grocery store with the ingredients I need for Instant Pot Pho which I'll make tomorrow. I bought some beef back ribs, ox tails, and chuck roast to make the beef broth. I'm going to make this pho recipe. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017521-pressure-cooker-beef-pho

 

[Kaido]

RossMAN needs to repent. I'm already at level 2 and I only had the IP for a day. I'll hit level 3 tomorrow. I just got back from the grocery store with the ingredients I need for Instant Pot Pho which I'll make tomorrow. I bought some beef back ribs, ox tails, and chuck roast to make the beef broth. I'm going to make this pho recipe. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017521-pressure-cooker-beef-pho

On this note in particular:

“As much as I love to simmer a stockpot of beef pho for three hours,” Ms. Nguyen says, “it’s incredibly liberating to make a pretty good version for four people in about an hour."

As mentioned, the IP tends to kill flavor sometimes, so you have to adjust recipes accordingly. This translates into two things for broth, initially:

1. Limited cooking space in the pot
2. Increase in cooking time for better results

On the stovetop, you can get a monster stockpot & stick in a ton of collagen-filled animal parts. In an Instant Pot, you get a few quarts to use, depending on the size IP you buy. So you can only fit in a smaller quantity of stuff to melt down, which is fine for smaller animals like chicken, but can be more of a chore for stuff like beef, so it's more important to mix in flavorful stuff like veggies & stuff lke you got, like ox tail. Another solution is to run it longer, like 2 hours, in the IP to increase the flavor. Here's an article going into more detail:

https://fearlesseating.net/instant-pot-bone-broth/

This article really breaks down the cooking procedure & colors for bone broth in particular:

https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-bone-broth/

If you want gel:

https://thecuriouscoconut.com/blog/...h-that-gels-in-an-instant-pot-pressure-cooker

I went through a bone broth phase not too long ago...makes an awesome water substitute in the winter when you want something nice & warm to drink, but are sick of soup & hot chocolate. And again, the nice thing with the IP is that once you've dialed in a recipe that you like, the procedure is exactly the same for similar results every single time, which is awesome for removing the guesswork from getting a solid product out of the machine.

 

[ponyo]

That's pretty interesting about beef broth being clear and lacking in flavor when cooked in IP and pretty disappointing to hear. I don't know how much we'll use IP. I bought it mainly because I was curious about the hype. We already own stove top pressure cooker and use it to make braised short ribs and occasional quick rice. But my wife said the same thing just now. She read from others that IP can't make good bone broth. She said others have tried and you have to cook really long time in IP and keep pouring out and washing the pot and recooking it. She said it's bigger hassle than just cooking it in a big pot on the stove.

In my head, I was thinking of using IP for quick ox tail or beef rib soups. And quick ramen and pho broth. Maybe it will still work ok for that. I'll find out tomorrow when I try making pho for the very first time.

 

[Chaotic42]

That's pretty interesting about beef broth being clear and lacking in flavor when cooked in IP and pretty disappointing to hear. I don't know how much we'll use IP. I bought it mainly because I was curious about the hype. We already own stove top pressure cooker and use it to make braised short ribs and occasional quick rice. But my wife said the same thing just now. She read from others that IP can't make good bone broth. She said others have tried and you have to cook really long time in IP and keep pouring out and washing the pot and recooking it. She said it's bigger hassle than just cooking it in a big pot on the stove.

In my head, I was thinking of using IP for quick ox tail or beef rib soups. And quick ramen and pho broth. Maybe it will still work ok for that. I'll find out tomorrow when I try making pho for the very first time.

I'm curious to see how your pho turns out. I love the stuff and am fortunate to live about a mile from a good Vietnamese restaurant. It would be great to be able to make it quickly at home.

 

[Kaido]

That's pretty interesting about beef broth being clear and lacking in flavor when cooked in IP and pretty disappointing to hear. I don't know how much we'll use IP. I bought it mainly because I was curious about the hype. We already own stove top pressure cooker and use it to make braised short ribs and occasional quick rice. But my wife said the same thing just now. She read from others that IP can't make good bone broth. She said others have tried and you have to cook really long time in IP and keep pouring out and washing the pot and recooking it. She said it's bigger hassle than just cooking it in a big pot on the stove.

In my head, I was thinking of using IP for quick ox tail or beef rib soups. And quick ramen and pho broth. Maybe it will still work ok for that. I'll find out tomorrow when I try making pho for the very first time.

You should be just fine for quick soups, ramens, and pho broths. For bone broths, it's more of a size limitation than anything, from what I understand (I've never made it on the stovetop myself); it seems that the trick is to simply have a really large pot to put a LOT of animal parts in. I do have a larger 14-quart GoWise EPC (IP knockoff); I should try doing beef bone broth in that, since it can fit a truckload of bones & misc. parts. Hmm. Maybe I'll give that a go this weekend. I have done chicken bone broth in the IP & it turns out just fine. They go through a solid procedure in this link:

https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-bone-broth/

 

[Kaido]

I used the IP as a hot serving pot for non-alcoholic cider at a client potluck the other day:

https://www.fivehearthome.com/caramel-apple-cider/

Nice trick for social stuff or family gatherings:

1. Copycat of Starbuck's spiced caramel apple cider
2. It tastes really really good
3. Make the cinnamon syrup first
4. Make the caramel syrup second
5. Make the whipped cream third: (up to a day ahead of time)

To make approximately 2 cups of fresh whipped cream, start with 1 cup chilled heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat at medium speed until soft peaks just begin to appear. Sprinkle 1/4 cup (sifted) powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract over the whipped cream and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat! Whipped cream may be tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This amount of whipped cream is enough to top 4 to 6 servings of Caramel Apple Cider, so reduce or multiply it accordingly, depending on how many servings you wish to make.

6. Pour in a gallon of apple cider & set the IP to Saute on Hi to get it warmed up. Use a ladel to pour it into styrofoam cups or whatever you have.

The syrups take less than ten minutes to make & you can make them ahead of time and use them for other stuff (ex. caramel drizzle on walnut brownies & ice cream & so on).