Pressure Cooker

[JacobMHD]

My wife and I received a pressure cooker for a wedding gift. I want to cook some marinaded pork chops in a bed of saurkraut in it. Does anyone have a suggestion on how best to accomplish this? I have never used a pressure cooker before and have heard some scary stories about the lid blowing off and having a huge mess. Thanks for the assistance.

[BLACKJACK]

I've had a pressure cooker for 20 years and have never had a problem, its a great cooking tool and speeds up cooking. You will NOT blow the lid off, all pressure cookers have a relief hole thats plugged by a rubber stopper, it will blow that first. If you're standing right there, then you might get burnt but it will not blow the lid off.

The key to safty is being right there monitoring the pressure valve, when it get to 10 pounds or the first line on the weight, then you are there to turn the burner down.

Learn to use it and get past the 'scared of it' phase. Read your instruction manual. For most foods you will bring it up to 10 pounds and then its just a matter of how much time to give it. For instance, doing potatoes, 5-10 minutes and you're done. For an old chicken, you may give it an hour. Remember you will also have some standing time, when the pressure is built up and everything is hot. It works great on older, less tender cuts of meat.

So read your book and practice on something easy like potatoes or a deer heart. I'm betting your instruction book will have some good recipes in it. Good luck and post back here if you have more ????

[JacobMHD]

Thanks for the prompt response. That's one of the reasons I love this site, full of useful information from people I can trust.

How long do you think it should cook for three pounds of pork chops and 2 pounds of saurkraut? I'm thinking about 20 minutes at pressure and resting for another 15 minutes.

[BLACKJACK]

The longer you cook stuff in the pressure cooker, the more tender it will be. To be honest with you I've never heard of pork chops combined with saurkraut, let along doing it in a pressure cooker, but if you layer the chops and kraut, I would think after 1/2 hour of cooking the meat will be ready to fall off the bones. I'd also add an onion and some other spices.

If this pork chop/kraut recipe (or any recipe) calls for 2 hours in a 350 degree oven, then you can figure about 20-30 minutes in a pressure cooker equals that two hours. For example, it takes about 2-2.5 hours to bake a young chicken, I can do the same in 25-30 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Start counting your time in a pressure cooker once its reached the proper level, either 10 pounds or the first ring on your jiggler.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!!

[JacobMHD]

Well, I suppose one could call it a success. I orignally wanted to do country style ribs but the grocery store didn't carry them. The style cooker I'm using doesn't have a jiggler, it has a pressure release valve and from what I understand, cooks at a constant pressure of 12 pounds. I seared the chops in a pan while I starte the kraut in the cooker on the stove. After the chops were seared, I moved them to the kraut mixture layering it as I placed them in the cooker. I also added a bottle of Italian dressing. I think they ended up a little dry but the people that ate them said they were delicious. Definately a learning experience. I am going to continue practicing and hopefully I can come up with some fun recipes to try. Thanks again for the help.

[fisherking01]

Chops are a dry meat. You will be pleasantly supprised if you use your recipe on your original idea of country style ribs. I use a similar recipe but like to add carrots, onions, and potatoes.

[BobT]

I don't want to hijack this thread but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share an excellent recipe for you to try with your new canner if you'd like. If you've never tried canned venison give this a try. You'll be amazed.

Canned venison makes an excelent strogonoff mixed with cr. of mush. soup and a little sour cream.

Raw pack -- Add one beef boulion cube per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars with 1" cubed raw meat pieces, leaving 1-inch headspace. Do not add liquid. 90 minutes at 10lbs. for Quarts.

Place the jar lids in hot water to soften the seals.

Wipe the jar tops, place the lids on, and tighten securely.

Follow these instructions:

1. Put 2 to 3 inches of hot water in the canner. Place filled jars on the rack, using a jar lifter. Fasten canner lid securely.

2. Leave weight off vent port or open petcock. Heat at the highest setting until steam flows from the petcock or vent port.

3. Maintain high heat setting, exhaust steam 10 minutes, and then place weight on vent port or close petcock. The canner will pressurize during the next three to five minutes.

4. Start timing the process when the pressure reading on the dial gauge indicates that the recommended pressure has been reached, or when the weighted gauge begins to jiggle or rock.

5. Regulate heat under the canner to maintain a steady pressure at or slightly above the correct gauge pressure. Quick and large pressure variations during processing may cause unnecessary liquid losses from jars. Weighted gauges on Mirro canners should jiggle about two or three times per minute. On Presto canners, they should rock slowly throughout the process.

6. When the timed process is completed, turn off the heat, remove the canner from heat if possible, and let the canner depressurize. Do not force-cool the canner. Forced cooling may result in food spoilage. Cooling the canner with cold running water or opening the vent port before the canner is fully depressurized will cause loss of liquid from jars and seal failures. Force-cooling may also warp the canner lid of older model canners, causing steam leaks. Depressurization of older models should be timed. Standard-sized heavy-walled canners require about 30 minutes when loaded with pints and 45 minutes with quarts. Newer thin-wailed canners cool more rapidly and are equipped with vent locks. These canners are depressurized when their vent lock piston drops to a normal position .

7. After the canner is depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait two minutes, unfasten the lid, and remove it carefully. Lift the lid away from you so that the steam does not burn your face.

Remove jars with a lifter, and place on towel or cooling rack, if desired.

 

Enjoy,

Bob

[BAIT956]

Bob is right on. I have a couple of buddies out in Wyoming who can venison, usually mule deer, every year. Same method as Bob described.

It keeps forever on the shelf and is useful in many recipes.

[BLACKJACK]

Good post Bob!!! If I ever get enough vension I'd like to try that canned venison.

One disagreement I have is with your #5 and the jiggling of the weight. I can't tell you what type of canner I have but the weight doesn't jiggle, the center rises up to 1, 2, or 3 rings. Point is that people should read the directions for their canner and see what it takes to get it up to 10 pounds.

Canners are a handy cooking tool and very safe if you follow the directions.

[BobT]

My canner has a weight that is placed on top of the bleed tube. As the pressure begins to build inside the canner the weight will be forced up to allow some of the steam pressure to escape. This cycle repeats as the pressure builds, lifts the weight, releases steam and pressure, the weight lowers, and so on... The rising and falling of the weight is the jiggling. If you apply too much heat the steam pressure will build too fast and the lifting of the weight won't be able to release enough pressure to regulate it. This is where the monitoring comes in. You have to watch it for a while to make sure that you are applying enough heat to build and maintain the pressure but not too much to over-pressure the canner. The weight should pulsate steadily. This indicates that you are maintaining a constant pressure.

Some canners have a pressure gauge with a petcock that you can adjust to regulate the pressure but the idea is the same. You have to monitor these too to make sure you aren't building pressure faster than the petcock can release it. Once the heat and petcock are adjusted correctly, the pressure will remain relativel constant.

Bob