I’m asked this alot.
https://www.tastingtable.com/cook/national/honing-versus-sharpening-knives-kitchen-knife-care
Main Course
Although I don’t have a lot of experience with pressure cookers this blog was very informative.The Best Pressure Cooker
Cooking from the gut Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
Got home and saw the pineapple that needed to be cored and sliced, did that.
Opened the frig and looked…… grabbed a boneless chicken breast, red pepper, coconut soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, a teaspoon of corn starch and some fresh chives from the deck and peanuts love me my peanuts.
Mixed the soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch to add when everything was done for a sauce was between 1/4 and 1/2 cup.
mixed some pepper to about a 1/4 cup of flour in a bag and added chicken shake to coat.
Shake off excess flour and put on plate until oil is heated in fry pan.
I used a fry pan is better with the electric stove than a wok get that evenly distributed heat.
Stir fried the chicken till almost done, added the pineapple, red pepper for a few minutes, peanuts, chives.
Stir sauce and add to pan, mix to thicken and cover.
If I had some asparagus that would have been nice.
Anyway came out pretty good.
Yes the chives were flowering added some nice color don’t you think.
Unofficial start of Summer, Butter Milk Brined Smoked BBQ Turkey Breast
My days of living on Cape Cod you always heard the phrase the unofficial start of summer on memorial day weekend. Most think of the cape with hot lazy days on the beach or sailing across the bay for some ice cream in West Falmouth. Most forget that Memorial Day can be kind of cold and I always suggest sweatshirts. Well today is not disappointing here in Milford it is a raw 51 degree and they are forecasting rain. The Milford Facebook page for Milford community is a buzz with does anyone know it the parade is rain or shine? We moved into Yale Drive many moons ago and this was our welcome to Milford event even ran into the past owners of the house. Now I work down town and get a birds eye view of most Milford parades and fondly remember walking along side the band with water bottle in hand ready to rescue a thirsty member. Anyway before I get to nostalgic or totally drawn into the sound of the waves on the beach, back to my point. Lyn had a hankering for some turkey and we found a bone in breast at the store so I decided to BBQ it and welcome summer to our deck.
Grabbed the Apple wood chips my basic brown sugar, paprika rub, made up a quick brine
We had a 9 pound bone in full turkey breast.
Brine – can be any mixture this is what I did
- 1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar or brown sugar.
Small handful of aromatics (2-3 garlic cloves, whole peppercorns, bay leaves, whole all spice) - 1 quart of water
- Bring the water salt and other spices to boil until salt is
- 2 quarts of butter milk – I always have powdered on hand great for chicken marinade makes so moist.
- Add 4 cups or so of ice cubes to bring to room temperature.
- Mix the buttermilk and brine together
In mean time open bag and place in a larger stock pot – 1 jumbo zip lock bag
- Place the turkey in bag – extra pair of hands works great
- pour the buttermilk brine over turkey and squeeze out as much air as you can.
- Place in refrigerator for 24 hours – HINT clear a space before so you don’t get surprised and start to use choice works while balancing a 15 pound pot. This is from past experience.
Rinse the turkey and dry with paper towel and let come to room temperature.
I always have a basic brown sugar paprika rub on hand since I tend to make a bib batch. You can use your favorite home made or store bought.
I like to place a little butter under the skin.
Rub turkey with olive oil and then rub the whole turkey with your rub.
I have already started the grill first by taking a good couple of handfuls of the wood chips and putting in a loosely sealed aluminium foil pouch. I did not turn the heat on the side with the wood chips until I placed the turkey in.
Right, the turkey has been put on a rack in pan with water at ready to put in once on grill. Place the turkey on the non heat side and put water in the pan. At this point I have turned the far side to high and the middle and right side to no flame. I also have place a meat thermometer in to watch the temp. I’m going to use indirect heat method.
Close the lid, watch the temp so it does not go to high, mine stayed around 250-300. I waited an hour by this time the chips were long smoked out and then turned so the other side is facing the heat.
Cooked until 165 or there about. I usually don’t like to use those plastic pop up guides but it was there and what the heck. it popped before the temp said 165 but I grabbed my instant thermometer and it agreed to time for a new battery for the old one.
At one point Lyn said no more smoking it makes me too hungry
There are only 2 of us so take out the food saver and open the freezer door.
This is a turkey weekend so last night I made and old favorite of ours
Bahn Mi-Style Turkey Burger
OK GOOGLE stop the sounds of the ocean time to go to Wrentham Outlet Mall.
Quick brined pan seared oven roasted pork chop.
Mixed a few teaspoons of salt, brown sugar and water placed chop in for about half hour. Pan seared for 3-4 minutes on one side flipped and put in 400 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes until temperature was about 145. Let sit covered loosely for 5 or so minutes and pigged out. Lyn was on a cleansing diet not me. 
Thicker Instant Pot Beef Stew
It was a cold day and the skies were threatening snow we were off to the grocery store and my stomach spoke up Beef…. Beef Stew. I wanted a stew that was thicker than the other Instant pot stew I made and this one looked good, so good I’m using their finished picture. It came out just like my mind’s eye had pictured full of flavor and the veggies cooked perfectly. The only thing I did was substitute some red wine for the sherry also had pre-cut stew meat. The extra effort and time was well worth it!
They said and I agree:
You’ll Enjoy Instant Pot Beef Stew Because:
- Easy to make
- Cut short half the cooking time comparing to cooking on stovetop
- Huge flavors – packed with *umami!
- Soul-satisfying, cozy comfort food
- Healthy – packed with earthy root vegetables
- Tenderized, juicy, moist beef in hearty thick sauce full of body & texture
Instant Pot Beef Stew are Great for:
- Cold weather
- When you’re craving for a filling & comforting meal
- Dinner parties
- Holiday meals
*Umami (/uˈmɑːmi/), or savory taste, is one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). It has been described as brothy or meaty. People taste umamithrough taste receptors specific to glutamate.
Classic American Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe: Make this soul-satisfying beef stew. Tender & moist pressure cooker chuck roast immersed in a rich, hearty, umami sauce.
Author: Amy + Jacky | Pressure Cook Recipes
Recipe type: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Meat, Stew, Vegetables, Easy
Cuisine: American
PREP: 10 MINS | COOK: 110 MINS | TOTAL: 2 HRS
SERVING: 2 – 4
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds (1001g) USDA Choice Grade Chuck Steak (Canada AAA Grade Blade Steak), 1.5 inch in thickness – I bought precut stew meat.
- 3 medium garlic cloves (15g), crushed and minced
- 12 white mushrooms (150g), thinly sliced
- 2 small onions (214g), thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks (150g), cut in 1 ½ inch (4cm) chunks
- 2 medium carrots (200g), cut in 1 ½ inch (4cm) chunks
- 3 – 4 small Yukon gold potatoes (365g), quartered
- ½ cup (65g) frozen peas
- ¼ cup (63ml) of sherry wine – I used Juxtapoz red wine instead that I had opened.
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon (0.35g) dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon (8g) flour
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Chicken Stock Mixture
- 1 ½ cup (375ml) unsalted homemade chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons (50ml) tomato paste
Note:
One batch of vegetables stayed in the pot to enhance flavor and acts as a natural thickener for the beef stew.
The other batch of vegetables was set aside and added back into the beef stew afterwards. This adds texture for the overall dish.
How
- Prepare the Pressure Cooker:Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button and click the adjust button to go to Sauté More function) over medium high heat. Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until the indicator says HOT).
- Brown Chuck Steak:Note: I had already cut up pieces but browned the same way except season all sides first.
- Season one side of the chuck steak generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil in pressure cooker. Ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot. Carefully place the seasoned side of chuck steak in pressure cooker. Generously season the other side with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown for 6 – 8 minutes on each side without constantly flipping the steak. Remove and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Make Chicken Stock Mixture:While the chuck steak is browning in pressure cooker, mix 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon (15ml) light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce, 3 tablespoons (50ml) tomato paste with 1 ½ cup (375ml) unsalted homemade chicken stock.
- Sauté the Mushrooms:Add sliced mushrooms in pressure cooker. Sauté until all moisture from the mushrooms have evaporated and the edges are slightly crisped & browned. Roughly 6 minutes. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary. Remove and set aside.
Their picture was better than mine.
- Sauté the Vegetables:Add 1 tablespoon (15ml) of olive oil in pressure cooker if necessary. Add thinly sliced small onions and sauté until soften and slightly browned. Add minced garlic cloves and stir for roughly 30 seconds until fragrant. Add all celery chunks, carrots chunks and sauté until slightly browned. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary.
- Deglaze: Pour in ¼ cup (63 ml) sherry wine and completely deglaze bottom of the pot by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon. Let the sherry wine reduce to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate.
- Pressure Cook the Vegetables:Add 2 bay leaves, ¼ tsp (0.35g) dried thyme, quartered potatoes, and chicken stock mixture in the pot. Mix well. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes and Quick Release. Open the lid.
- Cut the Chuck Steak:While the vegetables are pressure cooking. Cut the chuck steak into 1.5 inch – 2 inches stew cubes on a large chopping board. Place all chuck stew meat and the flavorful meat juice back in the large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon (8g) flour in mixing bowl and mix well with the stew meat. Don’t worry, your pressure cooker can get up to pressure with a small amount of flour.
- Pressure Cook the Beef Stew:Remove half of the carrots, celery, potatoes from pressure cooker and set aside. Place beef stew meat and all its juice in the pressure cooker. Partially submerge the beef stew meat in the liquid without stirring, as you don’t want too much flour in the liquid at this point. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 32 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. Turn off the heat. Release the remaining pressure. Open the lid.
- Thicken Beef Stew and Add Vegetables:On medium heat (Instant Pot: press Sauté button), breakdown the mushy potatoes and carrots with a wooden spoon. Stir to thicken the stew. Add frozen peas, sautéed mushrooms, and the set aside carrots, celery and potatoes in the pot. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary. We added 2 pinches of kosher salt.
- Serve:Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta or your favorite starch.
Doesn’t their picture look so good?
I did notice that leftovers required a little more liquid when reheating
Cooking Tips for Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Why are we browning the chuck steak as a whole before cutting it up?
Due to less surface area, browning the chuck steak as a whole will retain more moisture. Maillard reaction excels in dry and high heat environment, so the chuck steak will also brown faster and better when compared to cubed stew.
The caramelized flavors from browning is one of the secrets to a rich hearty beef stew.
- Can I use other beef cuts for this recipe?
Chuck roast is one of the most suitable cuts for the pressure cooker. For optimal result, choose one that is well marbled! Beef Brisket is also a good choice, but it will take a longer time (~70 minutes). - Can I skip the sauté steps and dump everything into the pressure cooker for this beef stew?
Yes, you can dump everything into the pressure cooker and cook for 32 minutes. But if you want to up your beef stew game, give it some time and love. - In Step 7 – Dried thyme:Release the flavor of dried thyme by scrubbing them against your fingers while adding them to the stew.
- In Step 9, why did we remove half of the carrots, celery, potatoes from the Instant Pot?
We first perfectly cooked all the vegetables and separated them into 2 batches.
Cooking from the gut Mexican melt
It was another one of those days where I got home hungry, but had no idea what I wanted, Lyn was on a special cleansing diet so I was on my own, I’m plenty clean.
I had taken a hamburger out of the freezer in the morning, but that was not going to cut it.
Scanning the refrigerator I saw the last jar of What to do with 5 lbs. of Green Unripen Tomato – Salsa!, chunk of Iris cheddar, some nice early spring asparagus, an avocado and I remember a rare thing a bag of chips in the pantry.
So grabbed the burger and browned while chopping it up over medium heat, when that was browned I added some of the salsa. My thoughts were to moisten it up enough to soften the chips. Grated the cheddar, chopped the asparagus into bite size pieces
Put a layer of chips in a small baking dish covered that with the meat mixture, then with most of the cheese then sliced an avocado and made a layer of that topped with more cheese. Baked at 350 until the cheese melted maybe 10 minutes.
I looked over and Lyn was staring at it with wanting eyes but she is the most dedicated woman I know she stuck with the cleansing and I ate too much.
I guess you could call it Nachos now that I think about it.
Nothing fancy but kicked A over a burger in a bun.
