Instant Pot – Apple Cider Pork Center Cut Roast or Pork Loin

Center cut Pork roast

Center cut Pork roast

Lyn got a new toy and I have to say at first I figured it was going to be one on those use a couple of times and put on the top shelf. Well I kind of like it and have cooked a few things here is the 3rd thing we tried in our new Instant Pot.

Oh, I found a great cooking time chart: http://instantpot.com/cooking-time/ of course depending on the weight the times might be slightly different. Below called for 20 minutes but I had ½ pound more so I added a couple of minutes.(just a guess)

Anyway this was great as was pretty much everything else I made will post later.

 

Ingredients

  • 2.5  pound  Center Cut Pork Loin – more of a center cut pork loin raost
  • 2  tablespoon  olive oil
  • 2  cup  Hard Cider (can use regualr cider if you want)
  • 1  Medium onion, sliced
  • 2  Apples, cored and sliced
  • 1  tablespoon  Sea Salt
  • 1  tablespoon  Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1  tablespoon  Minced dry onion

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Directions

  1. Season the pork loin with salt, pepper and minced dry onions.
  2. Place the inner pot in the cooker. Place the olive oil in the inner pot. Press Sautee button sear the pork loin on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  3. Sauté the onions.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and the pork loin.
  5. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock the lid and switch the pressure release valve to closed.
  6. Press the CANCEL button.
  7. Press the meat button and then TIME ADJUSTMENT to 22 minutes.
  8. Once the timer reaches 0, the cooker will automatically switch to KEEP WARM. Press the CANCEL Button. Switch the pressure release valve to open. When the steam is completely released, remove the lid.
  9. I placed the fat side up under broiler to crisp the fat a little, ended up cutting the fat off it was a big chunk.
  10. Let’s Eat!

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Instant Pot

instantpot

Instant Pot is the latest 3rd Generation Programmable Pressure Cooker designed by Canadians with the objectives of being Safe, Convenient and Dependable. It speeds up cooking by 2~6 times using up to 70% less energy, and, above all, produces nutritious healthy food in a convenient and consistent fashion.

If you live a fast-paced, health-oriented and green-conscious life style, Instant Pot is designed specifically for you.

With multiple sensors and a micro-processor,  Instant Pot is an intelligent multi-cooker, capable of completely replacing pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker/porridge maker, sauté/browning pan, steamer, yogurt maker and stockpot warmer. Most importantly, Instant Pot cooks meals faster with less energy while preserving more nutrients.

 

Instant Pot is manufactured by the No.1 electric pressure cooker factory which has produced over 50 million units already in household use worldwide. The benefits of Instant Pot can be summarized in five aspects.

  1. Convenient:  12 turn-key function keys for the most common cooking tasks. Planning the meal with delayed cooking up to 24 hours,  reducing cooking time by up to 70%. Read about the convenience of electric pressure cooker …
  2. Cooking healthy, nutritious and tasty meals: smart programming for delicious healthy food, consistent every time.Read more on making healthy meals with electric pressure cooker …
  3. Clean & Pleasant: absolutely quiet, no steam, no smell, no spills, no excessive heat in the kitchen. 6-in-1 capability reduces clutter in the kitchen. Read more about why electric pressure cooker keeps your kitchen clean and pleasant …
  4. Energy efficient: saves up to 70% of energy. Find out how electric pressure cooker does it …
  5. Absolutely safe and dependable: Instant Pot is UL/ULC certified and has 10 fool-proof safety protections. Read more about electric pressure safety protections …

Molasses-Peanut Slaw and Masa Biscuits

Lyn asked me what I thought, I liked so posted here, showed her that I saved. Good she replied, now go make it!

Molasses-Peanut Slaw
‘The Boston Globe’ – 2016-02-21
MAKES ABOUT 9 CUPS
The recipes for this slaw and the biscuits are inspired by Texas Home
Cooking by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.
1½ pounds green cabbage (about half a medium head), finely shredded (about 12 cups) Salt and pepper
½ small red onion, quartered lengthwise and very thinly sliced (about 2/3 cup)
3 large carrots, scraped and coarsely grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons juice plus
1 teaspoon zest from
1 lime
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 small cloves)
¼ cup olive or neutral oil
½ cup roasted, lightly salted peanuts,roughly chopped

In a colander over a medium bowl, toss the cabbage with 1 tablespoon salt.
Allow cabbage to stand until it wilts slightly, at least 1 and up to 4 hours.
Rinse the cabbage well under very cold running water; drain well and dry with paper towels, transfer it to a large bowl and fluff it up with your fingers (you will have about 8 cups; can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days).

In a small bowl, cover the onion with cold water and set aside to soak for at least 15 minutes. Drain the onion and dry it with paper towels.

Add the onion, carrots, and cilantro to the cabbage and toss to combine.

In a medium nonreactive bowl, whisk the lime juice and zest, molasses, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Vigorously whisk in the oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

Add the dressing and most of the peanuts to the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary, sprinkle with the remaining peanuts, and serve.

© 2016 The New York Times Company

Masa Biscuits
‘The Boston Globe’ – 2016-02-21
MAKES 10 TO 12 BISCUITS
Adam Ried appears regularly on America’s Test Kitchen. Send comments to cooking @globe.com.
Take care not to overprocess or over-knead the dough.
1 cup all-purpose flour,
plus extra for patting out dough and cutting biscuits
1 cup masa harina
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper and Salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into roughly ½-inch cubes
¾ cup cold buttermilk

With the rack in the middle position, heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet (roughly 18 by 13 inches) with parchment paper or silicone liner and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, masa harina, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, cayenne, and 1¼ teaspoons salt until well blended. Scatter the butter pieces evenly over the flour mixture in the food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 6 2-second pulses. Add the buttermilk and pulse until dough is just beginning to come together into a single, scrappy-looking mass, about 10 2-second pulses.
Generously flour work surface, turn out the dough, and sprinkle with a little more flour. Knead the dough gently, folding it in half and rotating it 3 or 4 times, just until it is uniform and cohesive. Sprinkle a little bit more flour on the work surface and dough to prevent sticking, if necessary, and gently roll the dough into a circle that is roughly 1 inch high.
With a 2½-inch biscuit cutter, punch biscuits out of dough. Transfer the rounds to the baking sheet, positioning them about 1 inch apart. Push the leftover dough scraps together, knead them gently once or twice until cohesive, and repeat.
Bake for 5 minutes. Adjust the oven heat to 400 degrees and continue baking until the biscuits are puffed, light golden on top, and deep brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes longer, rotating the sheet halfway through baking time. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack, cool briefly, and serve warm.

© 2016 The New York Times Company

INDIVIDUAL MINI BEEF WELLINGTONS

Someone posted this to Facebook and I shared on my FB page cause it look good and easy. Lyn batted her eyes and asked what about Valentines Day …I said once again our minds were in meld. So off to Wholefoods we went bracing the subzero temps. this came out pretty good, melted in your mouth but could have been cook just a little more maybe 5  minutes or so. the meat thermometer said it was done but then one never knows. The video – link below- does not mention putting the beef in freezer after searing and letting the mushroom mixture cool but over all it is not that long. I put meat in freezer while I was doing the mushroom. I also think I over cooked the mushrooms but still tasted pretty damn good.

Anyway her was my first attempt

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INDIVIDUAL BEEF WELLINGTONS <<<here is the video link

Serves 2 generously

You’ll Need
– Two 2 ½-to-3-inch-tall pieces beef tenderloin (filet mignon), about ¾ pound
– 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
– 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
– 6 ounces finely-chopped baby bella mushrooms
– 1/3 cup finely-chopped sweet onion
– 1 large clove garlic, minced
– ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
– Freshly-ground pepper, to taste
– ¼ cup dry sherry
– 1 large sprig fresh thyme
– 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
– 1 sheet (1/2 box) puff pastry
– 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
– Egg wash (1 beaten egg + 1 tablespoon milk)

How To

  1. Heat a stainless steel pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and heat until just starting to smoke.
  2. Rub the meat generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Once the pan is very hot, sear the two filets very briefly on each side. You don’t want to cook the interior of the meat at this point, so it shouldn’t be more than a minute or two per side. Remove the filets from the pan and place on a plate in the freezer while you make the filling.
  4. Let the pan cool slightly and turn the heat down to medium. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic to the pan, and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms release all their water and the onion is translucent.
  5. Add the sherry and thyme. Cook until the sherry evaporates. Taste for salt and pepper, and season as necessary.
  6. Remove from the heat and refrigerate until cold, then stir in the chopped parsley.
  7. Roll out one puff pastry piece and cut in half, so you have two rectangular strips of dough.
  8. Remove the steaks from the freezer and brush with the Dijon mustard on both sides.
  9. Put a quarter of the mushroom mixture in the middle of one piece of the puff pastry. Top with one steak, then add a quarter more of the mushrooms. Repeat with the other steak, puff pastry piece and mushrooms.
  10. Fold the long sides of the pastry over the steak, tucking in and tightly sealing all the edges so the juice doesn’t escape. Wrapping it all in plastic wrap can help!
  11. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan. While the oven preheats, put the wrapped beef in the freezer.
  12. Once the oven is hot, remove the beef from the freezer and put on the lined sheet pan. Coat with the egg wash.
  13. Bake for 25 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the steak reads 135 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (medium-rare) and the pastry is a deep golden brown.
  14. Cut in half so you can see the intersection of steak, pastry and mushrooms, and serve.

Expert Tips

  • Make the puff pastry easier to work with by keeping it cold. That’s why this recipe calls for chilling the meat and filling in between steps!
  • The pan needs to be very hot in step 3 because it’s the key to searing the meat and subsequently adding flavor. If the pan isn’t hot, the meat either won’t brown, or it will take too long to brown and the middle will start to cook.
  • You can make this recipe ahead of time by following it up to step 9, then freezing until ready to bake. When you’re ready to cook, just put it in the oven directly from the freezer without thawing, and cook until the interior temperature of the meat is 135 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (for medium rare), which may take longer than the 25 minutes.

Ricotta, Spinach and Sundried Tomatoes Stuff Chicken Breast

I’m not sure what it is about the cold winter but it brings out the gut cooking in me. You know opening the frig and saying what do I have and throwing something together. Lyn takes advantage of these days and throws different ideas at me. Last night I grabbed a couple of chicken breast that had been sitting in butter milk pound them flat and did a little salt and pepper. In a  bowl I took some ricotta cheese, chopped up some spinach and tomatoes mixed together until it look right to me. I spread the mixture on each of the breast and rolled like a jelly roll. A couple of toothpicks to hold them together and scrapped off the cheese that was oozing out. I browned in a little oil on all sides (start with the seam side down) then put the pan in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Yum it was good. I supposed some pasta sauce and shredded cheese on top would have been nice but did not have any at that time. There is still one left perhaps I’ll make a quick sauce and shred some cheese and have with some zucchini spaghetti and leftover meatballs.

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Pork loin roast with fruit stuffing

This is a combination of two recipes that I have made before, fruit stuffed pork chops and fig stuffed pork loin roast with chestnut puree gravy. I started with about a 3 lbs pork loin which I butterflied and pounded  to uniform size,  then salt and peppered (1 tsp kosher salt 1\2 tsp pepper). Made fruit stuffing 1\4 chops fresh orange, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1\2 cup raisins, sprinkle of nutmeg mix well and spread over pork leaving room on edge roll and bind with twine at 1 inch intervals. I wrapped and refrigerated about 6 hours but over night works. Melt 1 tbs butter and olive oil in pan and brown roast all sides about 5 minutes. Put in preheated oven 325 cook until about 142 degree. Remove and cover let sit for 30 minute to an hour.  Reheat pan that you used to brown pour and dripping in melt 2 tbs butter, add 1 cup of hard apple cider, 1\2 cup water, 1 tbs fresh chop thyme. Bring to boil reduce half. Whisk in 1 cup chestnut puree. There ya go slice the meat pour the gravy and eat.

IMG_20160124_100723688 IMG_20160124_100810584 IMG_20160124_100851378 IMG_20160124_101941821 IMG_20160124_102051324 IMG_20160124_150211585 IMG_20160124_150947620 IMG_20160124_160620258 IMG_20160124_165752980_HDR IMG_20160124_165830497 IMG_20160124_170103725Sorry Lyn I like this better than pork tenderloin.

 

Thanksgiving redu

For Xmas Lyn wanted to do a Thanksgiving redo since it came out so tasty. It was a Wholefoods brined turkey that I smothered with my herb infused butter. Got to admit it did come out good. So we got a natural turkey grabbed the brine that Missy gave us way back when and brined that baby overnight. Of course this one came out better and it is one of those never to duplicate ones well at least the brining part.
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Anyway the next day I made turkey soup,  canned it and today as I prepared to watch the Patriots play like shit I made my first turkey Pie. I don’t bake its to much of exact measurements for me but at least this way the inside was my cooking style. It came out pretty darn good.

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Grilled Bone in Ribeye Steak with BBQ Roasted New Potatoes.

Wholefoods was having a sale and I love a good Ribeye so grilled up this baby with a little coffee rub and some BBQ roasted new potatoes.

Rub steak out of fridge with coffee rub – I made some a while back so I always have a a can at the ready. let it sit and come close to room temp. Pat dry and grill them up.

I sometimes will put steak in freezer for 10-15 minutes before grilling this gives a nice crisp out side and it does not dry out the inside during cooking, but this I like the rib eye on the rare side so was not afraid of drying it out.

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Put the potatoes in a little olive oil , salt pepper and rosemary, wrapped in tin foil with a few holes in it to vent the steam

I placed on the grill while heating up

I finished off open with cut side down on the flatten tin foil.

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Texas Style Chili

We recently got back from a trip celebrating our 30 anniversary, had a great time twirling, sipping and spitting wines from Napa to Sonoma. we were befriended by two great ladies, sister in laws,  one was I believe 76 and the other 87 and a hot shit. Phyllis was from Texas and on one excursion we were tasting some local chili and she mumbled beans we don’t put beans in chili in Texas.  Well my wife was inspired and it was not long, this last weekend that I was confronted with another do you think you can make this. The first thing I noticed was brisket and I was sold, I love brisket and have a lot of different recipes take a look at them if you have a chance. I actually just had some for lunch, I love the way the different heats from the chilies come out as you eat.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes (I really trimmed most of the fat off the brisket)
  • 1 pound beef stew meat
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 5 teaspoons canola oil, divided
  • 4 cups chopped yellow onion
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 dried ancho chile, seeded
  • 1 (6-ounce) can unsalted tomato paste
  • 4 1/2 cups water, divided
  • 1 (12-ounce) lager beer (such as Shiner)
  • 5 tablespoons masa harina
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

1. Sprinkle beef with 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add one-quarter of beef to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until well browned on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Repeat procedure 3 times with 3 teaspoons oil and remaining beef.

brown

2. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and next 8 ingredients (through dried chile); sauté 3 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 4 cups water and beer; bring to a simmer.

combine bring to simmer cover

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 2 hours or until beef is very tender. Combine remaining 1/2 cup water and masa in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add masa mixture and hot sauce to pan; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Discard dried ancho chile and bay leaves. Sprinkle with green onions.

seerve

Indian Eggplant Stuffed with Sesame-Peanut Masala

I made this last night , man was it good. I made little crisp pancakes from the left over stuffing.

I was lucky, Lyn prepared everything I just did the stuffing and cooking.

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eggplants

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By Andrea Nguyen

There are many kinds of eggplants in Asia and the egg-shaped Indian variety is particularly wonderful. It peaks during hot months and as the season winds down, I make this terrific Indian recipe, which I learned from Ruta Kahate’s 5 Spices, 50 Dishes. You’ll find the Indian eggplants at South Asian markets as well as at some farmer’s markets where they’ll be sold by Asian farmers. In California where I live, Hmong farmers are my summer time go-to source for eggplants. They have a medium-thick skin and creamy flesh, and are much smaller than the regular globe variety. You can certainly grill them, but better yet, stuff them with a rich mixture of ground peanuts and sesame seeds and let them get kind of crusty. Serve warm or cold.

Serves 4

1/4 cup toasted white (hulled) sesame seeds

1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons water

8 Indian eggplants, or 6 small Italian or Japanese eggplants (1 1/2 pounds total)

3 to 4 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup water

1. For the filling, use a mini food processor to grind the sesame seeds, peanuts, sugar, salt, turmeric and cayenne to a crumbly texture. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cilantro and water to create a compact, spreadable mixture. Set aside.

2. Use scissors to trim the eggplant stems so that they are about 1/2 inch long. Use your fingers to remove the green pointy flaps of the eggplant caps. Make a deep cross incision in each eggplant, stopping 1/2-inch short of the stem. To do that, position each one on its side on your cutting board. Hold it down with one hand while you wield the knife with the other hand to make the first horizontal cut. Roll the eggplant 90 degrees and make the second horizontal cut.

3. Use a teaspoon to stuff each eggplant with about 1/8 of the filling. Gently pry open the eggplant, stuff in the filling. Make sure there is filling between each of the cuts. Gently squeeze the eggplant to make the filling sticks and fills the crevices.

4. Pour the oil into a large nonstick skillet over medium heat to film the bottom. When hot, add the eggplants in a single layer. Fry the eggplants for 3 to 4 minutes, turning frequently, to brown them on two sides. Don’t fret when some of the filling spills out. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid or foil, and turn the heat to low. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender. Pierce with the tip of a knife to test. There will be filling in the skillet bottom. If you want to crisp those bits and serve them with the eggplant, increase the heat to medium high and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp. Remove from the heat, let the sizzling subside, then transfer to a plate and serve hot or warm.

Marcelo’s Chimi- Churri Sauce

Marcelo gave me a small canning jar of this and I marinated a slab of baby back for 24-48 hours those were the best ribs I have ever made.

(4- 8 cloves) Garlic

Parsley (lots) – one bunch

Oregano (lots) – one bunch

Bay Leave (whole) (about 2 – 3 leaves)

Red Pepper (crushed)

Paprika

Black Pepper

Kosher salt (sea)

1 cup Hot Water

½ cup Red wine vinegar

½ cup Oil (preferably not Olive Oil)

 

  1. food processor the herbs and garlic separately
  2. Boil water.
  3. Use a glass container and start placing the herbs, garlic and other ingredients;
  4. Add hot water,