Pork, Pulled Pork, Carnitas in the pressure cooker

Shove it in a taco with lettuce and aioli *weep*

Well, are we surprised? We all know I'm a pressure cooker fan, so anything I pull out to cook for dinner my first thought is [lately] can I pressure cook this? I made pork carnitas with black beans and steamed rice the other day my usual pressure cooker way. When I took it's picture, I wondered if the picture on the blog was as good as the new one I took and realized, to my horror, that I hadn't blogged the pulled pork, pork shoulder, pork carnitas!! Watch me remedy that fact immediately: 

it's such a beautiful thing... so tender and delicious

TRACYS CARNITAS or PULLED PORK

4 lb pork shoulder cut into 3 inch chunks (or as much as you can get!)
water
spices (I use a combination of cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, smoked paprika)

Season the pork heavily, fry in hot fat to brown, drop into pressure cooker.  Use water to cover pan by 1 inch to remove the tasty fried up bits that stuck to the pan. Pour over pork. 

LOCK AND LOAD, pressure cooker for 35 minutes, leave to release naturally (because I'm never ready when it is!)

Transfer to a foil lined tray, mop the pork with the cooking water and broil until dark and crispy around the edges, 5 minutes?.  Flip the pork, mop and broil the other side.  Toss around with more cooking liquid and serve in tacos, on rice, with a fork, on bread, on or in or with ANY thing. 

Here's the play by play: 

Mmmm, hunks of pork shoulder and an empty pressure cooker...  I take the best pictures.  Ok, there's a little bacon fat in the cooker to fry off the meat that I seasoned with all the spices.  
 

Here's the spice blend, plus salt and pepper

 
Fry until brown,
  

I got impatient and fried the rest in a fry pan which is how I usually do it but was trying to use the cooker only... my bad.  When all the meat is brown, shush it all around in the pressure cooker. 

  
Scrape up any bits with water to about an inch deep and pour it onto the pork.
 
LOCK AND LOAD 35 minutes on high pressure.  When the pressure comes down, LOOK!!!  Oh it's so tender and yummy and look at that delicious fat!  all seasoned and dying to be dunked into with a hunk of bread, freshly made of course... you know I did!

When we want to eat, spread the sad looking (but crazy tender!) meat on a foil liked sheet pan.  Boil down the liquid if you want, I generally do for a few minutes but it's not necessary.  Transfer some to your Pyrex measuring cup.  I have NO idea why I always use this for my liquid but I do... I'm a funny duck.  IF you are so inclined, feel free to add a little barbeque sauce to the liquid if you want a thicker sauce or that sort of flavor.  I am a purist most times but have been known to squirt a little Heinz BBQ sauce in there. Cover your meat rather generously
   
Shove it under the broiler, flip it a couple of times, mop it a couple of times.  OH LOOK!!  *weep*  I love this!
  

on a complete and total aside... as only I do it...  THIS is a picture of my puppy, Alice, she'd just come home from being spayed and was stoned and very sad and would only sit and stare at me, it was unnerving ..

  



OK, back to the pork... just look...

 

We eat this one of two ways...  on the side with steamed rice and tarted up black beans 

or in a taco, corn preferably, with lettuce, cheese and aioli (homemade!) yeah, I only took one picture, we ate it too fast


here you go, just one more look...

Off to the store with you to get some pork and a pressure cooker...I will put this up against any slow smoked pork.  This is so tender and flavorful and the little crispy bits on the corners the broil gives it.  C'mon, you know you wanna.

/enjoy

Pressure cooker steamed pudding

YES WAY! 

So, I love steamed pudding from back in the day from across the pond. My British family are steamed pudding machines and can whip one up, steam it for 4-5 hours and produce the most delicious, lovely, unctuous, tender, soft, rich, flavorful pudding you'll ever eat.

I did futz my way to a great recipe which is on the blog here: http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2010/12/steamed-syrup-pudding-oh-yes-baby.html

My international tester (it's my mom!) was playing with the steamed syrup pudding and had the brainstorm to pressure cook it. NOT only to pressure cook it but then to freeze it both before and after it was cooked. Guess what? BRILLIANT! We are always trying to figure out what we'll test next in the pressure cooker and she hit the jackpot with this one.

The recipe works perfectly in the pressure cooker, in individual jars (I have to have my jar fix) and you can cook it fresh, prepare the batter then freeze it in the jars and cook it from FROZEN, you can prepare the batter, freeze the whole batch, then defrost and divide and then cook it. Seriously, she's one hell of a thorough tester.

Here's the recipe again:
In a bowl, cream
120 g sugar (4 oz)
120 g butter (4 oz)
ADD
2 beaten eggs
120 g a/p flour (4 oz)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
drop/s of vanilla

golden syrup or jam or marmalade or fruit

Cream the sugar and butter, add the rest of the ingredients and beat until it's a thick, smooth, batter. I never bother with the Kitchen Aid, I just use beaters. 

Butter 5 mini jars or ramekins and put a tablespoon of your favorite gooey treat... jam, marmalade  golden syrup, maple syrup, pie filling.... whatever you think of you'd love warm and on top of a steamed pudding. 

Divide the batter between 5 mini jars (or ramekins), put lids on (or cover with plastic wrap) and freeze.

When you are ready to use them, remove the lids and cover loosely with greased foil. Place then in a pressure cooker over 4 1/2 cups of water, set the STEAM timer for 35 minutes. When the timer goes off, release immediately, remove from steamer, turn into a vessel for eating and EAT IT!!
Here is the long winded, picture heavy, play by play: 

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the rest of the ingredients.  I love my beaters ;)

  
Here are my 5 little jars, all buttered.  In two of them, I put raspberry jam, about a tablespoon.  In two of them, I poured the nectar of the Gods, Golden Syrup and one I left plain... all for science.
 
Beat the batter until it's smooth and creamy and very thick!
    

Spoon the mixture into the jars, over the filling which will be the topping!

  
Put the lids on, put them into a circle to take their picture then pop them into the freezer!
  

Take the frozen puddings out of the freezer and remove the lids.  Solid as a rock!  Make very tall tinfoil hats for them and seal around the side of the jar, we're just trying to stop water from getting in/on top.

   

Awww... little foil hats.  Now then, put them on a rack in your pressure cooker over at least 4 1/2 cups of water.  

  

LOCK AND LOAD!  Set the rocker to VENT and the STEAM timer for 35 minutes. 

 

DING!  *I'm dying to see how these worked!!
  
TA DA!  LOOK!!  Look at them! HAHAHA  They rose like CRAZY!

  

I grabbed the jam one first... Run a thin knife around the edge and tip into a beautiful vessel...OOOOOOOH!!!   
It looks stodgy but it's NOT!  It's light and delicious and warm and tender and absolutely perfect.  Yeah, I ate it.
 
Golden Syrup time!!!!! OH MY GOD
  
LOOK how perfectly this came out!!  Just as light, just as tender, as delicious, as easy.

 

WELL, well, well. 

I think we've learned something here.  There's no reason on earth NOT to eat a steamed pudding every.single.day.  Make a batch in jars and shove them in the freezer, bring one, two, three out when you want and steam them in half an hour and you have the perfect dessert/treat without having to steam it for 4-6 hours.  Seriously. 

OH and Tester advises that you can make the batter and freeze the whole batch in a bag, thaw it in the fridge and then steam it in the pressure cooker in individual servings the same way and it comes out just as perfectly.  *we skype cooked today so I saw how well hers rose too. 

Go and get some jars and make yourself a steamed syrup pudding. 

/enjoy

Some thoughts about me, my food and my Blog Posts

English Farnhouse Loaf
Tallest one yet!
*recipe is on blog

I'm going to have a chat with you all for a moment, if that's alright.  Get a glass of wine or a coffee and ride along with me. 

One of the delightful things about my own blog is that no only am I lucky enough to share help or thoughts and suggestions about something in which we obviously have a shared interest but it's also where I can share my thoughts about other things that are related to the straight up recipes and tips and tricks I share. 

More people come to the blog to visit and I find my recipes and blog address on many sites which is so very exciting!  The down side is that there are people who send me challenging notes and comments about what I do here.  To be clear, I do this for fun, you come here for fun, let's just play nice.

I have had some questions put to me lately that I think require some shared thought.  These are not all from one source.

I was recently asked to link a recipe to another site, the owner of the site claimed to have "invented" the process I used.  

Well, come on now.  There are really no new ideas or recipes.  We all just take what we have and work it in a way that makes us happy and supplies us with good tasting food.  We have all been cooking in vessels of every description since the invention of the cooking vessel.  I don't steal ideas, I don't steal recipes or methods.  I research sometimes and I use my old, antique, cookbooks that are piled up on my kitchen table.  I get a large glass of wine and comb over them like well known, well loved novels.  I rarely put one down without a dreamy moment envisioning the 1865 housewife holding the same book.  I wonder, will a mom, in 2155 read my blog posts?  or hold these books?  It boggles the mind.  Well, it boggles mine.  Look at me digressing...  ANYway, I post on my blog what I do and how I do it.  These bread recipes are all mine, I test them constantly and tweak them all the time.  I tell you when I use a recipe I found in an old book, I tell you how I changed it and I give credit to the original writer.  I don't use or read current recipes.  Ever.  If I see something interesting somewhere that I think you'd like to know about, I'll tell you where I saw it.  Honestly, I don't have the energy to thieve.

I was asked if I use professional cookware or professional kitchens or appliances and why I would dare suggest purchasing equipment at a restaurant supply store. 

Firstly, I most certainly do not have professional equipment or cookware. I wish I could, don't we all wish we could. 

I use what I can find in my local low brow stores. I shop at thrift shops, the sale aisle in my grocery store, at standard big box stores like Walmart (where I got the Nesco pressure cooker on sale for $65) or my delightful discovery of the restaurant supply stores.

I think everyone should be told about all of the options.  I found roasting pans at my restaurant supply store that were 1/3 the price of lower quality (but prettier) pans at Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table or Bed Bath and Beyond.  I love all these stores and shop at them frequently but if I can find an alternative that will save me a bunch of money then I will absolutely, positively, share that information with you.  You can decide where to spend your hard earned dollar.
I look for ways for the home cook to achieve exquisite, delicious, results. I cook old fashioned food. I cook from scratch. I look for inexpensive options, always. 

I shared the information on the blog about utilizing restaurant supply stores that are open in most major markets and most have online ordering. Many people think those stores are only for the professional or only sell high ticket items. I wanted to share my discovery to the contrary. I find the supply stores sell high quality, low cost, items. The staff is generally knowledgeable, helpful and know about food and about cooking and that is exactly the expertise I'm looking for. It's all they do. That's a bonus.

Specifically, most recently, I had been looking at extra large loaf pans because I wanted tall straight sided loaves instead of "mushroom" loaves. I found some pans online, in other countries, but found them cost prohibitive. I went into the supply store to look to see if they had any of the size I wanted. They didn't. While I was there, I spied a stainless steal steam pan in the exact dimensions, for $6 and snapped it up. I experimented, found it was completely and totally successful and then shared that information with my audience. 

I feel my job is to experiment with recipes and with alternatives to overpriced brand name equipment (pampered chef pan was $24 and even Walmart wanted $11). I try to share what I find with those who are interested.

There are so many options out there, I'm glad I could pass along one that will save some money and give extraordinary results.

I was asked is who do I think my audience is.  

I think my audience is people who love food.  People who cook.  People who eat food.  People who wonder about food.  People with a question, a suggestion or a thought about food.  I think my audience is everyone. 

I hope my audience finds my suggestions, recipes and processes helpful, useful and interesting.  I hope sometimes they giggle, roll their eyes or giving a knowing nod when I wax poetic about adding just a little extra butter or bacon fat. I hope they smile, take notes, carry me into the kitchens on their laptops, tablets or phone.  

I'll tell you, one of the delights of my day is when I sit down with my coffee in the morning and look at my statistics on the blog.  I grin and often giggle when I see I've been visited from locations around the world.  I see visits from a country on a regular basis and I imagine it's a friend from far away who pops in regularly just to see what I've been up to.  No google search, no specific question, just someone who came across my little food blog spot and decided to remember to come back.  Sheer and utter delight. 

More often than not, I decide which culinary adventure to take based on what posts have had the most hits in any given day or week.  For example, pressure cooker meatballs is the current big winner on the blog.  That makes me want to improve it, cut the time, increase the flavor or just streamline it for you.  

Finally, I was asked, what makes you a so called expert in anything and why should anyone listen to you?" 

Well, I'm no expert.  I'm a gal who loves to cook.  I come from a line of cooks, mom cooks, who loved what they did.  I watched my mom and grandmother cook.  I have told friends before, it's not that I CAN cook, it is that I DO cook.  Everyone CAN cook, it's not rocket science, the question comes into whether or not they DO cook.  Some people have other interests, obligations, time constraints or just find it dull and pedantic.  I've never claimed I CAN cook any better or worse than anyone else.  I simply DO cook and I enjoy it. 

I have a deep passion and it brings me joy to do it.  I cook when I'm sad to make me feel better.  I cook when I think I'm not good enough, because it makes me feel better.  I cook when I'm joyful and celebrating.  I cook for groups, friends, family, for myself.  When I am alone for a meal (it's so rare but I love it) I cook a 3 or 4 course mini meal just for me.

When I cook, I like the process, the experience, the science and the end result.  I don't claim to be anything other than someone who loves what I do every day regarding food and decided to write it down and share. 

I don't get paid to push a product or company.  I don't get perks for reviews of anything.  I just take some time out of my day to share what I think is interesting, helpful and fun. 

I simply hope you enjoy the blog.  I hope you can use the information, tidbits and you decide to make whatever it is I've shared with you when perhaps, before, you'd been afraid to do it.  I hope you have a little smile when you read my "LOOK! LOOK at what we DID! Can you BELIEVE it?!" that I tend to share in my posts because when I write that, I mean that, I said that.  I'm genuinely tickled with the results and I write as I said it to you, here in my kitchen with me, peeking into the oven, under the pot lid or opening the proofing box. 

I'm going to keep doing what I do.  I love it and so far, you all seem to be totally supportive so, let's see what we do next.

Ok, that's my little sharing moment done.  I'm working on the final details of a pressure cooked, individual serving, steamed pudding with golden syrup on the bottom.  Oh yeah, baby, it's crazy good.  My international tester played with my original recipe and I'm testing it now.  I see a juicy, mouthwatering blog post about it in the very near future (tomorrow) so come back with an appetite and sweet tooth. 

Thanks so much for playing with me today. 

/Tracy

Risotto , my way

QUICKIE DINNER TIME

I didn't want to cook tonight, it's Friday, I'm tired.  I had arborio rice in the pantry and some bacon, some cooked (pressure cooked) broccoli and some leftover poached chicken.  BINGO! 

Risotto is a method, not a recipe. I use the equation, however much rice you use (I had 2 cups so I used 2 cups) be sure you have 4 times the amount of hot stock (I poached a chicken in the pressure cooker yesterday and had that stock)

Fry some bacon, I used half a 12 oz packet.  Save the crispy bacon aside and drain about half the fat.  Fry half an onion in the bacon fat until soft but not colored.  Add the rice and fry it around for a minute or so then add a glass of white wine.  

Cook the wine into the rice then start adding hot stock, 2 ladles at a time and cook over medium high heat, stirring, until the rice absorbs the liquid.  I like to stand at the pot, with a very large glass of wine, listening to music or watching the news while I stir gently, this isn't hard work. 

Keep going until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes?  When you're happy with the rice, add one more ladle of stock, a large knob of butter, the cooked broccoli and crispy bacon and stir around.  

Pile it onto a plate, add some poached chicken, shredded, on top and a large dollop of the homemade aioli I'll tell you how to make another time on top of that.  Put a little parsley on top to chef it up and serve.

      

If you don't have arborio rice in your pantry all the time, shame on you.  You can always make a variation of risotto for dinner with anything you have left over.  I keep stock in my freezer all the time and in a pinch, you CAN cut it half with water so there's no excuse whatsoever for not making this, often.  

*purists insist I should have mounds of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top but I didn't have any and was not going to let THAT stop me from making this for a rich, delicious, creamy, crispy, filling, joy giving dinner*

/make risotto

NEW Single White Loaf , Farmhouse style

Recipe below, play by play pictures coming... in the mean time, look at what came out of my oven:





To get an idea of the scale...



Oh and I didn't make it in a loaf pan! I made it in a restaurant steamer pan!!!!! OH YES I DID! I couldn't get a pan with the dimensions I wanted in the USA, the shipping for a "Farmhouse" loaf pan from the UK was going to be twice the cost of the pan and that just bugged me. SO, when I was at the restaurant supply store moaning about their lack of high sided loaf pans, I had a total epiphany!!

HEY, I said, I LOVE LOVE the steamer pans for roasting vegetables and chickens I bought there. It cooks perfectly evenly, is stainless steel and nothing, absolutely nothing, sticks to it. I thought, HEY, why not see if they have a size that I could use for white bread and they DID!

It's a 1/4 size I think, it's 4 inches deep(!) and 8 inches long and about 4 inches wide. EXACTLY what I wanted. I'm going back to buy more so I no longer have to play wait for the pan I love the best and can retire the old rusted nasty pan I usually make my loaves in. This is...perfection.



OK, here's the recipe, it's so very easy and so much more delicious than any white bread I've ever made before. I have tested this many times and had testers try it... it's a good one ;)

TRACY'S ENGLISH STYLE FARMHOUSE WHITE LOAF
*You CAN make this by hand, I use the Kitchen aid, just use a spoon until it's too hard to work then knead until a smooth dough, no Kitchen aid is no excuse not to make this!*

4 cups (450 grams) all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cold butter *unsalted
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
300 ml room temperature liquid *I do 200 ml warm water + 100 ml 2% milk

METHOD:

IN the bowl of a Kitchen aid with a dough hook, combine the flour and butter.  RUB the butter into the flour like you are making biscuits or pastry. You don't want any chunks of butter, this must be totally combined. 

ADD the yeast, salt, sugar and MIX around with your hands.

ADD liquid all at once.

COMBINE on slow speed until combined, it should completely clear the sides of the bowl. Then turn on high and knead for 4 minutes to make the dough a smooth, soft, dough.

Butter the dough lightly and put in a box/bowl with a lid (or a bowl with cling film) and leave to double. *mine takes 45 minutes.

Gently transfer dough to a lightly floured board and flatten with fingertips. Roll into a loaf shape and put into a lightly buttered/sprayed pan. Leave to double. *mine takes about 45 minutes.

Bake at 450, for 30 minutes.  I turn it a couple of times during cooking.  I don't spray the oven, loaf or put ice in with this bread.  If it's getting too brown, put a piece of tinfoil over the loaf. 

Leave to cool on a rack, removed from the pan, until completely cool before you slice this. It's soft and sweet and the crust is just hard enough to hold it but soft enough to yield. Yeah, you're going to LOVE this, I want to see pictures of your bread!! 

Let me know how much you love this bread.

**I like a TALL loaf and have been using a steam table insert pan, stainless steel, that measures 8x4x4 inches. Previous to my ephiphany, I used a standard loaf pan. This also makes ridiculously good little rolls**

Alrighty now, go make it.

/tracy