Friends…friends…friends….I know many of you don’t have a pressure cooker, but I’m hoping I can inspire you to finally get one. I’m not even sure why I waited so long to buy one myself.
I know so many people say they are afraid of the pressure cooker..please don’t be. Just read the little booklet it comes with..you’ll be fine. Here is the the pressure cooker I recently bought, the Presto 8-quart Stainless Steel. I absolutely love it! It has changed my life and it will change yours too.
With a pressure cooker, you can start a pot roast at 5:00 PM and serve it 45 minutes later…yes…a pot roast in 45 minutes! I also went out and bought a very cheap and tough piece of meat..cube steak. 10 Minutes in the pressure cooker and it was extremely tender. Pork chops are ready in eight minutes and you barely have to use your teeth to chew them…they just melt in your mouth.
This is an amazing appliance for any family on a budget since you can turn tough and economical cuts of meat into very tender and amazing meals. I wasn’t a believer until I tried it myself.
And these beans…cooking time 6 minutes…SIX!! I always pre-soak my beans though…it helps get rid of the gas-producing starches of the toot-toot nature. So soak your beans!!
I always have a pot of beans around to make bean burritos and to toss in salads during the week. They are filling, healthy and extremely economical. And now, instead of cooking all night in my slow cooker…they are done in minutes in this amazing appliance.
I plan on exploring many new pressure cooker recipes, make sure to get yours so you can play along.
Pressure Cooker Beans
Ingredients
- 3 cups dry pinto beans, picked through
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Tablespoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups beef stock or vegetable stock
- 5 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
- Soak picked through dry beans for 4 hours prior to cooking. This helps achieve even cooking and helps get rid of gas-producing starches.
- After soaking, rinse beans, removing any loose skins. Pour beans in pressure cooker and add chili powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Pour in 4 cups of beef stock, 5 cups of water and oil. Make sure pressure cooker is not above the half fill line.
- Close pressure cooker lid securely and place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Turn stove on medium heat, once steam begins to escape set cooking timer for 6 minutes. Cook with a very slow, steady flow of steam escaping from the pressure regulator. Let pressure drop of its own accord. (I often make my beans right before I go to bed and let them just sit in the pressure cooker overnight without opening the lid, letting the pressure regulate itself.)
The perfect burrito beans!
Tell me about your successes with a pressure cooker.
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Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
I think I’ve mentioned I got one for Christmas. The booklet is cryptic. I’ve used it once and had no idea if I was using it right. Maybe there’s some on-line instructions. As of right now I would not attempt even a bean recipe.
Cathy says
How strange, mine is super clear. Just read about it more, it’s really easy!
leslie says
I love love love my pressure cooker!!!!! IT is the best thing EVER!!!!
I will have to try the beans!
Cathy says
I know, doesn’t it put a whole new spin on dinner? I love being able to start dinner late and it’s ready in 10 minutes!
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says
I love pressure cookers. My mother always used one and I got my first one in 1976! I’ve owned several more since then, but I don’t know what I’d do without a pressure cooker. One of my favorite things to make in it is beef stew. Done in 15 minutes and tastes like it cooked for hours. My stew recipe is on the blog if you’re interested.
And, yes, it’s also perfect for cooking beans!
Lisa @ The Cooking Bride says
This is great! I bought a pressure cooker last summer for canning, but I am loving the heck out of it for cooking as well.
Cathy says
Lisa, I can’t wait to try canning with the pressure cooker.
Tina says
I didn’t think you could cannin a pressure cooker but had to use a pressure canner instead
Nancy L says
I’m so glad you’re going to be posting some more recipes for pressure cooking! I’ve been a little hesitant to jump in, but with these recipes to try, I’ll be all in!!
Kenji Takabayashi says
Glad you’re doing well and interesting that you are on the pressure cooker swing now! I have plenty of time to cook things the normal way and have even begun doing traditional ramen recipes that take days to finish lol. The pressure cooker though is like this magical thing that allows you to do things so quickly.
A friend of mine cooked a whole rosemary/garlic/butter infused chicken in 18 minutes. I mean, WOW. What do you recommend for an entry/mid level pressure cooker?
Best, KENJI
Janice E says
Love the pressure cooker and am excited that you’re going to post more ideas — thanks!
Nancy/SpicieFoodie says
My mother always makes her beans in a pressure cooker. Your recipe sounds so good, I love all the spices you’ve used. Thanks for sharing and encouraging us not to be afraid of pressure cookers.
Wolfie N. says
We have had a pressure cooker for years and years. My Mom and Grandmother had one too. Amazing good things came out of them! I love how corned beef comes out!!!
I wanted to make a note here too, -pressure canners- are usually used for home canning as a home pressure cooker is a bit different.
I so enjoy receiving all your emails, recipes and news of your winery!
Cathy says
I know, I want to get the canning version as well.
Kirsten@ My Kitchen in the Rockies says
I just bought a pressure cooker, too and absolutely LOVE it. Beans get cooked almost every second day and the roasts are the best. I don’t know how I survived without it. I got a Cuisinart.
Oh, on the beans, we decided to cook them in the pressure cooker just in water, since they take less time. The salt or bacon slows it down. They get finished afterwards.
Kris says
I’ve been loving my pressure cooker for years now. Tuesday night pot roast is a crowd pleaser around here, too!
A couple of good resources on pressure cooking – the site Hip Pressure Cooking is full of information, reviews, and recipes. (Google “hip pressure cooking”). Also, Cook’s Illustrated has a pressure cooking cookbook due to be released in March – I can’t wait to get my hands on that!
It should be noted, though that a pressure COOKER and a CANNER are two different things – while you can cook in the canner, you can’t can in the cooker. đŸ™‚
Carolyn says
I have never used a pressure cooker. Why did you choose that size ? It looks like it would be just for large quanities. I guess I need to see one in person. Does the short cooking time affect the flavor one gets from slow cooking?
Cathy says
The 8 quart is the most versatile size. After reading all the reviews of lots of pressure cookers most people who bought a smaller one were sorry they did. This size lets you cook large or small quantities. There is a fill line you can’t go past in a pressure cook so this gives you more space. With the things I have cooked so far, there has been no loss in flavor, everything so far has been wonderful. I’m still experimenting though.
Flea says
The beans were amazing. Thank you!
Cathy says
Oh good!
Douglas J says
Actually there isn’t really any difference between pressure cookers and canners other than size. You can cook a large portion of chili or stew directly in a pressure canner without Ball jars just like it was a much smaller pressure cooker.
Diane Ziemba says
Pressure cookers actually keep nutrients and flavor in, they are pressurized into the meat. In my opinion it is the fastest and most economical way to cook. Uses less electricity than other cooking methods. Also very fast clean up. A one pot wonder in many cases.
Jerrilyn B. says
How many pounds of pressure for a Presto 8 quart pressure cooker? 5,10,15? I want to make your refried bean recipe but need to know I am doing it right. Thanks!