Instant Pot fail, need advice

Lift_Run_Eat

crazyravr wrote: »

This is what I do, perfect every time.
Remove fat cap (I would never do this in a smoker, but here you have to).
Cut up meat into chunks so that it will fit into your pot.
Make holed in your meat and stuff with garlic cloves.
Use a tablespoon of salt per pound of meat and salt the meat.
Press saute button and fry out few bacon strips.
Press cancel and add your meat.
Add 0.5 cups of water.
Use manual setting at high for 60 minutes 2lbs of meat or 90 for 4lbs.
Let the pressure drop on its own when done.
Remove meat, shred and mix in your fav sauce.

I need to save this, NO, I need to make this ASAP!! Thanks for sharing!!!

I have only done chicken as far as meat goes. 1 cup water or broth on bottom and chicken breasts on rack. I usually do 2 packages of thawed chicken breast (6-8 breasts total) and 25 minutes on high pressure. Sometimes I let it naturally release, but if i am in a hurry, I let it release for 5 minutes, then I quick release. Comes out and so easy to shred.

Other things I have tried - Baked potatoes (Still have not perfected this one. Size & quantity matter). Oatmeal (DO NOT quick release. You will have a mess and your stem release will get gooped up). Soup. Quinoa.

I have seen a Kahula Pork recipe for the Insta Pot, but I am almost scared to try. The slow cooker cooked for 20 hours makes is PERFECT!!!

markrgeary1

annacole94 wrote: »

http://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/pressure-cooker-pulled-pork/

Their advice has been spot-on for me generally. You need a min. of 1 cup liquid, just to get it to pressurize.

I've used this, worked well.

illusion2269

crazyravr wrote: »

ahoy_m8 wrote: »

Emeril's pulled pork shoulder recipe has been incredibly reliable for me in my 1980's era sears crockpot. Make it all the time. Always wonderful. Sweet brother gave me an instant pot for Christmas. I had read about them and was intrigued and so I was excited to receive it. Have made pork shoulder in it twice, in slow cooker low pressure mode and high pressure mode.

Both times: horrible. And horrible in the same way both times. You know how in good pulled pork the connective tissue melts leaving the meat fall apart tender and the juices dense with flavor & protein (gelatinous in the fridge) after the fat is poured off? Ok, mine was not at all like that. The connective tissue was tight and stringy making the whole thing a tough ball of fatty shoulder. Both times. Ugh.

I'm wondering if:
1- its cooking too hot making the connective tissue seize up instead of melt, or
2- it's not cooking long enough stringy bits would melt if I left it in longer.

I suspect the first, but any observations, experience, hypotheses, or advice --whatever you got-- would be appreciated. I really don't want to try pulling a monster like that again. Thanks!

This is what I do, perfect every time.
Remove fat cap (I would never do this in a smoker, but here you have to).
Cut up meat into chunks so that it will fit into your pot.
Make holed in your meat and stuff with garlic cloves.
Use a tablespoon of salt per pound of meat and salt the meat.
Press saute button and fry out few bacon strips.
Press cancel and add your meat.
Add 0.5 cups of water.
Use manual setting at high for 60 minutes 2lbs of meat or 90 for 4lbs.
Let the pressure drop on its own when done.
Remove meat, shred and mix in your fav sauce.

I was also going to recommend cutting the pork into cubes. Last time I made pulled port in my IP, i added a 375ml bottle of Garlic cooking wine from a local winery, hit the Meat button, upped the time to 45 minutes for 3 lbs of pork, and it melted into a delicious pile of awesome! Keep trying things out, and you will find what works!

Theo166

If I read this right, you followed a recipe which doubled the time it cooked under pressure and you didn't add water?

You must always add some water since a pressure cooker relies on steam to do the cooking, and I'd time it closer the recommendations from the manufacturer.

ahoy_m8

crazyravr wrote: »

ahoy_m8 wrote: »

Emeril's pulled pork shoulder recipe has been incredibly reliable for me in my 1980's era sears crockpot. Make it all the time. Always wonderful. Sweet brother gave me an instant pot for Christmas. I had read about them and was intrigued and so I was excited to receive it. Have made pork shoulder in it twice, in slow cooker low pressure mode and high pressure mode.

Both times: horrible. And horrible in the same way both times. You know how in good pulled pork the connective tissue melts leaving the meat fall apart tender and the juices dense with flavor & protein (gelatinous in the fridge) after the fat is poured off? Ok, mine was not at all like that. The connective tissue was tight and stringy making the whole thing a tough ball of fatty shoulder. Both times. Ugh.

I'm wondering if:
1- its cooking too hot making the connective tissue seize up instead of melt, or
2- it's not cooking long enough stringy bits would melt if I left it in longer.

I suspect the first, but any observations, experience, hypotheses, or advice --whatever you got-- would be appreciated. I really don't want to try pulling a monster like that again. Thanks!

This is what I do, perfect every time.
Remove fat cap (I would never do this in a smoker, but here you have to).
Cut up meat into chunks so that it will fit into your pot.
Make holed in your meat and stuff with garlic cloves.
Use a tablespoon of salt per pound of meat and salt the meat.
Press saute button and fry out few bacon strips.
Press cancel and add your meat.
Add 0.5 cups of water.
Use manual setting at high for 60 minutes 2lbs of meat or 90 for 4lbs.
Let the pressure drop on its own when done.
Remove meat, shred and mix in your fav sauce.

Thanks tons for this!

ahoy_m8

markrgeary1 wrote: »

annacole94 wrote: »

http://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/pressure-cooker-pulled-pork/

Their advice has been spot-on for me generally. You need a min. of 1 cup liquid, just to get it to pressurize.

I've used this, worked well.

good to know. Thanks for adding your comment.

ahoy_m8

thanks also to @illusion2269 and @Theo166. It's a learning curve for me, for sure.

ElvenToad

Following this thread. I just bought a pressure cooker and the manual that came with it says absolutely nothing about having a minimum amount of water in the pot or cooking times They do thoroughly explain the cleaning process though lol

Theo166

I'm not an expert but read up when I bought and used my stove top pressure cooker several years ago.

My clear memory is that it cuts down the cooking time because it holds in the steam, under pressure. I recall it was required to add a small amount of water, to ensure you had the steam pressure and not just a dryer heat. That said, I'd expect the manuals on a new machine to cover this, if it was required. Maybe they assume there is enough moisture in the meat?

JenHuedy

ahoy_m8 wrote: »

cmtigger wrote: »

Are you doing a quick release or natural release? Sometimes a quick release can make it tough because it can pull the moisture out.

Otherwise, I'd add a few minutes and a little more liquid. Usually my meat is falling apart when I take it out.

Thanks for the reply. I did slow "natural" release when I used pressure. I added no liquid, though. I was following a NYT Melissa Clark recipe in which she used an instant pot. It called for 90 min under pressure vs. the instant pot cooking guide, which advised 50 min. Big time difference!

How long do you cook meat under pressure? And how do you decide how long?

I'll add in that you MUST use water. And for a larger cut of meat, you may want to cut up a bit if you want it done in under an hour. Time in a pressure cooker depends more on the thickness of the food than the number of pounds. Here's a chart that is a good starting point:
https://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooking-times/#meat

All of that collagen and connective tissue will definitely break down wonderfully in a pressure cooker. When I use beef soup bones it makes the most luscious broths.

ElvenToad

Thank you! Last night I made my first batch of steel cut oats (bowl in bowl method) and they turned out perfect yay! And this morning I cooked buffalo chicken for the first time in it and that also turned out so perfect I am still a little mind blown! Success

extra_medium

Also take note if the recipe calls for high or low pressure modes, that makes a big difference as well. I've found the instapot's slow cooker mode is not quite as slow as I'd like in most cases and runs a bit hotter than my previous slow cooker.