Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,214

    Instant Pot for Hot Weather

    An Instant Pot Is Better Than a Grill, Say Top Cooks—Even for Burgers
    It’s the height of summer, so stop sweating over a grill. These nine foods are perfect for easy Instant Pot cooking instead.

    By Kate Krader (Bloomberg)




    Photo Illustration: 731; Instant Pot: Vendor; Grills and podium: Getty ImagesLook for the summer’s most dedicated cooks, and you will probably find them at the grill. But you might not want to hang out there with them too long: it’s a hot, often buggy place to be. (And there are so many rules.)

    Now, a group of ardent cooks is touting an alternate place to create some of summer’s standout dishes: their Instant Pot. Melissa Clark, the New York Times columnist whose latest cookbook is Comfort In an Instant, happily stays away from outdoor open flames. “It’s scorching out where the grill is, cool in the kitchen where my Instant Pot is. I can’t imagine doing long barbecued meats like ribs and pork shoulder on the grill ever again,” she says. “The only thing the grill is really better for is quick-cooking things that you want to char. Downside, you have to hang out with your ingredients while they char. Maybe char is overrated.”




    Other enthusiasts of the automatic pressure-meets-slow cooker echo the sentiment. “The last thing I want to do when it’s hot out is stand over a gas grill that’s at 600 degrees,” says Bruce Weinstein, author, with with Mark Scarbrough, of From Freezer to Instant Pot. Besides delivering great food, Instant Pots require minimal clean up compared to the burnt-in mess of grills, Weinstein adds.

    Here are nine meat, poultry, and fish dishes that Instant Pot advocates argue are better in their beloved appliance.

    And for those who want the best of both worlds, revered Indian chef Madhur Jaffrey and author of the upcoming Instantly Indian Cookbook has a solution: “Take your Instant Pot outside for a summer meal. You’re recreating the social performance that a grill serves for people, and you can sit in the shade while your food cooks.”
    Carnitas



    Carnitas tacos.
    Photographer: bhofack2/iStockphoto

    Who says: Ryan Pera, chef/co-owner of Revival Market and Coltivare in Houston.
    Why: “My wife and I want tacos all the time. In Houston’s fall, winter, and summer, I will fire up our grill without hesitation. But in late summer’s humidity, I turn to the Instant Pot in our delightfully air-conditioned home to slow-cook carnitas. This creates a nice tender pork with—in a shockingly short period of time—complex layers of flavors that surpass what can cook up with charcoal fire.”

    Baby Back Ribs


    Sticky tamarind baby back ribs.
    Reprinted from Dinner in an Instant. Copyright 2017 by Melissa Clark. Published by Clarkson Potter.

    Who Says: Melissa Clark
    Why: “They stay tender, they gain more flavor, they increase in succulence in the IP. On the grill, they often dry out, and they can get too smoky. Plus, ribs only take 25 minutes in the Instant Pot. Just compare that to the 4 to 6 hours ribs take on the grill.”

    Pulled Pork

    Who Says: Bruce Weinstein
    Why: “Pulling pork takes all day on the grill. We cook it in the IP with pickle brine for an unbeatable barbecue flavor.”
    Who Else Says: Melissa Clark
    Why: “You can’t get the same falling-off-the-bone texture for this on the grill, no matter how low and slow you go. The moist environment of the IP is superior. It’s also another supreme time saver: Six to eight hours on the grill over indirect heat vs. 90 minutes in the IP.”

    Pork Chops




    Jaffrey’s sweet soy sauce braise becomes a sticky barbecue-like glaze in the Instant Pot.
    Photographer: Dana Gallagher

    Who Says: Madhur Jaffrey
    Why: “I cook thin pork chops in a sauce that’s flavored with a mix of toasted spices—cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns. Because the pork is sautéed, then braised in a sweet soy sauce mixture, you get the best of all worlds. When it boils down, you’re left with a lovely, sticky barbecue sauce. It’s just not the same on the grill.” Plus, you really risk drying them out.

    Salmon



    Clark’s salmon, made in the Instant Pot, also delivers a caramel sauce.
    Reprinted from Dinner in an Instant. Copyright 2017 by Melissa Clark. Published by Clarkson Potter.

    Who Says: Melissa Clark
    Why: “Salmon in the IP is quick, you can get a sear on the bottom, and the fish never turns rubbery. Cooking it with lots of aromatics, as I do in my Vietnamese-style caramel salmon recipe, infuses the flesh with loads of flavor. The grill can cook fish unevenly, and then you have to clean the fish basket, which is always unpleasant.” Plus, you should never cook salmon on the grill.

    Wings



    Buffalo chicken wings, from Weinstein’s From Freezer to Instant Pot: The Cookbook.
    Source: Voracious Books

    Who Says: Melissa Clark
    Why: “Instant Pot chicken wings are amazing, tender, juicy, and deeply flavored. They won’t turn crisp unless you broil or grill them, though, so in this case, I’d say the best-case scenario is a hybrid method. Cook them in the IP until tender, then flash them on the grill for one to two minutes. It’s the best of both worlds.”
    Who Else Says:: Bruce Weinstein
    Why: “Buffalo wings are yet another summer grill favorite that we do easily in the IP, with butter and hot sauce.”

    Barbecue Pork Loin



    Barbecue pork loin ala Weinstein.
    Source: Voracious Books

    Who Says: Bruce Weinstein
    Why: “The Instant Pot makes a barbecue pork loin that’s tender and moist, something the grill can never guarantee. Plus, the sauce infuses into the meat much more deeply than can happen on the grill or in the oven. You just thin out whatever flavor barbecue sauce you like, with any liquid from beer to apple juice.”

    Pork/Lamb Kebabs

    Who Says: Madhur Jaffrey
    Why: We know never to do shish kebabs on the grill, but even single meats can benefit from the IP treatment. “I cook the pork cubes, or lamb, with not much more than ginger, garlic, and a special mixture of spices. It is quite scrumptious, yet very easy to make in the Instant Pot. They’re made with stock, but it boils away, so the meat is exceptionally juicy and also more flavored with spice than if you made it on the grill.”

    Burgers


    Experts disagree about Instant Pot burgers.
    Source: Voracious Books

    Who Says: Bruce Weinstein
    Why: “For the most part, burgers are what you put on them. It could be pickle relish and pickled jalapeños or mayonnaise and kimchi”—or this incredible Kronnerburger cheese mayo. “In the Instant Pot, you can put many of these toppings right in with the burger before you cook it, so the flavor gets infused into the meat. You can cook them plain or with butter, mustard, onions, garlic—so the flavor really infuses the meat.”

    Who Says Maybe Not: Melissa Clark
    Why: “I suppose—if you like well-done meat—maybe it’s okay, since it would cook it through and stay juicy. Kind of like a flat, patty-shaped meatball. But is that really a burger?”
    Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd

  2. #2
    En route
    Cujo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Last Online
    24-02-2024 @ 04:47 PM
    Location
    Reality.
    Posts
    32,939
    WTF is an instant pot?
    Noodles?

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,214
    Quote Originally Posted by Cujo View Post
    WTF is an instant pot?
    ...a slow cooker with benefits...

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Last Online
    30-04-2022 @ 02:44 AM
    Posts
    11,204
    Like a rice cooker, bung in the food and forget; few hours later dinner ready.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,214
    ...so, cocktails before dinner are no problem...dinner cooks itself...

  6. #6
    En route
    Cujo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Last Online
    24-02-2024 @ 04:47 PM
    Location
    Reality.
    Posts
    32,939
    Quote Originally Posted by TheRealKW View Post
    Like a rice cooker, bung in the food and forget; few hours later dinner ready.
    So that's why they call it an 'instant' pot..

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,214
    ...^you're right: "Lazy Fucker Pot" might sell better...

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    22,632
    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...so, cocktails before dinner are no problem...dinner cooks itself...
    How often do you cook hot meals TC? In all the time you have been posting food reviews and trivia I have only seen you make one sandwich. It was fancy with a Prego spread though.

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    17,214
    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    In all the time you have been posting food reviews and trivia I have only seen you make one sandwich
    ...you haven't been paying attention, AO: I posted a pick of my caprese salad on steroids not too long ago...with a can of Prego in the background. That can is still available in case you act up...

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Last Online
    30-04-2022 @ 02:44 AM
    Posts
    11,204
    I made one of your cucumber salad or pasta one time. It was good.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •