16
Meat and Poultry
• Remove all the visible fat from the
meat or poultry. If you are preparing
a complete cut of meat or poultry,
such as a roast, cut it in such a
way that it fits in the cooker without
touching the sides.
• Meat and poultry cut up into small
pieces cooks faster.
•
To achieve best results, brown
the meat or poultry with 2 to 3
tablespoons of vegetable or olive
oil in the pressure cooker with the
lid off and before adding the other
ingredients. Do not overload the
pressure cooker (never more than
two thirds full). Brown the meat in
batches, if necessary. Drain the
excess fat and begin cooking as
indicated in the recipe.
• Always cook meat and poultry with
at least 1/2 a cup of liquid. If the
cooking time exceeds 15 minutes,
use two cups of liquid. Meats with
preservatives or salted meats should
be covered by the water.
• Never fill the pressure cooker more
than 2/3 full.
• When you prepare a concentrated
stock or soup, put all the ingredients
in the pressure cooker and add
water to half its capacity.
• Exact cooking times vary depending
on the quality and quantity of the
meat which is cooked. Unless the
recipe indicates otherwise, the
cooking times given are for 3 lbs of
meat or poultry. Also, the larger the
cut of meat, the longer the cooking
time will be.
• After the cooking time is up, use the
natural release method to allow the
pressure to decrease naturally.
• When you cook beef or poultry
with vegetables, begin by cooking
the meat in stock or another
liquid. Subtract from the cooking
time recommended for the meat
the cooking time of the vegetable
ingredient which takes longest to
cook. Pressure cook the meat for
this time. Release the pressure from
the cooker using the automatic
release method. Open the cooker
and add the vegetables. Check
the seasoning. Bring the pressure
cooker up to pressure again and
continue pressure cooking for the
cooking time recommended for the
vegetables.
If you want to add vegetables which cook
rapidly, such as peas or mushrooms,
do not pressure cook them at the same
time as the other vegetables that take
longer to cook. Add them to the cooker
right before serving and boil them in the
pressure cooker with the lid off until they
are ready.
Example: if you are cooking a beef
brisket (cooking time 35 minutes) with
potatoes (cooking time 6 minutes) and
sliced carrots (cooking time 1 minute),
you should first cook the meat by
itself for 29 minutes, then release the
pressure, add the potatoes and cook
for an additional 6 minutes. Finally, add
the carrots and let them simmer for
a couple more minutes until they are
cooked.
MEAT AND POULTRY
APPROXIMATE
COOKING
TIME
Beef/veal, roast or brisket
35-40 minutes
Beef/veal, (shanks)
1 ½-inch wide
25-30 minutes
Beef/veal, 1-inch cubes,
1 ½-pounds
10-15 minutes
Beef/veal, roast or brisket
35-40 minutes
Beef, dressed, 2 pounds
10-15 minutes
Meatballs, 1-2 pounds
5-10 minutes
Beef, cured
50-60 minutes
Pork, roast
40-45 minutes
Pork, ribs, 2 pounds
15 minutes
Pork leg, smoked, 2 pounds
20-25 minutes
Pork, ham, pieces
20-25 minutes
ENGLISH
