13
18
Bob’s Short Ribs
Serves: 6
8 4-inch bone-in beef short ribs, uniform in size
2 cups white flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 whole onion, chopped
2 cups leeks, sliced
1
/
4
inch thick
Two large carrots, thinly sliced
1 stock celery, sliced
1
/
4
inch thick
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup good quality red wine (I like Cabernet or Merlot)
3 cups veal stock (Chicken or beef can be substituted in a pinch)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (1 Tbs of dry can be substituted)
The zest of one whole lemon (A fine grater like a Microplane works perfect to create the
perfect zest)
Season the ribs with salt and pepper, and then dredge them in the flour. Shake off the
excess flour so that a fine powder remains. This flour will help in the browning process,
and will later provide some thickening to the sauce as it reduces. Place oil in a skillet
and heat until the oil is very hot. When the oil is just smoking hot, add the ribs in
batches turning until they are brown on each side. I often use another fry pan on my
stovetop to speed up the process of browning the meat and vegetables. Set the ribs
aside; add the onion, leeks, carrots and celery. Let them sauté until golden brown.
Deglaze the pan or pans with the red wine, scraping the bottom(s) to get all the good
browned bits dissolved in the wine. Reduce the wine to half.
Add the ribs and all the remaining ingredients to the cooker. You will need to stack the
ribs in two layers. They will almost be covered with stock. Lock the lid in place, and set
on high for 59 minutes (see pages 7-8 for instructions).
Normally in an oven braise I would cook these tough old ribs at 250 degrees F for 5
hours, or 300 minutes. With the pressure cooker, the ribs will be done in
1
/
3
the time.
Remember we want to break down that tough connective tissue holding the meat to the
bone until it turns into a stock flavored gelatin that melts in our mouth and adds a
wonderful mouth feel when chewing the meat. When pressure cooking is complete, let
the pressure release naturally.
Carefully, remove the ribs and place on a platter. Cover with foil and hold them warm in
an oven at 200 degrees F. With a fine colander, strain the vegetables from the sauce
and discard. They have given up their entire flavor to the sauce. You should have about
6 or 7 cups of liquid. Reserve one cup for pouring over the ribs.
Hints and Tips
■
To ensure the best cooking performance when cooking under pressure,
always use at least 12 oz. of water or liquid
in your recipes to
enable enough steam to be created to produce pressure.
■
When using the pressure settings, the timer should not begin
counting down until there is enough pressure.
■
When cooking under pressure, if you are unsure of the cooking time, it
is better to under cook and check for doneness. If not done, continue
cooking under pressure.
■
Never fill the pressure cooker more than half full with food or
3
/
5
full
for food that swells and liquid. The pressure cooker must have enough
liquid to steam or the food will not cook properly.
■
If the electric circuit is overloaded with other appliances, your
appliance may not operate. The pressure cooker should be operated
on a separate electrical circuit.
■
Tougher, less expensive cuts of meat are better suited for the pressure
cooker because cooking under pressure breaks the fibers down for
tender results.
■
Add a tablespoon of oil to the water to reduce the amount of foaming
that beans produce.
■
You can use frozen meats and poultry. My rule of thumb is, if it is
frozen, add ten minutes for every inch of thickness.
Troubleshooting
If you have not added sufficient liquid and you notice that the floating valve
has not risen, but the timer is counting down, perform the following steps:
1. Stop the pressure cooker by pressing the “Keep Warm/Cancel”
button.
2. Turn the Pressure Limiting Valve to EXHAUST, using short bursts, until
the pressure is fully released.
3. Remove the lid and add approximately 1 cup of water/stock or any
liquid. Stir food to disperse liquid.
4. Replace the lid and lock into position. Resume pressure cooking.
5. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to begin cooking again.
If steam is leaking from under the cover because the cover is not
properly closed, the gasket isn’t positioned properly or is
damaged, or the pressure cooker is over filled, follow these steps:
1. Unplug. Release any pressure using the quick release method.
2. Remove the gasket and check for tears or cracks.
3. Check to be sure the gasket is positioned properly.
HINTS AND TIPS
