Pressure Cooker Bolognese – A great tasting and value for money recipe
We recently received a pressure cooker to try out as part of feature in Womans Own. The feature has just been published, yeah, so I can now share some of the more successful recipes that I made in the pressure cooker.
When I first heard of the pressure cooker I was watching This Morning and they were testing the ‘can I cook a chicken in 15 minutes’ theory. I watched with interest as anything to save me time and money is a winner. About a week later I had a phone call from Womans Own asking if I wanted to test one out for a feature. I jumped at the chance, an interesting experiment to be part of.
How Does a Pressure Cooker Work?
Pressure cooking is a method of cooking in a sealed vessel not permitting steam to escape below a preset pressure. Because the boiling point of water increases as the pressure increases, the pressure built up inside the cooker allows the liquid in the cooking pot to rise to a higher temperature before boiling.
It became a house-hold cooking appliance during the World War II, when the people realized how much fuel they can save, due to the much shorter cooking time. Pressure cooking is often used to simulate the effects of long braising or simmering in shorter periods of time.
Pressure Cooker Bolognese Recipe Test
The pressure cooker arrived and I tested out five recipes that I was to be making when the food photographer arrived a few days later. I tried out Jacket potatoes, porridge, Roast Chicken, Rice Pudding and Bolognese.
Bolognese is probably my go to safe recipe that I know everyone in the family will like. I have been making it for 25 years first trying it out when I was looking after my dad aged 16. He would only ever eat it with boiled potatoes.
My recipe has evolved over the years and I know think I have hit perfection and have nailed that perfect Bolognese sauce. I always make a huge pot worth, which was perfect as the pressure cooker pot is really big. Then I have enough for a spaghetti Bolognese, plus more for cottage pie a few days later then I will freeze a portion for more Bolognese or maybe a chilli a week or so later.
Gather your ingredients
2 big packets of Beef/pork mince
2 tins of tomatoes
3 Onions
2 garlic gloves
2 peppers
1 large carrot
Rapeseed oil
Balsamic vinegar
Worcester sauce
Teaspoon each of Salt and pepper
Teaspoon of oregano/basil/thyme/ground cumin
Now this is a basis for the ingredients. These lot work really well, but if you have two carrots and no pepper then don’t stress, just add the carrots. Also I wing it a little bit with the herbs too, I add whatever dried green herbs I have I my cupboard! But use these if you are like my hubby and have to have a strict recipe.
Saute the vegetables
Cut up the onions, garlic, pepper and carrots. Stage 1 is switch on your pressure cooker (or saucepan) to saute mode. I use the Instant pot pressure cooker but that one it seems is very difficult to get hold of at the moment.
I have found this one on Amazon, which is by the Sarah Janes kitchen brand. It looks very similar to my Instant pot and costs less, so it looks good to me.
Saute the vegetables in a splash of oil until the onions go translucent and the vegetables soften. Next add the minced meat and cook until the meat has browned.
Next I add all the other ingredients to the pot, with no finesse, I just chuck them all in and give the mixture a good mix.
Its now time to close the lid of the pressure cooker. I switch it to manual mode, high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Ensure the steam valve on the lid is closed and start the cooking.
Once the 10 minutes is up release the pressure with a woosh and your Bolognese is done.
If you were cooking in a saucepan I would simmer the ingredients for 30 minutes.
The pressure cooker is great as the high pressure inside cooks the food so much quicker, saving you not only time but money as well. The pressure cooker is much more efficient than a saucepan on our induction hob.
Serve with some wholewheat pasta for some slower releasing energy carbs and sprinkling of cheese.
A hit with the whole family.
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