Pressure Cooker

Turkey

Posted by Gary

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Dear Reader,

Welcome to Yummy Lummy.

Introduction

I hope you’ve had a good week. After returning from Brisbane, I’ve enjoyed the week at work. As everyone tries to wrap up the calendar year, our diaries are full of meetings.

Recipe — turkey drumstick

I found some turkey legs to try.

Turkey isn’t my favourite meat. I thought I’d give a leg a try rather than breast meat. I assumed dark meat would be tender and juicy.

Originally, I was going to use a water bath, but all the recipes run for between 24 and 36 hours. I know my precision cooker can manage this, but I’d prefer not to use it for longer than a few hours.

I decided to use my pressure cooker, and I chose a cooking time of 25 minutes.

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker

Ingredients

  • Turkey leg (also known as a drumstick)
  • Beef stock
Turkey leg

Instructions

  1. Place the turkey leg and beef stock into the pressure cooker.
  2. Seal the lid and turn it on.
  3. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
  4. At the end of the 25 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to equalise naturally.
  5. Remove the lid and take the leg out of the cooking vessel.
  6. Strain the cooking liquor and keep in the refrigerator as a mixed species stock.
  7. Preheat the oven to a high temperature.
  8. Pat the surface of the turkey leg with absorbent paper to remove as much moisture as possible.
  9. Put the meat into the oven for a couple of minutes to brown the skin.
  10. You could use a small gas torch to melt butter over the turkey if you have one.
  11. Put the leg onto a dinner plate.
  12. If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the meat will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the leg and just bite into it. This minimises washing.
  13. If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, meat and some plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
  14. If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
  15. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this turkey leg won’t be suitable.
  16. Always give thanks to the Lord.
  17. Eat with whatever implements you prefer. Eating with your fingers is okay, in my opinion.
Turkey leg cooked in a pressure cooker
Turkey leg cooked in a pressure cooker served with avocado, butter, and olives

Thoughts on the meal

The leg was tender, and it wasn’t tough or stringy. It was filling.

I have another leg in the freezer. I may cook it in the new year.

Final thoughts

  • Do you like turkey? What is it about turkey meat that you enjoy?
  • I will try to post my Christmas meal on Monday afternoon.

Disclaimer and comments

This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.

For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.

A piece of ground full of lentils

Posted by Gary

If you don’t want to read the introduction, click here for the recipe. 

Dear Reader, 

Introduction 

Beef, beans, and lentil stew with brown rice

My inspiration for this week is last Sunday’s sermon from church. If a month has five Sundays, the church has a guest preacher with a missionary focus. Last week, we had a Royal Australian Navy chaplain preach. Although he’s not a visitor – a regular at our church – he dressed up in his uniform for the service. 

The passage he expounded on was 2 Samuel 23:8–39. As a warfighter in the ADF with deployments to combat zones, this is an excellent passage for him to preach. 

For me, a home cook, though, the relevant verse was 11. “And after him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.” 

Tonight, I’m using lentils. I also added some meat. Feel free to ignore the meat for a vegetable-only dish.  

Recipe

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker 
  • Saucepan 

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Oyster blade steak – diced 
  • Flour
  • Garlic powder
  • Garlic clove
  • Salt
  • One stalk celery 
  • A diced carrot 
  • Swiss brown mushrooms
  • One small onion – chopped 
  • One clove of garlic – chopped 
  • 200 g canned Borlotti beans 
  • 200 g canned lentils 
  • 750 mL vegetable stock 
  • 100 g crushed canned tomatoes 
  • Fresh rosemary, to taste 
  • 2–3 teaspoons curry powder, to taste 
  • Salt to taste 

Instructions 

  1. Add the oil into a high-sided saucepan, then add the chopped celery, carrot, onion and garlic clove. 
  2. Sauté together over medium heat. Add the curry powder and rosemary leaves when the onion has become translucent. 
  3. Place some flour, garlic powder, and salt into a bag.
  4. Add the steak and shake the bag to coat the meat with the dry ingredients.
  5. Transfer the sautéd vegetables to the pressure cooker vessel, add more oil, and then add the steak. 
  6. Get the steak caramelised and transfer it to the pressure cooker vessel. 
  7. Fry off the mushrooms and then add them to the pressure cooker.
  8. Pour some stock into the saucepan to remove the fond and then decant to the pressure cooker. 
  9. Add all the legumes, tomatoes, and remaining stock, and mix with a wooden spoon. 
  10. To add a kick, grind some rock salt and whole peppercorns with a pestle in a mortar, and add to the pressure cooker before sealing the lid. 
  11. Cook under pressure for about 30 minutes. 
  12. Allow the pressure to equalise naturally, and open the cover. 
  13. Spoon into a bowl along with some rice.
  14. Give thanks to the Lord. 
  15. Eat with a spoon.  

Thoughts on the meal 

A cold front from the southern ocean has been moving north across the southern parts of Australia. Snow is falling in some areas, and we’ve already had subzero mornings this week. 

This meal with some rice helped warm me from the inside. 

I will have enough leftover for the week. 

Final thoughts 

Church life has changed a lot over the last few decades. Rather than turning up with old-fashioned bibles, we open an app on our smartphone or tablet. Smart devices are the appurtenances of church culture. I’ve already started using artificial intelligence to assist in gathering information for bible study. 

I ate this meal while watching the Dolphins play the Sharks. This weekend, all the NRL games are being played in Brisbane. It was a magnificent win (36–16) for the Dolphins and their coach, Mr Bennett who has now coached 900 NRL games.

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Photographs 

A photograph of some diced onion, celery, and carrot
Onion, celery, and carrot
A photograph of some oyster blade steaks on a plate
Oyster blade steak
A photograph of some diced oyster blade steak in a bowl
Oyster blade steak – diced
A photograph of some diced oyster blade steak which has been coated in flour, garlic powder, and salt.
Oyster blade steak – diced and floured
A photograph of some diced oyster blade steak that has been coated in flour, garlic powder, and salt, and then caramelised in a fry pan.
Oyster blade steak – diced, floured, and fried
A photograph of Swiss brown mushrooms in a bowl
Swiss brown mushrooms
A photograph of lentils in a bowl
Lentils
A photograph of Borlotti beans in a bowl
Borlotti beans
A photograph of black beans in a bowl
Black beans
Beef, beans, and lentil stew with brown rice
Beef, beans, and lentil stew with brown rice
Beef, beans, and lentil stew with brown rice
Beef, beans, and lentil stew with brown rice
Beef, beans, and lentil stew with brown rice
Beef, beans, and lentil stew with brown rice
Beef, beans, and lentil stew with brown rice

What is oyster blade steak?

Oyster blade steak is a meat cut from an animal’s shoulder blade. It’s under the shoulder blade and has a tough line of connective tissue running through the middle. It is a tough and chewy muscle. 

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Beans and rice

Posted by Gary

If you do not care to read the introductory guff, click here for the recipe.

Dear Reader, 

I hope you had a good week. I had a fabulous week. Everything went swimmingly well, and it ended peacefully. 

Tonight, I am adding beans to my congee. I got the idea from Rebecca Clyde, from the Facebook group “Cooking for One”. Rebecca is a US-based registered nutritionist who shares recipes on her blog. Her recipe for beans and rice cooked in a pressure cooker caught my attention because she separated the beans and the rice in the cooking vessel. I decided against the rice and bean schism and cleaved them in congee.

I’ll have enough leftover congee for many meals and for developing resistant starches to assist my gut microbiota[1–3]. 

What have I been listening to?

Jessica Cyphers blogs about writing, teaching, and travel, and she has been sharing in her weekly newsletter some snippets from a book she’s reading, titled, The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté and his son Daniel Maté and published in 2022. Daniel narrates the audio version of the book. The subtitle for the book is Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture. Gabor is a Canadian medical practitioner who clarifies the psychosomatic basis for disease. As a specialist pathologist, I find his thesis interesting. I think clinicopathological correlation should always include psychiatric input.

In contrast to the Armour of God sermon series (sixty-eight sermons) by Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Ephesians 6:10–13, I’ve enjoyed; I am listening to 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene to understand better some behaviours I see around me. While Elon Musk does not enamour me as a person, I have more respect for the name Tesla having listened to the first seven chapters of this book.

Stuff on the screen

Did you hear about the incident with the Spanish MasterChef TV show? I imagine the contestants execrated the food managers on that occasion. I’ve not watched the Australian version of MasterChef or My Kitchen Rules for a few years because I can no longer access free-to-air TV. I don’t know if similar situations have occurred in Australia. 

One food-related program I did watch with interest is Hunger on Netflix. The actors are Thai, and the story revolves around a noodle cook invited to join the restaurant crew under a chef who attracts wealthy clientele. It is not a movie for the faint-hearted. 

Also, on Netflix, I watched Miriam Margoyles in her three-part documentary, “Almost Australian“. I watched it on Anzac Day. Coincidentally, Miriam visits Anzac Hill in Alice Springs in Episode Two. I attended a dawn service on Anzac Hill years ago during my Darwin years. Many of the crew from HMAS Arunta were present (the Arunta name and original motto, ‘Conquer or Die,’ recognise the ship’s history and ongoing relationship with the Arrernte people of Central Australia), with a RAN Chaplain officiating the service. I recommend watching Australia Unmasked.

Recipe 

Equipment 

  • Pressure cooker 
  • Air fryer 

Ingredients 

  • Brown rice – 1 cup
  • Black beans (or pinto beans) – ½ cup 
  • Vegetable stock – 2 litres 
  • Chicken thighs – 2 thighs 
  • Duck breast
  • Brussels sprouts 
  • Broccoli 
  • Salt 
  • Pepper 

Instructions 

  1. Wash the rice until the water is clear. 
  2. Wash the beans to remove grit and dirt. 
  3. Bisect the chicken thighs with a machete, cane knife, or humungous Chinese meat cleaver. 
  4. Boil the vegetable stock and add some dried porcini mushrooms until the mushrooms bloat and become tender. 
  5. Add the mushroom-enhanced stock to the pressure cooker with the rice, beans, duck, and chicken. 
  6. Cook everything for one hour. 
  7. Allow the pressure to equilibrate and open the lid. 
  8. Remove the bones from the meat, and then with a wooden spoon, mix everything so the rice, beans, and chicken are combined. 
  9. Season to taste. 
  10. Cook some halved Brussels sprouts and broccoli florets in the air fryer. 
  11. Spoon some congee into a bowl and add some soy sauce. 
  12. Serve the congee with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and some spring onions. 
  13. Give thanks to the Lord. 
  14. Eat with a spoon. 

Thoughts on the meal

Congee aficionados might object to the addition of beans. The hue of the congee was darker than normal; however, the taste was amazing. I like to experiment and try new things.

The congee was enjoyable and comforting.

Photographs

Black beans
Brown rice
Porcini mushrooms
Black beans
Brown rice
Porcini mushrooms
Chicken Duck
Chicken Duck
Chicken Duck
Rice and bean congee with mushrooms, chicken, and duck; served with Brussels sprouts and broccoli
Rice and bean congee with mushrooms, chicken, and duck; served with Brussels sprouts and broccoli
Rice and bean congee with mushrooms, chicken, and duck; served with Brussels sprouts and broccoli

What else have I eaten this week?

References

  1. Wen, J.J., et al., Resistant starches and gut microbiota. Food Chem, 2022. 387: p. 132895.
  2. DeMartino, P. and D.W. Cockburn, Resistant starch: impact on the gut microbiome and health. Curr Opin Biotechnol, 2020. 61: p. 66-71.
  3. Raigond, P., R. Ezekiel, and B. Raigond, Resistant starch in food: a review. J Sci Food Agric, 2015. 95(10): p. 1968-78.

    Lamb shank and potato mash

    Posted by Gary

    Dear Reader,

    I hope you’ve had a good week.

    Tonight’s meal isn’t anything special. Typically, I have some idea during the week what I’ll be cooking; however, this week, it wasn’t until I started grocery shopping that I decided to buy a pair of lamb shanks.

    I reached a new minimum weight today, so I thought potato mash would be a nice treat.

    Today's weight chart reveals a new minimum weight

    Recipe

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker
    • Microwave radiation oven

    Ingredients

    • Lamb shanks – two “drumsticks.”
    • Ginger marmalade – one tablespoon
    • French onion soup mix – salt-reduced version
    • Birds Eye potato mash – one packet
    • Carrot – one carrot cut into chunks.
    • Celery – a couple of stalks
    • A brown onion ­– one roughly chopped.

    Instructions

    Lamb

    1. Put the celery, carrot, and onion in the pressure cooker.
    2. Empty the French onion soup packet mix into the pressure cooker.
    3. Add the marmalade.
    4. Pour in some boiling water.
    5. Add the lamb.
    6. Cook for one hour under pressure.
    7. Remove the lid.
    8. Remove the lamb, keep one warm, and refrigerate the other.
    9. Sieve the cooking liquor and simmer to reduce it to syrup.

    Potato

    • Prepare the potato mash as per the instructions on the packaging.

    Plating up

    1. Spread the potato mash on a dinner plate.
    2. Place a lamb shank on the mash.
    3. Spoon some of the syrup over the lamb.
    4. Give thanks to the Lord.
    5. Eat with a fork.

    Photographs

    Lamb shank with potato mash and carrot served with Buderim ginger marmalade sauce
    Lamb shank with potato mash and carrot served with Buderim ginger marmalade sauce
    Lamb shank with potato mash and carrot served with Buderim ginger marmalade sauce
    Lamb shank with potato mash and carrot served with Buderim ginger marmalade sauce
    Lamb shank with potato mash and carrot served with Buderim ginger marmalade sauce
    Lamb shank with potato mash and carrot served with Buderim ginger marmalade sauce

    Final thoughts

    Have a good week. Catch you next Saturday.

    Extras

    I recently bought an air fryer so I will try duck breast in the air fryer tomorrow.

    Dry brining duck breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder

    I’ll cook this duck breast in a water bath sometime during the week. It’s currently in the freezer with some navel orange and golden syrup.

    Duck breast with navel orange and golden syrup in a vacuum bag

    Pork meat for the week

    Posted by Gary

    Dear Reader, 

    I hope you have enjoyed a peaceful and trouble-free week. 

    Tonight, I’m cooking a simple pork dish to set up this coming week with leftover meat. 

    I had initially thought I might cook beef short ribs and have pulled beef, but the supermarket didn’t have any short ribs to my liking. 

    I’m also making a reduction sauce from marmalade and French onion soup mix to keep the meat moist and succulent. 

    On pork, a paper from the journal, Antibiotics made headlines this week in the media that I focus on professionally. A group looked for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in poultry and pork in Kenya. High quantities of bacteria contaminated 98.4% of pork and 96.6% poultry from the 393 samples collected. From 611 bacterial isolates, 38.5% were multi-drug resistant. It is worrying that supermarket poultry and pork in Kenya contain bacteria resistant to antimicrobials used for humans and livestock.[1]

    The selection of pork in the meat display at Coles is reasonable. I was looking for a shoulder roll but then saw porchetta. 

    I know there is a traditional way of cooking porchetta. I am choosing the Yummy Lummy approach. Most people would dry the rind overnight in the refrigerator and slowly cook it in a low oven. 

    I wasn’t interested in all that faffing about. I went with speed and power. 

    I confessed my food crime to a dear friend who is Italian. She has shared recipes for lasagne and eggplant parmigiana with me. She sent me a laughing emoji, so I didn’t feel bad. 

    Cooking pork, as I did, also reduces the risk of urinary tract infection.[2] 

    Recipe 

    Equipment 

    • Pressure cooker 

    Ingredients 

    • Porchetta 
    • Marmalade – I elected to use Bundaberg ginger marmalade. 
    • French onion soup mix – I chose the low-sodium product. 
    • White peach 
    • Navel orange 
    • Red cabbage 
    • Broccoli 

    Instructions 

    1. Put the porchetta into the pressure cooker cooking vessel. 
    2. Boil a kettle and mix the French onion soup to about 2 L. 
    3. Stir through two tablespoons of marmalade. 
    4. Pour the marmalade and soup mix over the pork. 
    5. Cook under high pressure for 1 hour. 
    6. Put the pork into a plastic container, and refrigerate. 
    7. Sieve the cooking liquor and slowly boil it to reduce it to a sweet sauce. 
    8. Par boil the cabbage and broccoli. 
    9. Quarter the peach and orange. 
    10. Cut a slice of pork and arrange all the food on a plate. 
    11. Drizzle the marmalade and French onion soup sauce over the pork. 
    12. Give thanks to the Lord. 
    13. Eat with a knife and fork. 

    Thoughts on the meal

    I found this meal satisfactory for my purposes. It’s an adequate meal for one person. 

    I now have enough meat to get me through the week. 

    Final thoughts

    Would you consider what I did to the porchetta a food crime? 

    Would you cook porchetta in a pressure cooker? 

    Photographs

    Porchetta
    Porchetta
    Pressure cooker porchetta
    Pressure cooker porchetta
    Pressure cooker porchetta with red cabbage, broccoli, white peach, and navel orange with a drizzle of marmalade and French onion soup sauce.
    Pressure cooker porchetta with red cabbage, broccoli, white peach, and navel orange with a drizzle of marmalade and French onion soup sauce.
    Pressure cooker porchetta with red cabbage, broccoli, white peach, and navel orange with a drizzle of marmalade and French onion soup sauce.
    Pressure cooker porchetta with red cabbage, broccoli, white peach, and navel orange with a drizzle of marmalade and French onion soup sauce.
    Pressure cooker porchetta with red cabbage, broccoli, white peach, and navel orange with a drizzle of marmalade and French onion soup sauce.
    Pressure cooker porchetta with red cabbage, broccoli, white peach, and navel orange with a drizzle of marmalade and French onion soup sauce.

    References

    1.         Muinde, P., et al., Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens Detected in Raw Pork and Poultry Meat in Retailing Outlets in Kenya. Antibiotics, 2023. 12(3): p. 613.

    2.         Liu, C.M., et al., Using source-associated mobile genetic elements to identify zoonotic extraintestinal E. coli infections. One Health, 2023: p. 100518.