The truth about infusion cooking
Originally, the term infusion is used as the way of preparing herbs,
wherein a tablespoon or two of your choice of dried or fresh herbs are
“infused” or placed in water or oil. It is then strained after 10
minutes and the botanical is removed, leaving the oil to be used in
different formulas. When it comes to pressure cooker recipes, the
“infusion” is defined as the way flavors from liquids like wine and
stock penetrate the solid ingredients.
Since pressure cookers are now becoming popular again, some companies
are calling their cookers as “infusion cookers” and charging a hefty
price for it, claiming that you can now prepare foods quickly without
sacrificing the time it takes for the flavors to sink into the meat.
You’ve probably seen these marketing ploys in infomercial of the
so-called “new generation infusion cookers,” which in reality, was
designed and works exactly like the good old-fashioned pressure cookers.
In short, aside from the $500 price, infusion cookers are the same thing
as your 50-dollar pressure cookers.
How does the ‘infusion’ work on a Pressure Cooker?
Now that you know you can simply buy pressure cookers starting at 50
bucks to do everything the ‘infusion cookers’ claim to do, here’s how
the method works.
All pressure cookers, regardless of brand, infuse flavors of liquid into
meat as they are cooked. The only secret to this so-called infusing
cooking is to cook food you want to mix well with flavors in a
well-seasoned liquid, instead of just plain water. By using a
combination of seasonings, spices, herbs and other flavor-enhancing
liquids in marinating foods, you can encourage the liquid mixture to
penetrate into solid foods, creating richer gravy naturally.
Be aware that infusion cooking is usually recommended when a dish calls
for thinner cuts of meat, such as steaks and small pieces of chicken. It
may not be as effective for recipes that require thicket meat pieces.
If you have thin slices of steaks, you can force the herbs and spices
into the meat by simply using a pressure cooker. You can do this by
adding a tablespoon of oil on the cooker and adding the streaks until
brown. You then add the marinade, which may include your choice of
sauce, fruit juices, herbs and enough water to make half-a-cup of liquid
mixture. Taste and add herbs as you see it fit, then bring to pressure,
cooking for about 10 minutes. Once the time is up, you’ll have savory
steak that seemed like it has been marinated overnight.
All recipes that call for water can be substituted with marinade to
enhance the dish. The best thing about infusion cooking using pressure
cooker is that you’ll always get flavorful meat inside-out every time.
How to Avoid Infusing Flavors
Cooking under pressure intensifies flavor of any cooking liquid. This
is also the reason why it is recommended to cut back on spices, herbs,
sauces, seasonings and wine, especially when adapting traditional
recipes to the pressure cooker. However, if you don’t want the meat
infused, you can simply put the meat on the rack above the liquid while
being cooked under pressure. Some people even place solids in aluminum
foil, so that the meat would only be cooked in the steam.
Now that you know there’s nothing special about the sky-high-priced
infusion cookers, aren’t you glad you didn’t fall for a marketing ploy
made by some infomercials?
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