Let your Instant Pot do the hard work
by Heather Berry  |  hberry@ruralmissouri.coop

Barbecue Ribs

1 rack baby back ribs
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
A few drops of liquid smoke
1/3 cup (or more) of your favorite BBQ sauce     (we used Sweet Baby Ray’s)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs with a paper towel. Season the ribs with generous amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Place 1 cup of cold water (or apple cider vinegar), liquid smoke and a trivet (rack) in the pressure cooker. Place the ribs on top of the trivet. Close lid and pressure cook on high for 18 to 25 minutes. Adjust the timing according to your preference: 18 minutes (tender with a bit of chew) to 25 minutes (fall off the bone tender). Turn off the heat and allow steam to release on it’s own.

While the ribs are cooking in the pressure cooker, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Brush your favorite barbecue sauce all over the ribs on all sides including the bones. Place the ribs on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Best served hot.

Teriyaki Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 6 chicken thighs)
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup wate
2/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons corn starch plus 3 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Diced green onion tops, for garnish

Place chicken in Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Whisk together soy sauce, water, honey, garlic, rice vinegar, ground ginger and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.

Place lid on Instant Pot, turn vent to seal. Press manual button and set timer to 35 minutes for frozen chicken, 30 minutes for thawed. When Instant Pot beeps to signal end of cooking time, allow a natural release until the float valve sinks.

Remove lid, transfer chicken to a bowl and shred with two forks. Use a slotted spoon to remove any pieces of fat in the Instant Pot left over from the chicken. Set Instant Pot to “soup” setting. Once liquid comes to a boil, stir together corn starch and water and whisk into the sauce until thickened. Stir in sesame seeds.

Turn off Instant Pot, transfer shredded chicken back to the pressure cooker and stir to coat in the sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion tops when serving. Note: We chose to serve over prepared steamed rice with diced carrots and peas.

Mom’s Pot Roast

2 tablespoons canola oil
3 pounds round or chuck roast, trimmed
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium red onions, quartered
3 medium garlic cloves
1 small bag baby carrots
1 cup jarred pepperoncini salad peppers, plus 2 tablespoons extra liquid from jar
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons butter
1-ounce packet ranch dressing mix
Prepared egg noodles or mashed potatoes

Select saute setting on your Instant Pot, then select high temperature setting and allow to preheat. Add oil to cooker. Pat roast dry, then sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper. Add roast; cook, turning often, until browned, 10 minutes. Remove from cooker. Add onions and garlic to cooker. Cook 2 minutes, stirring often to scrape browned bits, until just softened. Press cancel button, then add browned roast, carrots, peppers, broth, butter and contents of the ranch dressing mix packet.

Cover cooker with lid, and lock in place. Turn steam release handle to sealing position. Select manual setting, then select high pressure for 55 minutes. (It will take 8 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure before cooking starts.)

When time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove lid; transfer roast to a serving platter with a lip. Stir pepperoncini juice into juices in cooker. Top roast with onion mixture; pour juices in cooker over mixture. Sprinkle with herbs. Serve with hot mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Chicken and Dumplings

2-1/2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless and cubed
Coarse kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 stalks celery, diced
2-1/4 cups flour
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
In a medium bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Turn an Instant Pot on to the sauté setting. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and let heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in two batches, without crowding, and cook until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.

Add the wine and scrape to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of the flour and stir to combine. (The mixture will be thick.) Add the chicken stock and water; stir until well combined. Return the reserved chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot.

Meanwhile, in a second medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, thyme leaves and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In a small saucepan or liquid measuring cup in the microwave, heat the milk and butter until the butter is melted; season with black pepper. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Drop the dough, about 1 tablespoon at a time, into the chicken mixture in the pot. Cover and cook on high pressure until the dumplings are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed bowls and garnish with additional thyme. Serve immediately.

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