The pressure cooker has made the cooking routine easy and modified our methods, thanks to its quick and fast working service. Have you ever thought if it is okay to add oil to a pressure cooker? If yes, you are at the right place. Adding oil to a pressure cooker is not easy as it seems. You can add it for sauteing but not deep frying inside the cooker. The main question that comes to mind is if it’s safe or not. In addition, there are ways to cook food in a pressure cooker, but before that, you will have to understand your pot to cook food so that they do not become troublesome later on.
Let’s explore more!
Can you add oil to the Pressure Cooker?
If you want to know if it is safe to add oil to the pressure, you need to understand the mechanism of the cooker. When a liquid is added to the pressure cooker and is heated to a good temperature, it starts to form steam, and pressure is generated inside it. This rising pressure has two benefits.
Firstly, it allows the food inside the cooker to cook at a good speed and become properly cooked. Secondly, the better the boiling point, the better the food is cooked; for meats, they become soft and tender.
As in this case, we use the term ‘pressure cooking, ‘ meaning that food does not need a liquid to be properly cooked since the pressure generates steam and the food cooks surprisingly well. Also, the cooked food would not stick to the pot; thus, you do not require oil for it, unlike the deep fryer. If you want something deep fried, you should use a pressure fryer or deep fryer, for that matter.
What other liquids can be used as a replacement for oil in the pressure cooker?
Water is easily available and used according to the food, but many other options could be used instead of oil. You can use Beer, Wine, Vegetable Juices, Marinades, Soy-sauces, and Vinegar. Hence, they will work the same way but add amazing flavors to the food, especially the meat inside the pressure cooker. Therefore, they might be a better option for a pressure cooker.
Furthermore, adding these liquids does not cause immediate crispiness and browning of the meat, which is a good sign since they avoid burning the meat. So these liquids can be a great interchangeable choice for oils that tends to sear the meat.
When should you use oil in the pressure cooker?
Oil should only be used when you want to make that meat brown before you cook it. Should I keep going? Sauteing and browning is done to provide a good taste and that crispy texture to the meat making it more delicious. But to do that, you might want to look at the pressure cooker if it shows browning/sauteing functions. If it has this function, follow these steps to sauté the meat in the pressure cooker.
Steps for cooking meat using oil in a pressure cooker:
- Prep the meat before you add it. Bring its temperature to the room.
- Dry it and add your seasoning and let it marinate for some time.
- Select the browning feature on the pressure cooker.
- Add a tablespoon of oil. Choose a healthy form of oil.
- Add the meat carefully and let it cook for half hour to a quarter.
- Before taking it out, make sure every side is cooked.
- Lastly, if you want to add oil, ensure you only add a few tablespoons and not more. You can dish out the chicken when it is brown.
What type of oil could be used in the pressure cooker?
There is a whole discussion on what oils are good for cooking which could be added to the cooker. If you are planning to add oils, you should be aware of their smoking point since certain oils and butter cause good browning of the meats. Does this sound familiar? Also, the pressure cooker reaches a smoking point at a pretty good rate; therefore, your cooking oil can get that temperature quite fast. If it happens quickly, you might need to take the meat out since it will add burnt meat, and its flavor will be altered.
Want to know a secret? If you plan to add oils, you can consider using Sunflower, Avocado, Safflower, Peanut, and Extra Virgin Oil. These oils have good smoking points and will not add burning flavors to the meat, thus keeping your chicken tender, crisply, and full of flavors. Also, these oils will not be burnt immediately, preventing the meat’s quality.
What happens when the meat is cooked using oil in the pressure cooker?
Do you want to know more? When you add oil to the pressure cooker, the oil’s heat vaporizes the moisture making the meat brown and crispy. The more you fry it, the more the crust becomes crispy, thus giving that texture. The humidity is lost; hence the crisp coat is seen.
If you keep on frying it, it may start to burn the chicken layer and would not be fit for consumption. Also, the inner parts of the meat get way too dried up and become hard, which is not easy to bite. Also, suppose you use a big cooker. When you start frying at a very hot temperature, the outer layer of the chicken may get crispy immediately, leaving the inner meat uncooked, which can be carcinogenic to the health. So, you know what’s the problem.
Conclusion
Summarizing the article, you might know a lot about how oil could be used in the pressure cooker. So, to answer the real statement of adding oil to the pressure cooker, yes, you can fulfill certain requirements. Also, oil is not a substitute for other liquids since a pressure cooker will allow the cooking of food using other fluids correctly and perfectly.
Furthermore, oil in the pressure cooker is acceptable to some extent but not to all. It will make delicious meat for you but also allows inconvenience. Hence, it would be best if you were very careful of the oil you use since it can cause burning or ruin your dish easily. Moreover, the amount of fat added does matter. You should not add more than a few tablespoons.
