Thursday, February 10, 2011

Pressure Cooker Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

This post is part of our update of meals from the past few months using recipes based on published recipes. Please be aware that we've bent the recipes to our will. If you'd like the original recipe, have a look at the cook book linked in the post.

One of my favourite meals is meatloaf, but I rarely have much success cooking it. Generally, it's not finished in the time specified in my recipes. While I ran into that same problem again (probably due to using too much meat -- I love meatloaf leftovers), my pressure-cooked meatloaf was fantastic. I found Meatloaf with Cheddar-Smashed Potatoes (p133) in Lorna Sass' Pressure Perfect. Next time, I'll try replacing half of the ground beef with another ground meat like pork, chicken, or turkey.


6L Pressure Cooker -- 12 minutes and quick release.

Meatloaf
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 medium onion -- finely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper -- finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup parsley -- I used that stuff from a tube
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats (or dry bread crumbs)
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese
  • 1.5 tsp Italian herbs (store bought blend, or 1/2 teaspoon each of oregano, basil, rosemary -- preferably ground together in a mortar and pestle)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 5-10 peppercorns -- coarsely ground with mortar and pestle
  • 4 thin slices of prosciutto
  • 1.5 lbs of normal or lean ground beef (not very lean or loaf will be dry)
  • ketchup
  • mustard
Potatoes
  • 3 lbs russet (baking) potatoes -- peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 2 cups of water (or 1 cup water, 1 cup broth)
  • 1.5 cups cheddar cheese -- shredded
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • salt and pepper
Directions
  • Coat the bottom and sides of steaming basket with oil from dried tomatoes. (Note: basket must have holes in the bottom.)
  • Beat eggs in large bowl.
  • Add onions, bell pepper, parsley, oats, tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, garlic, peppercorns, cheese.
  • Stir.
  • Add meat and mix with your hands until blended.
  • Place meat in a ball in steaming basket and flatten. Be sure to fill basket evenly.
  • Spread thin layer of ketchup over top of meatloaf.
  • Place prosciutto over top of meatloaf, and tuck in edges so they don't hang over the edge of the basket.
  • Spread thin layer of ketchup over top of prosciutto.
  • Squeeze drops of mustard on top of ketchup.
  • Pour water into pressure cooker.
  • Place potatoes into water.
  • Place steaming basket with meatloaf on potatoes.
  • Lock lid and bring to high heat.
  • When high pressure is reached, cook 12 minutes.
  • Turn off heat.
  • Quick release pressure.
  • Remove potatoes and place in a large bowl.
  • Make sure the meat is cooked. A thermometer should read 155 F, or cut into the centre of the loaf and make sure it looks cooked (meat shouldn't look shiny). I used about 2 lbs of meat and needed 10-15 minutes more cook time.
  • If not cooked, lock lid and bring back to high heat. Cook under high pressure in 5 minute batches until cooked. (In my case it was very uncooked, and I could have done 10 minutes right away.)
  • When done, rest in basket for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, coarsely mash potatoes.
  • Add milk and cheese (or add cooking liquid instead of milk).
  • Mash to desired smoothness.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve slices of meatloaf with ketchup and potatoes.
The prosciutto turned out great: it was a little bit crispy and not chewy.
The rest of the meatloaf in the steaming basket.

No comments: