Spiral Sliced Ham Steam Roasted in the Pressure Cooker

When I tell people about how quick and easy it is to cook all kinds of foods in today's modern pressure cookers, a ham -- gammon to my friends across the sea -- is probably not something they've ever thought about, and certainly not a spiral cut ham. Those who have tried to pressure cook a ham, most likely drowned it in water, boiled it to death, and then proudly served that rubbery ham at dinner. Eeek!

Let me show you a better way

The Steam Roasting method is an excellent way to cook meats in the dry, superheated steam of the modern pressure cooker with their precision pressure valves. Yes, I said 'dry'. When foods are elevated above a minimum amount of water, the steam is actually very dry so the surface of the food stays drier too. The meat looks more like it was cooked in the oven when you Steam Roast rather than boiling it.

For this recipe I'm using a 4lb. fully cooked spiral cut ham, this cut of ham that is very popular and readily available in every supermarket. The directions say to cook in the oven for 18 minutes per pound at 325°F., or about 1 hour and 12 minutes, but by using the pressure cooker, I'm going to cut that down to -- wait for it! -- just 14 minutes! Why, you ask in amazement... how is this miracle possible?

Well, it really very simple. If you look closely at any spiral cut ham, you'll see that it's not a solid piece of meat like a whole ham, but just a stack of thin slices of ham that are barely held together by a minimal attachment to the hambone. So essentially, we are only cooking a bunch of thin ham slices until they are heated all the way through to the bone in the middle... minutes, yes?

Place the ham cut side down in a steamer basket to make it easier to lift it out of the cooker. Most pressure cookers come with such accessories, but if you don't have one, then just use the foil Helper Handles under the ham instead.

I brushed on a little sweet/hot mustard over the surface of my ham to help keep the edges moist. Try some natural fruit preserves made without added sugar -- blackberry mixed with hot mustard is really good -- but any sort of glaze adds a nice flavor and appearance. If you like to use jams, honey, maple syrup or molasses, remember that the heat will just make the sugars melt and run off. The trick then, is to wait until the ham comes out of the pressure cooker and then brush on your sugary glazes and pop it under the broiler for a few minutes. This way you you can keep basting as the sugars caramelize.

Ready for more?

Pork Chops and Baked Potatoes with Salsa Sauce

Costco. I love it... I hate it; don't you?

I try not to go too often, and the fact that the huge warehouse store is located w-a-a-a-y over on the other side of town, keeps my trips down to about once a month. All right, truth be told, I'm a Costco addict and when the urge strikes a pack of saber-toothed tigers couldn't keep me away!

There, happy now?

Back to my trek through the hallowed aisles of the mega-giant store where I joined the milling masses of wide-eyed shoppers eager to part with cash, checks and credit cards. There I was, weaving my way past shelves that were just chock full of everything from the mundane and practical, the strange and the wonderfully bizarre. I'm on a mission, so I passed by everything with great determination not the browse... I want FOOD!

My destination is the meat section, where the mad butchers of Costco have gleefully laid out their bloody trays of raw flesh to tempt carnivores and cooks of every sort. Ah-ha! There's what I want... that huge, battalion-sized flat of extra thick, boneless, center loin pork chops. Mine... all mine!

Since many of my readers have been asking for recipes that only serve one or two portions, I decided that would be the goal of today's recipe. You can easily double the quantity or even substitute another cut of pork chops as long it is similar in thickness, which would be about 1 1/2 inches.
Okay, let's get cookin'! Here's our ingredients,
all prepped and measured -- a good thing todo so you don't leave out anything -- now we're ready to go. Oh boy, just look at those thick, yummy pork chops!
Not too complicated in the prep department, just some herbs and spices for a flavor boost, and some prepared salsa... c'mon, you can do this, so let's get cookin'!

Here's my lovely thick chops, well seasoned and nicely browned. The pile of caramelized onions and herbs that will form the base of the flavorful sauce. Oh, did I mention the flavor!

You can find out more about how to do browning and sauteing on the website.
Add all the ingredients all the ingredients exept the potatoes to the pressure cooker so the chops are nestled all comfy like in the flavorful sauce. This is a good example of how to use the Infusion Cooking method to make a rich and flavorful braise in the pressure cooker. To braise the chops the salsa, onions and the herb screate a delicious, flavorful and aromatic sauce using the Infusion Cooking method.

You can find out more about how to do all the different pressure cooking techniques used in this recipe, as well as other advanced pressure
cooking methods on the website.

This recipe also uses Tiered Cooking technique, stacking several foods so they cook separately to make a complete meal that cooks in one pot with no stirring. I'm placing the cooking rack on TOP of the chops to form a platform for the potatoes because I want them steam roasted, not braised. What... you thought the rack only works on the bottom?
See how the Tiered Cooking method is used in this recipe to allow me to use two different cooking techniques at the same time and in the same pot: I'm also using Steam Roasting to bake the potatoes.

Hungry? All right, here's my plate... where's yours?


Pork Chops and Baked Potatoes with Salsa Sauce

1 T olive oil

salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 extra thick cut boneless pork chops

1/3 c chopped cilantro

1/2 c chopped onions

2 T minced garlic

1 T dried oregano

1 cup chunky salsa

4 medium potatoes

1/2 c water

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker. Rub salt and pepper into the chops and brown them on both sides. Saute the onions and garlic until soft and caramelized to a golden brown. Set aside. Add the water to the not cooker and deglaze, scraping up any stuck-on browned bits. Stir in the salsa, cilantro and oregano, and place the chops in the sauce. Place a rack or steamer tray on top of the chops and arrange the potatoes. Lock the
lid in place. Bring to 15psi over high heat, immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting to stabilize and maintain that pressure. Cook 12
minutes. Remove from heat and use the natural release method before opening the lid. Transfer the chops to individual serving plates. Make 2-3 cuts in each potato to open them up and spoon some of that spicy salsa sauce over the top.

Mexican Pork Stew with Tomatillos

Guisado de Puerco con Tomatillos (Mexican Pork Stew with Tomatillos)

Use your food processor to cut the prep time and serve this popular Mexican dish to the hungry crowd at your house. This is a good opportunity to try the interesting additions of tomatillos, and some mild Mexican chili peppers that will add flavor but only a touch of heat.

2 1/2 lb boneless pork, cut into large 2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
6 tomatillos, chopped
2 mild chili peppers (Anaheim, poblano, pasilla), seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer
1 (16-ounce) container salsa,
Heat the oil in the pressure cooker, brown the meat on all sides in small batches over medium-high heat. Once each batch is browned, set aside in a bowl to reserve the drippings. Saute onion, stirring until soft, add the tomatillos and peppers. Add the beer to the cooker to deglaze the pot, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return meat to pan and stir in the salsa, garlic, cilantro, chili powder. Lock the lid in place. Bring to 15psi over high heat, immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting to stabilize and maintain that pressure. Cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and use the natural release method before opening the lid. Serve over mashed potatoes, cooked egg-noodles, fluffy white rice, or try is spooned over crushed corn chips. As a garnish, I like a spoonful of sour cream and some extra salsa. Makes about 4-5 servings.

Did you try it?