Our Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven....WOW!

[ROGER4314]

I can't deny that the Pork was very good! It was moist and tender.

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[karlac]

I can't deny that the Pork was very good! It was moist and tender.

You're wearing me down ... to the point of checking out the local Kohls.

Being the cook in the family (wife is from AR, where seasonings and educational materials are not allowed across the state line)I like to cook like you've been doing. Roasting various meats for use during the week's meals.

I'm weakening...

 

[ROGER4314]

I was a strong anti Pucker when Bonnie was yakking at me about it. The ads with the squealing women and Wolfgang saying "It tastes like LOVE!" totally turned me off.

Once I got my Pucker, I realized how much versatility it had and that it was very hard to screw up an entre'. I'll see a cut of meat on sale, come up with a plan like tossing sweet potato wedges in the pan, sprinkle this and that on the meat then shut the oven door. If my guess is wrong, and the meat isn't completely cooked, I slap it back in the oven for a while. The oven is so easy to work with that it's totally predictable...............unlike a conventional oven or a pressure cooker.

Except for the first effort, I haven't opened a cookbook a single time and every run is an experiment. I make notes so I can refine and improve each session. Cruising by the spice counters in the stores is a new experience. I have a massive supply of spices and I'm always looking for more options.

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[ROGER4314]

Tonight, I took the meat off of three chicken legs, spread guacamole on large tortillas, and split the chicken meat between the two tortillas. Add salsa, tomato, cheese, a sprinkling of lime juice and Nuke it for a bit........... then I have a feast!

Tomorrow, I'll take some pork, sprinkle some BBQ sauce on it, open a can of carrots or beans then follow with some fruit.

Notice that I have two entree's cooked and stored then combine them with other stuff to provide a little variety.

There are better meals but I focus on fast, easy and simple meals. Eat well, make large batches of the main entree and don't work too hard in preparing it. Clean up as you go and cooking is a breeze!

I still have 3 slabs of spare ribs, pork steaks and one roast left. Been looking for a whole chicken or a pork loin on sale for the next selections.

The pork loin will take just over an hour and the chicken will take about the same. That takes care of the entree for several meals.

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[ROGER4314]

On Friday 1-26, I took a whole chicken of 6.17 pounds and Pucked it. It cooked at 450 degrees under pressure for one hour. It was very well done and 50 minutes would probably been plenty of time. Since I planned to make Burritos and other dishes with the meat, the fact that it was falling off the bone was even better.

I used a chicken seasoning that I picked up at JoVees and it came out real tasty.

Saturday, I got the damned flu. It wasn't what is described locally. Severe back and joint pain, congestion, cough and very tired. No stomach or intestinal issues but I didn't feel like eating.

Luckily, I stocked up on Chicken Noodle and Clam Chowder soups. During the worst of the flu, I took some of the chicken and dropped it into the soup. That gave me some extra protein so I got through it, OK. It's Monday night and things are much better.

Tonight, I made two terrific chicken burritos. Yum!

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[Lucas Mccain]

That chicken sounds like the perfect for chicken and dumplings if you don't want to take the time to boil the chicken. Just put the chicken in a some store bought broth and drop in some dumplings and you have a meal for a few days.

 

[ROGER4314]

You're on the right road! This crap where a meal must be drudgery and the cleanup immense is just BS. That's what chases families into restaurants to eat. I want large, quick, easy meals that are easy to clean up. Having plenty of left overs is the best plan!

When I retired, I took a close look at where I was spending my money. Eating in restaurants was a giant sucking sound on my finances! That crap is over!

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[karlac]

Eating in restaurants was a giant sucking sound on my finances! That crap is over!

Two glasses of iced tea will add $6 to your bill in most eateries these days.

 

[Lucas Mccain]

For dumplings just buy some store bought biscuits and tear off pieces to the size you like then all you do is throw away the can. We are the same way, we like to eat at home as much as possible and we have a 14 yo son who is about to be 15 and eats like a horse so we alway have to have food around so if I can make double of something and use it in different ways through out the week then I do. If you make a pork butt you can turn it into pulled pork sandwiches, pork nachos, tacos, burritos, and I even like making pasta and put the store bought alfredo sauce on with pork on top. Good stuff.

 

[Lucas Mccain]

Two glasses of iced tea will add $6 to your bill in most eateries these days.

For the 3 of us in my family if we order 3 drinks and leave a tip your looking at over $20 right there. Then meals are around $10-$15 depening on where you go, so our tab is easily $50-$60 and it's not uncommon for me to have a $70 tab just if we eat out at a place like Bostons. I can go get organic rib eye steaks and all the sides for under $20. We have a qtr cow butchered every year which puts all of our beef at around $3.25 a lb including the expensive cuts like porterhouse. We just don't buy the qtr that has the ribeyes because it's to fatty and I really don't want to pay a lot for cuts of meat like brisket and chuck so if we do get ribeyes we buy it from central market.

 

[karlac]

For the 3 of us in my family if we order 3 drinks and leave a tip your looking at over $20 right there. Then meals are around $10-$15 depening on where you go, so our tab is easily $50-$60 and it's not uncommon for me to have a $70 tab just if we eat out at a place like Bostons. I can go get organic rib eye steaks and all the sides for under $20. We have a qtr cow butchered every year which puts all of our beef at around $3.25 a lb including the expensive cuts like porterhouse. We just don't buy the qtr that has the ribeyes because it's to fatty and I really don't want to pay a lot for cuts of meat like brisket and chuck so if we do get ribeyes we buy it from central market.

The price of groceries these days is astounding. Packaging smaller and price almost doubles at the same time.

While I just bank it myself, compare that to the $35 COLA on the first 2015 SS check that came yesterday, which has less of an impact than a popcorn fart in hurricane for those who have to rely on it.

What makes this puck bulk cooking of Flash's all the more appealing.

 

[ROGER4314]

If you want a shock, just add up what you spend on restaurant food for ONE week! I was horrified! What a ripoff!

This entire thread has been about quick, easy meals with easy cleanup. The meals create lots of leftovers that your imagination will make new and palatable meals for CHEAP!

The next trick is to Puck 5.34 pounds of chicken legs. I paid WAY too much for those legs....$1.34/pound, but I was in a hurry and passed up on a trip to Jo-Vees to get their legs at .79/pound.

There are three slabs of ribs still in the freezer (at $1.49/pound) to alternate with. I pop open a can of carrots, beans or corn and follow up with fruit cocktail. I'd cook fresh veggies but I just don't care to fool with that!

I eat all that I want, have lost 8 pounds and my finances are great! I LAUGH when I pass the fancy restaurants in Baytown. The last time that I paid for a sit down meal was in October for my BD at Hartz Chicken Dump to get their gizzards and livers. I snagged a Senior discount and paid about $9.

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[ROGER4314]

Picked up three packages of Country Style Ribs for $1.79/pound at Thriftee's today. I chucked two in the freezer and I'll Puck one tomorrow. They were beautiful! Each package will take care of 3 entrees and I'll rotate those on the daily menu with the chicken legs.

Tonight, it's gonna be Chicken burritos made with the Pucked, whole chicken meat.

Stocked up on Chicken Noodle and Clam Chowder soups for the nasty weather, ahead. I'll toss Pucked chicken in the Chicken Noodle soup. Gotta make some corn bread, too.

Easy menus....easy cookin'

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[Lucas Mccain]

Krogers has pork butts for $1.99lb. I got one on the Big Green Egg right now smoking.

 

[ROGER4314]

Good info! I checked their ad and missed it.

I'm going back to Thriftee's today to snag some more of those Country style ribs. Those suckers are real meaty and super easy to cook!

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[Lucas Mccain]

I wish there was a Thriftee's around here. That's a good price on them. I smoke those too.

 

[TheDan]

For dumplings just buy some store bought biscuits and tear off pieces to the size you like then all you do is throw away the can.

yuck... Biscuits are easy and just take a couple min to make. All you need is 2 cups self rising flour, 1/3 cup shortening, and a splash of milk. Cut in the shortening until well blended with the flour and add about a half cup or less of milk. You want it to be a little sticky, but not too sticky.

 

[ROGER4314]

I Pucked three pounds of Country style ribs tonight. 40 minutes didn't give me the internal temp that i wanted so I Pucked them for 10 more minutes. Internal temp was 180+, then. 40 minutes may have been enough, but I want that pork well done!

Brushed BBQ sauce on them while the Puck heated up to 450 degrees. Put the ribs in for about 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. The ribs were great and I have four more packages of them to alternate with chicken. I'll get two more meals out of that package of CS ribs.

I looked at some beef today. Are you stinkin' kidding me? Prices were insane! I bought my first Schwinn bicycle (used) for what two steaks cost! Looks like pork & chicken will be on the menu for quite a while!

This may LOOK like a lot of work, but the Pucker is so darned easy to use, that I chuck the food inside, set a timer and go do something else 'til the timer goes off.

I took a flashlight and found some baked on crap inside the Pucker that I hadn't noticed. I used Windex and a Scotch Brite pad to slick it up a bit. I don't like to do that chore but it will keep the Pucker squared away.

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[ROGER4314]

Bonnie & I snagged an appointment to have our taxes done so I invited her for dinner afterwards. I didn't have enough food to scrape together for two meals tonight, so we Pucked a package of Country style ribs that I had in the fridge. 50 minutes @ 350 under pressure and a bit more to set the BBQ sauce. They were really good!

We had dinner in 1 hour. The pucker was clean and neat except for the grid that the ribs sat on. The pan was lined with foil so it was an easy cleanup.

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[ROGER4314]

My freezer is full but I couldn't resist the Thriftee sale on St Louis ribs at $1.99/pound. I bought 4 slabs of them! The best part i s that they were wrapped in that very heavy plastic packaging and the "sell by" dates were 3-10 and 3-11! I have a whole month to figure out what to do with them.

My fridge hovers just above freezing (34-36 degrees) and I have very accurate thermocouple thermometers to maintain those settings. That provides maximum shelf life for the food inside.

Most of the other food is down the hatch with plenty of the 7 pound pork roast remaining. I thought about making BBQ sandwiches but I don't want the bread in the diet. We'll figure it out.

The last of the chicken went to chicken burritos and the country style ribs are gone, too. Boy, they're good!

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