Friday, September 26, 2008

Shredded Chipotle Chicken w/rice and beans....using "bone in" cuts of meat

Have I mentioned that I love my freakin' pressure cooker? I swear, if you don't use one, get in the habit, because it has changed my cooking life. No other tool helps me cook more balanced nutritious meals, inexpensively and quickly like the pressure cooker. In fact, I'm so convinced of it's value that I'm willing to put together some sort of pressure cooker classes/lessons, in my own kitchen for anyone interested in hands on learning! So there it is....if you live within driving distance of me and want to learn more about this type of cooking then shoot me a comment or e-mail and let's get these PC parties started!

One of the great things about the pressure cooker is that if you use meat with the bone you create your own stock at the same time as you cook. In other words, like this chicken, rice and bean meal, everything is cooked in the stock made by the bones in the chicken leg/thighs. Talk about adding in precious nutrition....and meat with the bone is less expensive!

Shredded Chipotle Chicken w/rice and beans

Pre soak 1 c. black beans overnight, or bring water to a boil, turn off heat, soak beans covered for 1 hour prior. Drain soaking liquid.

olive oil, 1-2 tbl
onion, large (always, lol)
garlic, 2-4 cloves chopped or minced
canned chipotle peppers, 2-4


Saute onion in oil for 5-10 min.(on high), add garlic for one minute. Add chipotles with some of the adobo sauce, but leave the chipotles whole, so you can remove them easier after cooking.. Add,

2-6 large chicken leg and thigh pieces, skin removed
1 c. pre-soaked black beans (or any bean, I think I used pintos also)
1 c. rice (I use brown rice)
4-6 cups water to cover

You can add about 1/2 t. salt at this point, or wait to season aferwards.

Place lid on PC, bring pressure to high, cook for 25 min., let pressure come down naturally....remove large chipotle (their job is done, lol!), adjust final seasoning and that's it. You don't have to shred the chicken, it will, literally, fall of the bones.


I kept the dish soupy, and added some shredded spinach leaves, but if I ate tortillas, this would make a killer burrito filling!


You can use any kind of meat with, or without the bone, beef shanks, or cross cut short ribs, pork shoulder or butt, just remember that the bones add flavor.


Bones add flavor, but just as important nutrient value to foods, and the pressure cooker takes advantage of this. One more important note about using cuts of meat with the bone in.....I am not or never have been a vegetarian (obviously), but a few years ago I decided that the least I could do is, if I'm going to buy and eat meat I would never let it go to waste. I can't tell you how many times I had bought some meat and was too lazy to cook it before it went bad, having to throw it out. Out of some sort of respect for the animals that give me their life I now feel I will not waste it, so if I buy meat I cook it and eat it! Fawn Friday brought up anither important point, which was....buying meat with the bone uses more of the animal, so again preventing waste, using as much of the animal as possible.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Love this recipe and want to buy a pressure cooker. My mom always used one growing up, now it's my turn. What size is it good to get?

Renee Yorkievitz, RKC said...

That's it....I'm going to Kohl's tomm to buy the pressure cooker I have had my eye on. The main thing holding me back was not knowing how to use it. However, this chicken chipotle recipe sounds heavenly! I wish I lived near you to take some PC lessons from you. Months ago when I began following your blog, I started making, eating and freezing leftover soup (even in the summer)! I experiment just like you and it is the easiest way to get veggies into my day. Thanks for the recipes...they are wonderful!
Renee

Jen said...

TRACY ROCKS! She came to my house and we had a pressure cooker party and I now use mine 2-3 times a week!!!!!

If you ever get a chance to have Tracy in your home.. DO IT!

Anonymous said...

I think I will pull out the PC I bought and never used for this recipe. I see you use "dark" meat chicken which I love! Is dark meat really as unhealthy as I think or I am I just brain washed by misinformation?

Fafa said...

OMG..... this recipe is delicious. Went and bought a 6 qt pressure cooker this morning and all the makings for the "Shredded Chipotle Chicken" recipe. Time and money well spent. Not only did I love it, but so did my honey. Amazing. Never have used a pressure cooker before, but it was as simple as reading the instructions that came with it. Thanks Tracy for a great recipe and great advice to buy a pressure cooker.

Tracy Reifkind said...

Peggy,

Get a 6qt. size, and if you end up using it, like I do, guaranteed, you'll buy a second one in a 4qt. size. The smaller size would be more convenient for making one batch of rice or beans, or just smaller servings in general.


I've got some barley soaking right now that will get PC'ed in the morning! (My neighbor, Peter, a professional chef likes his barley more on the mushy side, so do I, and he suggested pre-soaking it)

Tracy Reifkind said...

Renee,

It was awesome meeting you this past Cert, thanks for the comment.

I'm not sure of the quality of pressure cookers at Kohl's, I suggest spending at least $50-100 on one, mine is a Fagor Elite. Comparing them online is something I still have to do myself as I won't buy another Fagor.

I've recommended them to friends (Fagor)and I bought one for a friend, and after using the newer version (I purchased mine over 10 years ago, and it had been sitting in my cabinet all that time, lol), it seems as if the quality has changed.

I'll have to write a blog post about buying and choosing one.....

Tracy Reifkind said...

Jen,

I know you ended up buyin a Fagor after you cheap one broke, how do you like it?

What kind of recipes have you come up with?

Tracy Reifkind said...

Gina,

Dark meat is not "unhealthy", it does have a higher % of fat. I think it got a bad rap in the "fat-phobic" 1990"s.

Who could possibly live on freakin' chicken breast the rest of their lives? I swear, one of my pet peeves is when standing at the meat counter listening to what other people are buying, I can always spot someone that doesn't cook well, because they always but "boneless, skinless, freakin', chicken breast"....whoops, there's my inner snob again, lol!

If you ask any professional cook which is better, most would go with chicken thighs.

Tracy Reifkind said...

fafa,

I swear if you make yourself use your PC at least once a week, and build a pratice, it will become so effortless and within a month or 2 you will use it at leat 2-5 times a week. Let me know how it goes!

Jen said...

Tracy, I ended up getting the Fagor as a birthday gift from my inlaws...(timing thing).. I think I would have got the nicer one from Williams Sonoma, but I don't have any complaints. I just made a bunch more chicken broth for matzo ball soup, a house staple. Tomato, carrot, onion, celery soup ala Tracy. Making more of that tomorrow at the request of both Greg and my FIL. I'm making Rosh Hashanah brisket on Monday for the family too. I made some chili... spaghetti sauce that was freak'in excellent... trying to remember everything.. the pork you taught me many times, have some of that in the freezer and made the hummus. I swear I use my PC 2-3 times a week. I need to rent some kids so I have more people to feed! LOL!

I haven't tried half of the recipes that you've posted. I WANT to...but that would just be too much food!! :)

Tracy Reifkind said...

Jen,

A big reason why I decided to give lessons is so that I can do my favorite thing, which is cook, but give the food away! Too much food!

Maybe I just need to get the smaller cooker and make half? But I love making big batches of stuff....I don't know why!

Jen said...

Tracy, I like the big batches of food too... I know why for me... it's a comfort thing and growing up as the oldest of 8.. but that's another story! LOL!

You just keep cooking! Everyone around you LOVES eating your yummy cooking and learning from you! I'm one of your biggest fans!!

xoxoxoxo