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Since its founding by Chuck Williams in 1956, the Williams Sonoma brand has been bringing people together around food. Williams Sonoma is a leading specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home, providing world-class service and an engaging customer experience. The Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen spearheads the development of culinary content for the brand’s catalog, website, blog, social media programs, cooking schools, and special events.
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Tips & Tricks for Using a Pressure Cooker
ALWAYS USE LIQUID Pressure cookers work by rapidly bringing liquids to a boil, then trapping the steam to quickly cook the pot’s contents. In order for the process to work, all pressure cooker recipes must include liquid; too little liquid can result in dry, overcooked food. Consult the manufacturer’s guide to learn about minimum and maximum liquid amounts.
CHOP UNIFORMLY Cut ingredients into roughly the same size so that the food cooks evenly. If preparing a dish that uses both fast- and slow-cooking ingredients (such as potatoes and bone-in beef), partially cook the slow-cooking items first before adding the other ingredients to the pot.
DON’T OVERFILL Leave some room in the pressure cooker for steam to collect and cook the food. Never fill the pot more than two-thirds full with food nor more than half full with liquid.
Kalua-Style Pork with Cabbage
¼ lb sliced bacon
4 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
Kosher salt
1 head red cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
Thinly sliced green onions, green parts only, for garnish
SERVES 6-8
Place the bacon slices in a single layer in a pressure cooker pot and cook over medium heat until the fat starts to render, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and flip the slices over.
Season the pork generously with salt (about 2 tablespoons per piece of pork). Place the pork on top of the bacon and add 1 cup water.
Lock the lid into place and cook on high pressure for 1 hour. Let the steam release naturally, about 15 minutes. When the pressure valve drops, remove the lid, tilting it away from your face to allow residual steam to escape.
Transfer the pork and bacon to a large bowl and shred with 2 forks. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Adjust the seasoning with salt. Add the cabbage wedges to the liquid in the pot. Lock the lid into place and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Quick-release the steam. Using tongs, transfer the cabbage to a bowl. Serve the pork over the cabbage and garnish with green onions.
