Beef Brisket in a Pressure Cooker

I treated myself this year to a pressure cooker, an item that I have always been frankly afraid of from hearing so many terrible stories of exploding stews and soups.  But technology has caught up.  These new devices are programmable and safe to use, with many safety features built in to the units.

Smoked brisket is probably my favorite cut of meat; when it's done right the meat practically melts in your mouth, with plenty of, but not overpowering smokey flavor. The problem is that it takes hours to smoke.  I used to have a hobby of smoking meats but in recent times that's not really viable for me. So experimented a bit and came up with this recipe:

Ingredients

2-3 lb. Beef Brisket
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
1 Tbsp, Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Sweet Paprika
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Fresh Black Pepper
1 Tsp. Dry Mustard
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
2 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Cup Lager Beer
1/2 Cup favorite Barbecue Sauce (I make my own), plus a 1/2 cup reserved
1 Small Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped

Combine the dry spices and rub over the brisket.  Let set for at least 30 minutes.  If you have time, you can do this the night before as well.

Set the pressure cooker to brown and add the olive oil.  When the oil is hot place the brisket in the pan insert and brown on both sides.  Remove and set aside after browning.  Toss in the onions and garlic and sweat in the oil and meat juices until the onions are clear.  Now add the beer, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, brown sugar,  and liquid smoke to the pot.  Stir add the beef and it's juices.

Now cancel the browning mode and set the pressure cooker on Soup/Stews, or whatever is the equivalent on your pressure cooker for 60 minutes. Close the lid and the pressure valve, and then relax, the real work is done! After the 60 minutes are elapsed don't open the steam valve -  let it release the steam on its own naturally.  You'll know when this process is complete because the pressure cooker will let you open the lid.

Pull out the meat and let it rest on a cutting board.  Some people like to shred with two forks at this point, but I am not a big fan of  shredded meats. Slice a cross the grain and serve with a vegetable and more of the reserved barbecue sauce.  You'll find the meat tender, juicy and with just the right amount of smoky flavor.

My Quick Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

I've always enjoyed a good bowl of chicken noodle soup, but I'm usually disappointed when I order it in restaurants because of the heavy salt, or worse, the sometimes high fat content.  Some soups even taste greasy, a real downer for me.  Whenever I find myself wanting a healthy soup here is how I make it (note: this recipe is for two). This one is easy, quick and you can adjust to your liking.

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, split (You can use thigh meat too.  I buy organic or free-range when possible)
4 cups chicken stock, low sodium. If you have time, make your own. Skim to cut fat.
1 cup water
1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken stock extract (salty - a little goes a long way - but will add flavor to the water).  If you don't have this, dry bouillon will work.
11/2 cups dry egg noodles
1 tsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp chopped thyme, fresh
1 tbsp chopped parsley, fresh
1 dash of dry sage
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

If the chicken breast is small cut it into small cubes.  If it's a large breast you may want to filet it and just use one half, preserving the rest for another dish. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken after cubing it and set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium pot on and saute the shallot and onion for a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Pour in the cubed chicken and continue to saute, stirring often until the chicken is white but not browned. Add the stock, water and bouillon extract and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and then season with the herbs and test for salt and pepper to taste. I add the egg noodles at this point, then cover with a lid and simmer on low for about 10 more minutes.

Remove the bay leaf  and serve with crusty bread, or water table crackers and white wine.  Delish!

Natural Wonders of Greater Tucson

I've decided to create a whole series of photographs about the natural environment in and around my home, Tucson Arizona.  As you wander throughout this area you will stumble upon some breathtaking images - from fields of cactus, to sunsets and sunrises, desert vistas, mountain ranges, animal and plant life.  And sometimes all you have to do is look up and see fantastic cloud formations and shades in the expansive sky above our city.

On a recent visit to Colossal Cave, a place that I hadn't been to in many years, I took about a hundred and twenty five shots of rock formations in the cave and well as a few vistas outside of it.  I'm in awe of how caves like these form and have always been fascinated by stalactite and stalagmite formations in the caves.  These three shots were among the better photos that I took that day.

2/5 update: I've added five more shots of plants that I've found in and around where I life in Metro Tucson.  I have posted these before in other places but it's nice to see them in one location.  The last, a tree where I work, I ran through a processor to make it appear somewhat Impressionistic. I liked how it turned out.

3/11/ Update: I took a drive out through Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains today during high noon, usually not a great time to shoot outdoors because of the harsh light of the sun overhead.  But the shots had their own shadow and light built into them.  Believe it or not this was all ocean floor millions of years ago.

I'll be adding more photos to this article, which I consider a work in progress Stay tuned!

Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup

If Santa brought you a pressure cooker this Christmas here is a great recipe to make a great split pea soup.  To make this vegetarian, just omit the ham, bacon and chicken stock and substitute a good vegetable stock.

Ingredients

1 bag dried split peas, sorted and rinsed.
1 ham bone (or ham hock)
1 ham slice, cubed
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onions
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (you don't need much if using ham and bacon)
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped, or 1 tsp of dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil, or a a few sprigs fresh, chopped
1 spring rosemary, or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
6 cups of low sodium chicken stock, vegetable stock or water.
Sour cream to finish

Directions

Turn on the meat/chicken button on the pressure cooker to heat the inner pot and render the bacon in the olive oil, and add the vegetables. Saute until the onions are clear. Add the herbs, salt, pepper and half the cubed ham slice, reserving the rest.

Add the split peas and stir to coat them, then drop in the ham bone and pour stock or water into the pan. Now cancel the meat/chicken saute and press the soups/stews button (some pressure cookers may have a beans/lentils button).  Set the cooker for 15 minutes and seal the lid, with the valve closed.

If you like a chunky split pea soup, the prep work is done after you release the steam.  Just ladle the soup into a bowl and add some of the reserved cubed ham to the top, with a dollop of sour cream.

I prefer a smooth split pea soup, so I blend the finished soup in a blender until it's the consistency I want. I still add the cubed ham to the bowl at the end with the sour cream.  Serve with warm buttered French bread slices, a nice Reisling, and you have a great meal in a bowl!

Tucson Desert Scenes

Sometimes when you are out to shoot scenes in the desert around Tucson sometimes you can plan shots and get good results, and other times you just get lucky, as I got a while back just stepping out on my patio before Christmas.  I think I'll return to the West Tucson location soon at dusk to see if I can get a good panorama shot.

Recent Photo Studies

These photo studies are of two types. The first two are low light photographs that I have just learned how to take. In one I tried my hand at some light painting with an LED light, using a very slow shutter speed. I have seen some beautiful effects using this technique and will be working more in this form.

The last photo was taken at a recent Arizona Diamondbacks game. Here, Jean Segura lashes a double in the right-center gap at Chase Field. I needed some practice in live action photography and an iconic shot of action at the plate is a good way to practice. I was shooting through the foul ball screen from the second deck and thought initially that it would take something away from the shot. But in reality it seems to add to the interest, if not the drama of the shot.

Wildlife Colors

Are there any colors more gorgeous than those which are found in nature? This peacock knows it's beautiful!