A Butcher’s Confession
The mention of an air fryer at our butcher shop typically stirs up conversations about how our butchers feel morally obligated to refuse the sale of a beautiful steak to someone that we knew was going to subject it to air fryer cooking. Of course, it’s all in good natured fun, but all kidding aside, I decided that perhaps this was something I should try before I joked about it.
While I prefer grilling and smoking meat on my Big Green Egg and am proud to do so year-round, there are some blustery, negative windchill days when I look outside and say, “not today big green buddy.” On these days, I like to resort to trying new recipes or new methods of cooking. During our recent cold-snap I took to the gadget cooking with my Instant Pot and Air Fryer.
Last week I made my first attempt at air frying a steak. The verdict? I confess that I was pleasantly surprised. The doneness was to perfection, and I also appreciated the crispy edges produced by the air fryer, which was very similar to a good sear crust. Air frying the steak was also very easy. I cut my steaks into eight-ounce portions and let them come to room temperature. I then brushed them with canola oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I used the “grill” feature on my air fryer, grilling the steaks on “high” for four minutes on each side. I pulled my steaks out at an internal temperature of 125 degrees. While they rested the temperature rose another five to ten degrees to a perfect medium rare. The only downside to the air fryer was that I was missing the signature charcoal flavor produced by my Big Green Egg, however I was much warmer working inside. I also appreciated the easy cleanup of the air fryer. No more knocking the air fryer
This week I attempted a chuck roast in my Instant Pot. I admit I was skeptical about how something so delicious that normally cooked all day in my Crock Pot could be done in little over an hour in my Instant Pot. I tried to keep this cook as simple as possible. I started by liberally seasoning the roast with salt and pepper. I then drizzled canola oil in the Instant pot and seared each side of the roast for 3 minutes in “sauté” mode. I then added four cups of beef broth, two tablespoons of dried chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and 4 cut potatoes. I pressure cooked on high for 65 minutes. My roast was slightly over three pounds and in hindsight I wish I would have pressured cooked for several more minutes. After pressure cooking, I allowed the Instant Pot to natural release for 10 minutes followed by a manual release.
One advantage of the Instant Pot over the Crock Pot was in making the gravy. While I let the roast rest on a platter, I used the “soup/broth” mode of my Instant Pot to bring the broth to a boil while I added a corn starch slurry to thicken the gravy.
Based on my recent experiences with the Instant Pot and Air Fryer, I’d say I was pleasantly surprised. I am certain there are more cold Iowa days ahead to challenge my preconceived ideas about the capabilities of these devices. I encourage you to do the same. Happy gadget grilling!
