Natural pressure release

technique

Part of Kitchen patterns

Food from a pressure cooker comes out tough or foamy, or sprays out of the valve when the pressure is let off.

Applies when

  • cooking meat, beans, grains, stock or soup in an electric or stovetop pressure cooker
  • the dish contains a lot of liquid or starch
  • there's time to wait 10 to 20 minutes after the cooking time ends

Summary

This pattern is for anyone who cooks with a pressure cooker. It describes how and when to let the pressure drop by itself rather than releasing it straight away through the valve.

Recommendation Why?
Let the pressure drop on its own for 10 to 15 minutes before touching the valve. Food keeps cooking gently as the temperature falls, and meat fibres relax instead of tightening up.
Count the release time as part of the recipe’s total time. Most recipes assume natural release, so skipping it leaves food underdone or tough.
Use natural release for anything starchy or foamy, such as beans, grains, porridge and stock. A quick release makes the liquid boil up and spray starchy foam out of the valve.
Use quick release only for food that overcooks easily, such as green vegetables, seafood and pasta. These need cooking to stop the moment the time is up.
Turn the valve with a long spoon, and keep your hands and face away from it. The remaining steam is hot enough to scald.
Open the lid only once the float valve has dropped, and tilt it away from you. The lid lock is a safety feature, and the steam trapped under the lid escapes towards the far side.

Context

This pattern suits stews, braises, dried beans, stock, rice and porridge.

It does not suit delicate food where a few extra minutes of cooking ruin the texture, or a meal that has to be on the table straight away.

There’s a trade-off between time and texture. A full natural release can take 20 to 30 minutes when the cooker is very full. A partial natural release, waiting 10 minutes and then releasing the rest quickly, gets most of the benefit in less time and works well for rice and grains (see also Rinse, measure and rest rice).

Usage

Cooking: when the cooking time ends, leave the cooker alone. Most electric models switch to “keep warm” by themselves; take a stovetop cooker off the heat.

Releasing: after 10 to 15 minutes, turn the valve to venting with a long spoon. If foam or liquid comes out of the valve, close it again and wait a few more minutes.

Opening: wait for the float valve to drop, then open the lid tilted away from you. For meat, check it’s cooked through with a thermometer, as in Cook by temperature, not time, and cool any leftovers promptly following Cooling and storing leftovers.

References

Your pressure cooker’s manual is the best source for its valve positions, maximum fill line and recommended release method for each type of food.

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  • Cooling and storing leftoverssafety

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Credits

AuthorPattern Life team

Published

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