ON THIS WEEK’S episode of Dinner SOS, test kitchen director and host Chris Morocco is joined by senior test kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic to help caller Jennifer conquer her fear of using the Instant Pot.
Jennifer has a fair amount of kitchen appliances that she uses all the time, but there’s one in her arsenal that she hasn’t touched and is afraid to use—the Instant Pot. She doesn’t know what to cook with it, but would love to take advantage of its reported speed to create easy dinners in less time. During busy weeks, she and her husband are often on the road traveling with their three dogs who compete in agility competitions.
Chris recruits Shilpa, who knows a thing or two about cooking in the Instant Pot and manual pressure cooker, both which use trapped steam and pressure to cook food quicker than it would on the stove or in the oven. Because the Instant Pot is electric with multiple fail-safes, it’s more user-friendly—i.e., it isn’t going to blow up as Jennifer fears. Even releasing the steam at the end of the cooking process doesn’t have to feel intimidating; Shilpa recommends handling the pot with a kitchen towel to avoid a potential steam burn.
Chris and Shilpa suggest recipes that are low-effort and high-reward to showcase what this appliance does best. Shilpa goes for these Pork Spareribs With Jammy Barbecue Sauce, which have an active cook time of less than 15 minutes when made in the Instant Pot and can even be finished off under the broiler or on the grill for an extra char. Chris opts for Instant Pot Pork Carnitas, which take almost zero prep and yields tender, shreddy meat in just 35 minutes of cook time.
Listen now to hear which recipe Jennifer selects to brave her first attempt at using the Instant Pot and whether it stands a chance to become her new favorite appliance.
