Everybody loves a good steak or hamburger every now and then. But is eating meat actually healthy? What are the benefits? Did you know that pressure cookers make cooking meat a breeze? Read below to find all the benefits of eating different types of meat, along with all the tasty recipes you can enjoy in the pressure cooker!
Different Types of Meats
|
Type |
Color |
Examples |
|
White Meat |
Light color meaning it comes from a bird. |
Chicken or Turkey |
|
Red Meat |
Reddish color because of the presence of Myoglobin, which is a protein that is rich in iron. |
Beef or Pork |
|
Processed Meat |
White or red in color and includes seasoning, drying, salting, smoking, curing and/or adding preservatives. |
Hot Dogs, Lunch Meats, Bacon |
|
Fish |
Color will vary depending on the type of fish, but it is considered the flesh of an animal. |
Salmon, Cod, Tuna, Tilapia |
Each type of meat has its own benefits and important nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins, fats and minerals. These nutrients can increase your energy and maintain your overall health. Meat is a rich source of protein which can help your body fight off infections. It will improve your body immunity because of its amino acids. Rich in minerals such as iron, meat can also improve your metabolism. And we can’t forget about vitamins! Meat is full of Vitamins A, B and D. Vitamin A helps maintain your vision, good development of bones and keeping your teeth and skin clean. Vitamin B is good for the development of your central nervous system and mental health. And a good Vitamin D source maintains the health of your bones and teeth. Finally, meat contains fats for the body, such as fatty acids that help with proper development of the brain. Once you know all the health benefits to consuming meats, it is important that you are well informed about informative tips for searching for and consuming those meats.
Tips for Consuming Nutritious Meats
Buy both red and white meat, but do your best to avoid processed meats because they can have added hormones that are unhealthy for humans.
Practice ethical meat eating by choosing meat that has been raised without added hormones or antibiotics.
Avoid buying from factory farmed meat and try to opt for free range meat instead. Animals that aren’t confined and have space to roam around have a healthier fat profile.
When shopping for organic meat, look for the “USDA Organic” label, so that you know for sure what you are getting.
Fish can be a great choice of meat to increase your omega 3 fatty acid intake.
Be knowledgeable about the correct time and temperatures for the meats you are cooking and that the kitchen appliance you use for cooking it has the power to succeed.
Cook your meat at a lower temperature to ensure the meat is cooked thoroughly and is not harmful to eat. Use methods such as pressure cooking, boiling, baking, steaming and stewing.
It’s also important to keep in mind the general servings you should be getting for each food group. You should be getting 8-9 servings per week of poultry and meats and 2-3 servings of fish and other seafood per week. Utilizing one of our pressure cookers, that range from 6 – 14 quarts is ideal, so that you can make your food for the week and get the serving sizes you need. Make your meals healthier by pairing any meat with veggies or grains, such as steamed broccoli, cooked asparagus, rice or even pasta! All of these sides can be prepared in our handy GoWISE USA Pressure Cookers!
Spicy Rub Pork Chops
Pork chops are excellent to eat for their high content of iron and potassium. Marinating it is an important step to capture all the flavors! We utilized chili powder and cayenne pepper for a spicier meal but use your own desired seasoning. Searing your meat before pressure cooking it gives it more flavor. Adding chicken broth was just another alternative to adding water. Make sure you add at least one of those liquids to ensure your meat stays juicy!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
1 tbsp coarse salt
1 tbsp black pepper
¾ tsp chili powder
3 tbsp paprika
1 tsp dried cayenne pepper
¾ tsp sugar
4 boneless pork chops
1-gallon zip sealing bag
1 ½ cups chicken broth
barbecue sauce (optional)
Directions:
Add oil and dry ingredients into a 1-gallon zip-seal bag. Shake to mix. Add pork chops and massage rub into the pork chops. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Some models of GoWISE USA Pressure Cookers include a Saute setting. You can Saute without the lid. Set the pressure cooker to Saute. Once hot, place the pork chops into the pot, reserving remaining seasoning. Brown pork chops for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove pork chops and set aside.
Scrape off any bits from the bottom of the pressure cooker pot and then add the chicken broth to the pot. Insert the pressure cooker rack then place the pork chops onto the rack.
Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Release the pressure. Remove pork chops and place onto a baking sheet.
Baste with your favorite barbecue sauce and broil on high for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is caramelized (optional).
Chile Lime Chicken
Chicken is one of the best sources of protein, making it great for those wanting to build up their muscles. We made this recipe zesty by adding lime juice, chili powder and Tabasco sauce. Feel free to use the seasoning of your choice! This meal is even healthier because it is free from gluten and dairy and is keto! Turn this tasty recipe into chicken tacos by shredding the chicken! If making tacos, you could opt for a lettuce leaf instead of tortillas to make it a low carb option, as well.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 medium limes
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
Directions:
Place chicken breasts into the base of the pressure cooker pot. Squeeze in the juice of both limes. Sprinkle all seasonings and Tabasco sauce over chicken and add garlic. Use clean hands to rub mixture onto all sides of chicken.
Secure lid and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes. When finished let natural release for another 5 minutes and then release the remaining steam manually. You can release steam manually at the end of the cooking time if you're in a hurry. Make sure the chicken has an internal temperature of 160° before consuming.
Shred chicken with two forks and return to pot and toss with juices. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Seasoned Steak
We went for a top sirloin steak because sirloin cuts are often the leaner parts of the steak, which are high in protein and have a low-fat content. We opted for a spicier seasoning by utilizing chili powder as our main ingredient. We added lime to give it a juicer taste and to make certain it wouldn’t dry out. Refrigerating the steaks first is important to ensure that the coating stays on. Searing your steaks before pressure cooking them will add more flavor. It will also kill off any bacteria that may still be floating around on the surface of the meat. We drizzled lime juice on the steaks before and after pressure cooking to make sure we soaked up all the flavors.
Ingredients:
2 top sirloin steaks, boneless
Seasoning:
1 cup ancho chili powder
1/3 cup smoked paprika
3 tbsp dried oregano
3 tbsp dried mustard
3 tbsp dried coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
zest of 2 limes
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the seasoning ingredients together. Place steaks in the bowl and fully coat them with the seasoning. Place on a separate plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After they have chilled, use the Saute setting on your pressure cooker and sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes. Then lock the lid and cook the steaks on high pressure for another 8 minutes.
Barbecue Coco Cola Ribs
Pork ribs are a good source of iron and zinc. We opted to use both a rub and barbecue sauce to give it extra flavor! We wanted some sweetness, so we added brown sugar to the mix. Using coke as a meat tenderizer is ideal because its high acidity and caramel flavor makes it acidic enough to break down some proteins in the meat without dissolving it. Instead of separating the ribs, you could always place them in a ring inside of your pressure cooker pot. We utilized liquid smoke as a flavor additive and to give it that smoky flavor.
Ingredients:
half a rack of ribs
can of coke, 12 oz.
½ tsp liquid smoke
1 cup barbecue sauce
4 tbsp salt
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt, brown sugar, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Separate the ribs from each other using a kitchen knife. Then, fully coat all the ribs in the rub mixture. Pour coke and liquid smoke into the pressure cooker pot. Place the ribs in there and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
Once they are done cooking, take them out of the pressure cooker and brush barbecue sauce on top and serve!
Teriyaki Salmon
Fish is a great meat choice as it is high in protein and vitamins. This particular dish is full of flavor and is easy to prepare. You can marinate your fish in the teriyaki sauce, if desired. We opted not to, so that we could see how the salmon would turn out without following that step. It is important to saute both of your mixtures first to ensure the sauce is able to thicken. The sauce can be used as a marinate or served on top. Feel free to chop up veggies, rice or whatever side you wish, while you wait for your salmon to cook!
Ingredients:
1 lb. Atlantic salmon
Teriyaki Sauce:
1 cup water
5 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup cold water
Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of water, brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the ¼ cup cold water and whisk until dissolved. Set both mixtures aside.
Remove the skin from the salmon and cut salmon into fourths.
Pour the marinate into the pressure cooker pot and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add in the cornstarch and water mixture and continue to saute until the sauce has thickened, or another 2-3 minutes.
Place a rack in the inner pot with the salmon pieces on top. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Once the salmon is done cooking, drizzle the left-over teriyaki sauce on top and enjoy!
Eating meat can help improve and maintain your overall health. Cooking meat in one of our Pressure Cookers makes it easy and will ensure your meat stays juicy. The meat comes out tender - like falls off your fork tender! You don’t need to use oil or cooking sprays to enhance the flavor, all you need is enough liquid (water, broth, etc.) to build pressure. Eating meat doesn’t have to be unhealthy when there are already so many benefits and you have a pressure cooker to do it!
A big thank you to the authors of the recipes we tested out. Check out the links below to take a look at the original recipes.
https://www.authoritydiet.com/different-types-meat-list-protein-carbs-fat-nutrition/
https://www.foodbeast.com/news/10-steak-seasonings/
https://cincyshopper.com/instant-pot-ribs/
https://whoneedsacape.com/2017/03/easiest-pressure-cooker-teriyaki-salmon/
https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/teriyaki-chicken/
https://gowiseproducts.com/blogs/recipes/chili-lime-chicken-thighs
