For most families, meat is an essential part of their daily menu. Problem is, the hustle of the world today has left us with no extra time for the long, slow cooking processes that many cuts of meat require to attain maximum tenderness and deliciousness.
That’s why we’ve invented more and faster ways to get the job done than our grandmothers had. With the invention of the pressure cooker, cooking time has been reduced by a half or more.
While lamb is already a tender cut of meat due to its relative lack of tough connective tissue, some recipes still require long, slow cooking to extract the full flavor. Dishes like lamb curry or stew work very well in the pressure cooker.
However, if you are still learning how to use this wonderfully convenient appliance, you may be a little stuck with knowing how long to cook lamb in your pressure cooker. Today’s article will answer that for you.
There are various ways to cook lamb. However, pressure cooking it would make your life so much easier not to mention save on electricity costs. So, have you been wondering how long to cook lamb in a pressure cooker?
Well, it depends on how much meat you need to cook.
How Long to Cook Lamb in a Pressure Cooker?
Pressure-cooking lamb makes it really tender and keeps it beautifully moist. For maximum flavor, you should first brown the onions, meat, garlic, and carrots in oil before adding any liquids.
Juicy, tender, and flavorful lamb is what we are looking for through pressure cooking, plus dinner on the table faster!
Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Many people still have the older type of stovetop pressure cookers. They are safe and work well provided that you keep the seals well-maintained and all the safety mechanisms working as they should.
While cooking times for lamb vary in such cookers depending on the quantity of lamb you are working with, you can budget on needing 30 to 40 minutes. Whether you are using a stovetop model or an electric model, cooking times are the same.
Before pressure cooking, cut the meat into separate pieces and marinate it according to your recipe. This process is not strictly necessary and is worth doing for extra softness and taste if you have some extra time.
Then, brown the ingredients as suggested above, put everything into the pressure cooker, and you’re good to go. Allow the pressure to natural release once you have turned off the stove. There are some things you should consider when pressure cooking on the stovetop.
You must ensure that the cooker is airtight to ensure the pressure is being built, the sealing ring must not have perished, and that you add liquid according to the recipe to enable pressure to build and avoid burning the lamb.
Instant Pot or Another Electric Pressure Cooker
An electric pressure cooker is the ultimate in modern convenience and can cook lamb beautifully. The time varies here too depending on the quantities. (See our times below.)
Add all the ingredients and pressure cook for between 40 and 70 minutes. The cooking method and times remain the same.
General Guide
A general guide for pressure cooking lamb (or beef or pork) is for every pound (450 g) of meat, you will need 20 minutes of pressure cooking time. Therefore, a 3-pound lamb shoulder will take 60 minutes on high pressure to become tender.
You will know when your meat is done because you will be able to pull the meat apart with two forks. If you find that the lamb is still tough, simply cook it for longer.
First, check that there is at least 1 cup of liquid left in the cooker. Then, put the lid back on, seal it, and cook at high pressure for 10-20 minutes longer.
To Conclude
We hope you continue to experiment with the convenience of your pressure cooker. Our guide today has shown you to cook lamb (or most other meats) for 20 minutes per pound. Let us know how this works for you.