How to Turn Any Instant Liquid in a Saucepan Into a Gravy
The Instant Pot is good for a lot of things, but I mostly use it to cook large chunks of tough meat with a lot of connective tissue. The device causes them to fall off – the bones become tender, but since this is a closed cooking environment, this inevitably leads to a large amount of fragrant but rather liquid liquid at the bottom of the insert.
Reducing it to frosting is one way you could learn, but it takes time and I can’t stand it. Decreasing also means more flavor, which can result in a sauce that is too salty or too sweet. But then again, my main concern is how long it will take, especially if you can turn the cooking liquid into a juicy gravy with just two (2) ingredients.
Actually, there are two two -component approaches here. You can make a cornstarch slurry (two parts cold water + one part cornstarch), or you can cook everything French and fancy and make beurre manie , also known as “raw roux “. While this sounds like a bit of a bougie, all you have to do is knead an equal amount of butter and flour until you have a smooth paste. A tablespoon of each is usually enough to thicken the juice in a recipe, but I usually triple that amount and keep the excess in the refrigerator until needed.
If you are using cornstarch slurry, let the liquid simmer , add a little cornstarch mixture, reduce heat, and stir. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so add a little. (You can test this by placing a small spoonful on a cold plate and watching it harden.) If using beurre manie, break off small pieces of pasta, toss them in and stir to melt the butter. The flour is evenly dispersed, turning the watery liquid into something that you can eat with a spoon. You can add as much as you like by making a runny sauce or a viscous gravy to accompany your delicious piece of meat.