Breakfast of Millennials

This unseasonably warm weather is wreaking havoc on my two car freezer. Even though we may have more winter weather to come, today is a reminder that it will not be here forever.

That means it’s time for those big cooking projects, and to start eating all those things I put away in the freezer to remind me of the spring to come. Pesto, I’m looking at you.

One of those big cooking projects was a beef stew. I had picked up a boneless chuck roast back in the fall, and tucked it away in the freezer. And on Sunday at the Schenectady Greenmarket, there was a sign at Bella Terra about their beef bones. Making beef stock sounded like a great idea at the time.

What does any of this have to do with breakfast? I’m getting to that.

But let’s flash back to last night first. Because I know people are curious about my experiences with the Instant Pot.

Last night I had two pressure cookers going at once! The large stovetop one was full of beef stock, and the small Instant Pot was helping with dinner, making another perfect batch of jasmine rice.

In theory, pressure cookers can help you save time in the kitchen. However, what pressure cookers cannot do, is change who you are. So when I had the choice of making a quick pressure cooked beef stock, or a slow pressure cooked beef stock with the promise of significantly more flavor, you’ll never guess which one I chose.

I did a variation using the technique from Modernist Cooking at Home.

After straining the results from that four hour project, and putting the stock in the garage to cool, I considered making a secondary stock. But I also had to run out to the store and get some supplies for a chocolate cake Mrs. Fussy wanted to bake.

Aha! I thought. This would be a great use for the little Instant Pot.

So I scrubbed out the interior from the rice, and loaded it with the cooked bones and vegetables. It’s amazing how used bones that look so small in the bottom of a large pressure cooker took up so much room in my little Instant Pot.

Take note. This was the first time I thought a larger Instant Pot would be helpful.

Helpful, but not necessary. Instead of limiting the secondary stock to the maximum pressure fill line, I filled the pot to the top and used it as a slow cooker instead. We’ll see how that works, and I’ll report back later.

This morning, facing a garage that would be warming up over the course of the day, I took my stock and moved it into the fridge. But I also took a scant cup’s worth and heated up to taste how it came out.

It’s delicious. Of course, bone broth alone does not a breakfast make. So I paired it with a piece of avocado toast, topped with a bit of turmeric, Aleppo pepper, Maldon salt, and Arbequina olive oil.

Now the beef is defrosted. I salted it this morning. The stock is ready. I’ve got mushrooms, red wine, shallots, canned tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots. If only it were colder, it would be perfect.