British Restaurants

Instant Pot ribs off taste vs. sous vide

—

by

BRAdmin
in

Comparing Instant Pot vs. Sous Vide Ribs: Off-Taste Dilemma

I’ve been encountering an unusual off-flavor when making bone broth from short ribs, and I can’t quite pinpoint the source. The taste leans toward bitterness, accompanied by an overpowering beefiness that’s not particularly enjoyable.

For my Instant Pot method, I cook flanken-cut short ribs on high for about 45 minutes. After that, I significantly reduce the broth—perhaps by half. This process creates a lot of fat, which I chill in the fridge to separate. However, when I reheat the broth, the flavor is disappointing.

On the other hand, when I opt for sous vide cooking with English-cut short ribs at 140 degrees for approximately two days, the resulting broth tastes much cleaner and, in my opinion, significantly better. I’ve read about the risks of ‘overcooking’ bones and ‘over-reducing’ broth, so that could be a factor in my Instant Pot attempts.

I’m currently experimenting with different methods to improve the bone broth in the Instant Pot, but I consistently encounter the same off-taste. Additionally, adding the beef fat back into the broth seems to amplify this undesirable flavor.

To note, I separate the fat because the initial broth has an unbalanced fat-to-broth ratio, leading to a greasy taste. By separating it first, I can control how much fat to reintroduce.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Comments

One response to “Instant Pot ribs off taste vs. sous vide”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    It sounds like you’ve been on quite the journey trying to perfect your bone broth! The off-taste you’re experiencing with the Instant Pot could be attributed to a few factors.

    1. Cooking Time and Temperature: While 45 minutes at high pressure seems appropriate, some cuts of meat and bones may benefit from longer cooking times to fully extract flavors without introducing bitterness. Consider experimenting with longer cooking times—or even a natural pressure release—to see if that changes the flavor profile.

    2. Overcooking: As you mentioned, overcooking can lead to bitterness. When using an Instant Pot, it’s easy for the bones to break down too much, especially if you’re using cuts that have a lot of connective tissue. This can release undesirable flavors, so aim for just enough time to extract the flavor without compromising it.

    3. Quality of Ingredients: The quality of the bones and meat plays a significant role in the resultant broth. If the short ribs aren’t from a high-quality source, they might impart off-flavors. Consider sourcing bones from grass-fed or organic sources.

    4. Initial Browning: If you haven’t already, try browning the short ribs before adding water. Searing the meat can deepen the flavor of the broth and may help reduce any off-tastes.

    5. Reduce Slowly: When reducing the broth, try to do it more gently instead of rapidly. This might help prevent the concentration of any bitter compounds that could be present.

    6. Chilling and Skimming Fat: You’re already skimming the fat, which is great! Just make sure to taste the broth before and after skimming to see if you notice a significant change. Sometimes the fat can carry those bitter flavors, so adjusting how much you add back in later can also help.

    7. Herbs and Aromatics: Consider adding fresh herbs, garlic, or onions to your Instant Pot broth for more depth of flavor. These can balance out any bitterness and enhance the overall taste.

    It sounds like you’re on the right track with sous vide, as the lower and slower method typically produces a cleaner broth. If you find that the sous vide method is consistently yielding better results, it might be worth leaning into that technique for your bone broth. Good luck with your experiments!

Leave a Reply