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Instant Pot Pork Loin

Instant Pot Pork Loin


  • Author: Fluffy

Description

Many years ago I sprung a new recipe on my family and they loved it. I made them a pork tenderloin and the question I got was, “is there anymore”? I took this as a hint that they would like this meal more often and so I made it for them. I got so good at making this that it became a weekly thing.

As with many of my recipes I decided to give it a try in the instant pot and see if it matched up. The beautiful thing about the instant pot is that it imparts a very juiciness to the meats that you make in there so making a tenderloin was perfect. I have to admit that I’ve messed up my tenderloin before in the oven and made it too dry.

So I tried making the pork loin in the instant pot and it came out absolutely delightful. I had my sister over that night and served it to her. She liked it so much that she asked for the recipe so she could make it at home. It was a success for her as well because I heard that her husband asked for it again and again!

One last thing: don’t confuse a pork tenderloin with a pork loin roast. Even though they are similar they are two different cuts of meat from the animal and for this recipe you want a pork loin. A pork loin is shorter and fatter than a pork tenderloin. Tenderloins tend to be longer and slimmer and are good for people who like a trimmer cut of meat like myself. No problem though, just trim the pork loin a little more and you’re good to go if you like a trimmer cut.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 boneless pork loin about 2 pounds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tbsp high smoke point oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water, plus 2 tsp of water
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Instructions

  1. Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Select the saute setting on the instant pot, adjust the heat level to more, and heat the oil. Using tongs, lower the pork roast, fat side down, into the pot, then sear for about 6 minutes until browned.
  3. Using the tongs, flip the roast and sear for about 6 minutes until browned on the other side.
  4. Using the tongs, transfer the roast to a plate.
  5. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and saute for 5 minutes, stirring to dislodge any browned bits from the pot bottom.
  6. Stir in the vinegar, 1/4 cup of the water, the mustard, sugar, and bay leaf, mixing well.
  7. Using the tongs, return the roast to the pot and turn it to coat it in the cooking liquid.
  8. Secure the lid and set the pressure release to sealing.
  9. Press the cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the meat/stew setting and set the cooking time for 50 minutes at high pressure.
  10. Perform a quick release by moving the pressure release to venting, or let the pressure release naturally (this will take about 20 minutes).
  11. At this point, you can either continue with the recipe or you can leave the roast in the pot for up to 10 hours on the keep warm setting.
  12. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl.
  13. Open the pot and wearing heat mitts, lift the inner pot out of the instant pot and strain the cooking liquid into the bowl.
  14. Return the garlic and onion to the inner pot.
  15. Pour the cooking liquid into a fat separator, then pour the cooking liquid from the fat separator back into the instant pot, discarding the layer of fat left behind.
  16. In lieu of having no fat separator, scoop the fat from the surface with a ladle or large spoon.
  17. Place the inner pot back in the instant pot housing.
  18. Press the cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the saute setting.
  19. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and the remaining 2 teaspoons of water.
  20. When the sauce begins to simmer, pour in the cornstarch mixture and stir for a minute or so until thickened.
  21. Press the keep warm/cancel button to end the saute program and switch the instant pot to its keep warm setting.
  22. Carve the pork loin into 1/2 inch thick slices.
  23. Serve the pork right away with the sauce poured over the top, or return it to the instant pot and leave it on keep warm setting until ready to serve.