As I was looking for a recipe to try this week, I thought it might be good to have a pork dish. It's been a minute since I made one, and so I set about looking for a good solid recipe. I also wanted to give my Instant Pot a chance to do something; it's been sitting idle for bit while my slow cooker has been doing most of the work. First I found a really good recipe (I thought) for pork chops with a mushroom and onion gravy, but I wasn't sure if I could fit enough chops into the Instant Pot and have them cook evenly (I wanted to prepare enough for 8 servings so there would be leftovers). Then I found a different recipe for preparing a pork loin in an Instant Pot which would produce the 8 servings I wanted, but the gravy in that recipe was not the same.
So, I said, why not combine the two? And that's what I did. This takes the pork from one and the gravy from the other, and the result is exactly what I wanted.
Now, a quick note about cuts of pork:
This recipe uses a pork loin, *not* a pork tenderloin. There are several differences in the two. To begin with, they come from completely separate areas on a hog. Loins are considerably larger and look like a roast, ranging in size from 3 to 6 pounds, while a tenderloin rarely goes over 1 1/2 pounds. They also contain different amounts of fatty material, with tenderloin being much leaner. All these differences have a tremendous effect on the cooking time, and if you tried to use a tenderloin in this recipe it will come out very dry and crumble when sliced (falling apart like pulled pork). Just... don't do it. Get a proper pork loin and call it a day.
Adapted from Recipes That Crock (for the pork loin) and from Plowing Through Life (for the mushroom and onion gravy)
This is a recipe that borrowed pieces from two other recipes - one for pork loin and one for mushroom and onion gravy - and combined them in an Instant Pot to make a delicious dish.
Adapted from Recipes That Crock (for the pork loin) and from Plowing Through Life (for the mushroom and onion gravy)
Rinse the pork loin and pat dry with paper towels. Season all sides with salt and ground black pepper.
Turn on the Instant Pot to the Saute setting. Add the oil and allow to get hot. Place the pork loin in the pot and brown lightly on all sides (about 3-4 minutes per side). Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the onions and mushrooms to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add a small amount of the chicken stock, then use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Press the Cancel button to turn off the Saute function. Add remaining stock, onion soup mix, and balsamic vinegar and stir until blended. Return the pork loin to the pot, placing it on top of the mixture.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock into place, then set the vent valve to Sealing. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the timer to cook for 45 minutes on High pressure.
At the end of cooking, allow the Instant Pot to natural release for 10 minutes, then turn the vent valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid and take the pork loin out of the pot, setting it aside to rest before serving.
Set the Instant Pot to the Saute function again and allow the sauce to heat up. Mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry, then stir it into the sauce. Continue stirring until the sauce starts to thicken, then press Cancel to stop the Saute function. Slice and serve the pork with gravy immediately.
Servings 8
Serving Size approx 7 oz pork with gravy
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.