Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin is one of the softest and tenderest second courses. The bursting with flavors pork tenderloin is ready in less than 30 minutes and with minimum effort. The sweet-sour gravy coats the meat and pairs it like nothing else.
Pork tenderloin is my first option of pork meat because it is lean, tender, and cooks fast. Let alone when you wrap in some nice slices of fresh bacon and cook it in Instant Pot under pressure. It is the fastest way to cook the pork tenderloin that delivers juicy and succulent meat with minimum hassle. How does the pork tenderloin look? It is a long long and narrow piece of pork meat, usually about 2 inches in diameter.
Ingredients for the instant pot pork tenderloin
The pork tenderloin is very tasty meat, and it doesn’t need any additional ingredients to enhance its flavors. However, if you want to have a burst of taste and contrast of feelings – there’s the sweet-sour gravy. The gravy, in my opinion, is inspired by Chinese cuisine. It is a combination of soy sauce with ginger and spices. Be patient, we will shortly get to that too.
I will indicate below the list of ingredients for the meat preparation and separately for the delicious gravy. I promise the final result will delight everyone at the table.
For the pork tenderloin:
- One piece of pork tenderloin. Make sure you slice off the thin layers of fat prior to spicing it up.
- Bacon about 8-10 oz
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Granulated garlic
- Paprika
- Fresh rosemary needles, crushed
For the gravy:
- Half an orange, for the juice
- One piece of ginger to grate about 1 teaspoon of it
- Soy sauce 3-4 tablespoons
- Chili flakes 1/2 teaspoon
- Starch 1 1/2 tsp
How to prepare the meat?
Not everyone pays attention to one simple yet very important step in preparing the pork tenderloin. The first key to success is to cook the meat when it reaches room temperature first. Take it out of the fridge and let it sit for about half an hour prior to adding it to the hot pot. Meat cuts at room temperature will better absorb the spices and will be more “flexible” when cooked.
Another important trick is to wash the meat and absorb the excess water using a paper towel. The water will prevent the spices from sticking well to the surface. Therefore, remember to respect this step whenever cooking meat.
At this point, you should rub in the spices. You can mix salt, paprika, garlic powder, and ground pepper in a small bowl then rub the meat all over. This is how you know for sure the proportions you are using and you can control the spreading amount evenly. Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes to better soak in all the flavors. In my opinion, it is an indispensable step in obtaining succulent and delicious pork tenderloin.
Why bacon?
The final step in preparing the tenderloin for cooking is wrapping it in bacon. You may skip this step; however, I truly recommend doing so because the pork tenderloin rather lean meat, and the bacon will add extra grease; thus, it will become tenderer. Use as much bacon as you wish, I was generous and wrapped it with lots of bacon slices, just to make sure I will get the wanted result.
Now the meat is prepared and ready to be sent to the instant pot. From this point on, you will have to wait about 25 minutes until your most delicious pork tenderloin is ready to be served.
How to prepare the gravy for the instant pork tenderloin?
This sweet-sour gravy is such a perfect pair to the pork tenderloin. To prepare the meat, grate the ginger, about one teaspoon. Then use a saucepan to mix the ginger with soy sauce, juice of half of an orange and its zest, some chili flakes, and one and a half teaspoon of starch. Put the saucepan on the stove and bring it to a boil, let simmer at low heat for about two minutes.
Finally, use a small sieve to separate the liquid from the zesty part. Discard the pulp and keep the liquid only. You will use it later to complete the preparation of the instant pot pork tenderloin.
How to cook pork tenderloin in an instant pot?
Now what’s left is to set the instant pot on the right program and your exquisite meal is ready. Select the “pressure cook” program, twist to the “pork” option, and to “high” heat. Press “start” and wait for the pot to preheat. In the meantime, pour a couple of olive oil spoons into the pot. When the pot is well preheated, carefully put in the wrapped in bacon pork tenderloin. Add half of the sweet-sour sauce just to make sure it doesn’t get burnt.
Now seal with the instant pot lid. It is best to keep the veal closed in order to have the “condensation” effect; the steam will not be evaporated, thus, the meat will be cooked faster and more thoroughly. In about 20 minutes release the steam, open the lid and pour in the other half of the sweet-sour sauce. Close with lid again, cook it for another 10 minutes then press the “cancel” button to stop the cooking. Release the steam and open the lid. It’s done!
How to serve the instant pot pork tenderloin?
Serve the pork tenderloin as soon as it is ready. You can let it rest for a few minutes for it to be easier to slice. Pair it with a refreshing salad such as this spring-like cabbage salad, or with a juicier salad like the country-style tomato salad.
Don’t skip a glass of red dry wine, it perfectly complements the meat. Hope you enjoy it!
Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 8 oz bacon sliced
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp rosemary needles crushed
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Gravy
- 1/2 orange juice
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp starch
Instructions
- Wash the meat, wipe with a paper towel and remove the fat if any
- Mix all the spices and rub them well into the tenderloin
- Let rest for 10-15 minutes
- Wrap the tenderloin in bacon
- Set the "under pressure" program on the instant pot
- Select the "pork" option at "high" heat. Press "start"
- Wait until it preheats, add olive oil, and put in the tenderloin
- Pour in half of the gravy and close the lid, let cook under pressure for 20 minutes
- Release the steam, open the lid and pour in the other half of the gravy
- Cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on
- Remove the lid and serve with pleasure
Gravy
- Grate the ginger. Use a saucepan to mix the ginger with soy sauce, juice of half of an orange and its zest, some chili flakes, and one and a half teaspoon of starch
- Put the saucepan on the stove and bring it to a boil, let simmer at low heat for about two minutes
- Use a small sieve to separate the liquid from the zesty part. Discard the pulp and keep the liquid only. Use the sauce to complete the preparation of the meat
