This Instant Pot Pork Stew is a simple and peasant dish, yet, will satisfy even the most refined cravings. It will warm your belly with its hearty and delicious flavor for sure!
Every cook has his own little secrets and tips when cooking pork stew. My modesty will not impede me from stating my pork stew recipe is one of the best pork recipes out there. This exact recipe has been created in time, after gathering the cooking secrets from my whole family. Something comes from my mother’s recipe while some tips were stolen from my grandmother’s way of cooking. Also, I have to mention that my husband’s cravings played a role in the formation of the final recipe of the pork stew.
Saying the truth, the pork stew is one of the most popular dishes of my childhood. It is easy to make, easy to find inexpensive ingredients and it is a perfect comforting dinner. As my mother was always busy, she used to prepare a bunch of stew on weekend. Thus ensuring ahead several hearty and tasty dinners for busy weeknights.
Now, even if I am also in a lock of time I have a good helper in my kitchen – my Instant Pot. It considerably saves me time and effort. I recommend you to try cooking this pork stew recipe in your pressure cooking, it turned out very good and perfect in consistency, taste, and aroma. In the end, you will be pleasantly impressed by how easy and quick you can feed a big crowd with such a delicious and hearty dish. For other stew recipes try our Rabit stew, Veal stew, or vegetarian version Mushroom stew. I hope you will like our stew recipes and enjoy them.
What cut of meat is pork stew?
Instant pot pork stew is an easy recipe to cook, just put everything in the pot, cover with a lid, and forget about it for a while. But to get perfectly cooked ingredients with a depth of flavor, you should choose the appropriate ingredients.
Although meat, from the point of view of cooking, is considered a universal product it is very important for every dish to choose the best cut of meat. For some dishes, the best cut is lean meat, for others – meat with a bone, and for the third – minced meat. I consider that for the stew, the best cut of meat is pork shoulder, also known as Boston Butt, as it has fat needed for this hearty dish. For even more flavor sometimes I add small ribs, as bone enhances the incredible flavor of the stew.
Being in food blogging, I am always looking for new inspiration and I found that in many pork stew recipes, pork loin cut is used. I would not advise using this cut of meat as it is too lean and the meat is dry. So this kind of meat needs to be cooked for a long time. Anyway if you are looking for meat cut with less fat grab pork tenderloin, as it is much tender. Be sure – bones and fat make this dish tastier!
What potatoes to use for pork stew?
For the pork stew recipe, I prefer to use Yukon gold potatoes. This kind of potatoes has the perfect texture and flavor for the stew. The starchy texture will give thickening to the stew, and no flour or cornstarch will be needed.
As an option, you can use russet potatoes, red potatoes, or even new potatoes.
How do you make pork soft and tender?
Choosing the right cut of meat ( fatty enough) will assure you a soft and tender dish. Stewing meat in your pressure cooker generally will make it even more tender, so you do not need a knife to eat it. Anyway, there are some tricks if you grab the wrong type of meat. First, no doubt is the marinade. The marinating process adds extra flavor and will soften meat to perfection. But for stew marinated meat is not exactly what we need. So, what to do if you garb to lean and dry meat? The answer is – to add a lot of onion. Onion contains proteolytic enzymes, which help tenderize and soften the meat. Do not be afraid of adding more onion then you are used. During stewing, it will almost melt and you will not feel it.
Ingredients:
Find below the shopping list for this easy Instant Pot pork stew:
- Pork shoulder – 2 pounds
- Onion – 3 small
- Garlic – 3-4 cloves
- Yukon gold potatoes – 1 pound
- Babby carrots – 0,5 pounds (or 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into chunks)
- Tomato puree – ½ cup or 2 teaspoons of tomato paste (optional)
- Freshly ground pepper – ¼ teaspoon
- Ground coriander – 1 teaspoon
- Ground smoked paprika – 1 teaspoon
- Salt – 1 teaspoon (adjust to taste)
- Vegetable oil – 4 tablespoons
- Bay leaves – optional
- Chopped fresh parsley
How to make Instant Pot pork stew?
Pork stew recipe does not require much effort, but preparing ingredients first (or in advance) will make the process even faster and easier. If you have the possibility to buy meat already cut in chunks for stew, go-ahead with no doubt. Just be sure of its freshness and provenience. Organic farmer meat is the best.
Switch on your Instant Pot on “Saute” program, adjusting to High. Add about 4 tbsp of oil and wait until its hot. Once the oil is simmering, add the pork meat and season it with salt and freshly ground pepper. Brown the meat on all sides for about 7- 10 minutes. I like it well browned. Once the meat is browned add finely choped onion and minced garlic. Saute 3 more minutes and add ½ cup of tomato puree. Let everything simmer for 4-5 more minutes until tomato puree will thicken. However, the tomato paste in this recipe is optional (you can easily skip it), as well as the bay leaf (which you can replace with cumin) my husband just adores when I add them. Then add 1 cup of water to deglaze the pot.
At this point cancel the “Saute” program and switch on the Pressure cook for 30 minutes on High. Pour diced potatoes and baby carrots. Add water just to cover the ingredients and close the lid. When the program is done let the “pressure release” naturally for 10 minutes and then open carefully the lid. Top with finely chopped fresh parsley.
I just adore serving pork stew with some pickles and fresh bread, soaked in potato sauce.
Wish you a tasty day and a good appetite!
Instant Pot Pork Stew
Equipment
- instant pot
Ingredients
- 2 pound pork shoulder
- 3 small onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
- 1/2 pound baby carrots
- 1/2 cup canned tomato puree
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- bay leaves
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Switch on your Instant Pot on “Saute” program, adjusting to High. Add about 4 tbsp of oil and wait until its hot. Once the oil is simmering, add the pork meat and season it with salt and freshly ground pepper. Brown the meat on all sides for about 7- 10 minutes.
- Once the meat is browned add finely chopped onion and minced garlic. Saute 3 more minutes and add ½ cup of tomato puree. Let everything simmer for 4-5 more minutes until tomato puree will thicken. Then add 1 cup of water to deglaze the pot.
- At this point cancel the “Saute” program and switch on the Pressure cook for 30 minutes on High. Pour diced potatoes and baby carrots. Add water just to cover the ingredients and close the lid. When the program is done let the “pressure release” naturally for 10 minutes and then open carefully the lid. Top with finely chopped fresh parsley.
