Tag: pork

5 Instant Pot Recipes to Make Over and Over Again

I was late to the Instant Pot craze, and I never thought anything could replace my beloved slow cooker. But the magic and speed of pressure cooking has really won me over! I’ve tried a bunch of different recipes and experimented on my own a bit, and everything has generally come out pretty good. When it comes to recipes that I’d want to make again, though, only five have made the cut so far. Here they are, in no particular order.

Note: I use the 8-qt Instant Pot Duo Plus, but I think all of these recipes would work in the 6-qt size Instant Pot or other similar pressure cookers.

Instant Pot Perfect Brown Rice Pilaf
This is my new favorite way to cook brown rice. It comes out nutty and flavorful, with just the right texture, and goes well with just about any entree.

Easy Pressure Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Masala
This curry tastes complex but is truly no-fuss. I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, which changes the pressure cooking time to 8 minutes. I also prefer to stir in the spinach at the end, rather than pressure cooking it as the recipe directs.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
This rivals the brown rice pilaf as the recipe I’ve made the most. It’s super easy, infinitely customizable, and smoky-spicy-delicious.

Instant Pot Korean Ground Beef
One of the fun things about this recipe is that it employs the pot-in-pot method, where the rice cooks in a separate bowl at the same time as the beef. The beef is really yummy on its own, but also makes a great taco filling.

Easy Pressure Cooker Pork Chile Verde
Just wow! Besides being both easy and delicious, this recipe is fascinating because it does not call for any liquids up front. The onions, chiles, tomatillos and pork release enough moisture to attain pressure in the cooking process, and provide ample sauce. So much sauce, even, that I think I will try using 5 lbs of pork next time rather than the 4 in the recipe.

Pictured: Corning Ware Grab-It Bowl, Corning Ware Grab-a-Meal Bowl, Pyrex Salad Bowl 444 Cinderella Mixing Bowl, Pyrex Gold Wreath 043 Oval Casserole

Slow Cooker Pork Stew with Hominy

I’ve been in a cooking rut lately, but now that it’s fall it’s finally the season for my favorite type of meal: stew. I love throwing everything into a pot (or slow cooker), doing next-to-nothing else and ending up with a delicious, homey dish.

Pozole, a Mexican stew typically made with pork, hominy and chiles, has been on my to-cook list for a while. I finally got around to making a simplified version of the real thing. I think this may actually have been the first time I’ve bought hominy at the grocery store — but I’ll definitely be doing it again!

Adapted from “Mexican-Style Pork and Hominy Stew” from America’s Test Kitchen’s Slow Cooker Revolution.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, chopped
2 Hatch green chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped fine (or substitute 3-4 jalapeños)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 14 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 15-oz cans hominy (white or yellow), drained and rinsed
1 4- to 5-pound boneless pork butt
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped fine
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
salt

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onions and chiles in oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute more, then transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes (with juice), chili powder, oregano and bay leaves.

In a blender (or using an immersion blender), puree 1 can hominy with 2 cups chicken broth, then add to the slow cooker along with the other 2 cans of hominy and remaining 2 cups of chicken broth.

Cut the pork into 1 1/2-inch chunks, trimming as much fat as you can, then add to the slow cooker and stir to coat. Cover and cook 9-11 hours on low or 5-7 hours on high. Pork should be fall-apart tender.

Let the stew sit for about 5 minutes, then skim excess fat from the surface with a spoon. Season with salt to taste, then stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve over white or brown rice.

Pictured: Pyr-O-Rey Brown Daisy Casserole, Corning Ware Grab-It Bowl