Quickie Pork Roast

Instant Pots are a lie. They promised one-pot dinners in a quarter the cooking time. Chef Husband and I received and Instant Pot as a gift and our eyes bugged wide thinking of all the time we’d save! I quickly ordered a Instant Pot-themed cookbook off Amazon and got right to work!

To my surprise, nearly all of the one-pot recipes called for using a microwave (which I despise) for the veggies and then adding them at the end of the cooking cycle! Shenanigans!

Since I’m the one who does all the cooking around the house (the cobbler’s husband has no shoes), I do appreciate that this kitchen wonder cooks frozen meats with ease. Often, I’m left with a freezer full of protein and nothing to make for dinner. For that, and that alone, I keep this handy-dandy pot of instants in my life.

Tonight, we’re making a pork roast for the first time. Since the veggies are carrots and we have some potatoes for good measure, I devised a method for popping them in raw at the end so they good just as speedy. No microwaves required.

The Ingredients

Spice Rub

• 2 T dark brown sugar (or light if you’re boring)

• 1/2 t garlic powder

• 1 t onion powder

• 1 1/2 t sea salt

• 1/2 t cinnamon

• 1 t dried thyme

• 1/2 t white pepper

Sauce + Veggies

• 2 lb pork shoulder roast

• 1/4 c olive oil, divided

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped

• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1/2 c dry red wine (I usually cook with pinot noir)

• 1 c chicken broth

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 2 large carrots, chopped into 1.5-inch chunks

• 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into chunks

• 1/3 c balsamic vinegar

• 2 T corn starch

Directions

1. Combine all spice rub ingredients in a bowl using a fork.

2. Rub the spice mixture over the pork roast so every surface is coated and set aside.

3. Turn on the Instant Pot to sauté and add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pot.

4. When olive is shimmering add onions, red pepper, and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes and remove from Instant Pot.

5. Add the last two tablespoons of olive oil to the Instant Pot and when olive oil is shimmering, add pork roast. Sear each side for 2-3 minutes to brown the pork. Remove pork and set aside.

6. Deglaze the pot with wine and broth. Scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom with a spatula.

7. Add back cooked onion and garlic, and add fresh rosemary to the liquid. Insert the metal Instant Pot trivet.

8. Add back the pork roast, resting on the trivet and close the lid and seal the steam vent.

9. Set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, for 70 minutes.

10. When the timer ends, quick release the pressure and add carrots and potatoes. Cover again and set Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, for 4 additional minutes.

11. Quick release the pressure again and remove pork roast and veggies and place them in a large bowl. Throw rosemary sprigs away.

12. Remove the trivet. Add balsamic vinegar to the wine sauce. Mix well and then add on corn starch to the wine sauce.

13. Turn on Instant Pot to sauté and whisk mixture until the corn starch has dissolved. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until sauce thickens.

14. Serve pork and veggies together with sauce on the top.