Instant Pot Smoky Paprika Pork Stew
Adapted from Claude (custom recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 lb 900 g pork loin, cut into 3 cm (1 1/4 in) cubes
- 1 tsp salt, for the pork
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, for the pork
- 2 tbsp 30 ml oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp 30 g tomato paste
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup 120 ml dry white wine or apple cider
- 1 1/2 cup 360 ml chicken broth
- 1 lb 450 g potatoes, cut into 4 cm (1 1/2 in) chunks
- 3 300 g carrots, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) chunks
- 1 tbsp 8 g cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
- 1 tbsp 15 ml apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, to finish
- to serve sour cream or crème fraîche, and chopped parsley, to serve (optional)
Method
- Pat the pork dry and season with the salt and pepper. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (high). Add the oil and brown the pork in two batches, about 3 minutes per batch. Set aside.
- Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and both paprikas, and stir for 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom well, since stuck bits can trigger the "Burn" warning. Stir in the broth, thyme, and bay leaves, then return the pork to the pot.
- Layer the potatoes and carrots on top and do not stir. Press Cancel.
- Lock the lid, seal the vent, and cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually. Remove the bay leaves.
- Press Sauté, bring to a simmer, and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Cook for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the vinegar, and adjust the salt. Serve with sour cream and parsley.
Notes
- The 7-minute pressure time gives tender pork with soft but intact vegetables. If the pork cubes are smaller than 3 cm, drop it to 5 minutes, because loin overcooks quickly.
- The vegetables are cut larger than in a stovetop stew so they hold up under pressure.
- The pot takes about 10–15 minutes to come to pressure, so allow roughly an hour in total.
- Pork loin is lean, so don't extend the cooking time. If you use pork shoulder instead, cook it for about 25 minutes at High Pressure with a full natural release.
- Stovetop version - brown the pork and sauté as above, add 3 1/2 cups (840 ml) broth, simmer gently covered for 25–30 minutes, then add the potatoes and carrots and simmer another 20–25 minutes.
- Tastes even better the next day. Reheat gently.