The Instant Pot is not just for soup, stews, and tagines. The miracle cooking vessel also yields a succulent pork loin.
To achieve that juicy meat, however, you must either add a flavorful seasoning to the exterior or brine it before subjecting it to the Instant Pot's pressure setting.
You've also got to be sure not to overcook that slab of protein. (Easier said than done.) Unfortunately, when your pot is fully pressurized, you can't just open the lid to check the temperature of your roast.
Even in the oven, it's easy to overcook it and end up with hard, dry slices of meat that can only be eaten if drenched in boatloads of gravy. (More about that gravy, later.)
According to the Pork Checkoff and the USDA, pork is safe to eat at a temperature of 145 F. This may sound low, but modern pork farming practices make the presence of trichinosis bacteria, which used to be a problem in pigs, highly unlikely.
The lower internal temperature translates into a tender result on your plate. (It's better for leftovers, too; since you're starting a second act with meat that is just cooked through.)
Instant Pot pork loin vs Instant Pot pork shoulder
You may be asking, "Why should I cook a lean, pork loin in the Instant Pot instead of a pork shoulder?"
After all, it's easy to transform the shoulder, with abundant intramuscular fat, into a melting fall-off-the-bone braise. A sinewy pork loin could become tough. (I promise it won't if you follow the cooking instructions in the recipe below.)
Although pork loin is lean, it's still hearty, satisfying meat. You won't feel deprived when you take a bite.
Further, if you look at the table below and compare, pork loin is lower in calories and saturated fat than a lean cut of beef. It's also high in monounsaturated fats, the healthy fats that we enjoy in olive oil.
Full disclosure: Pork loin is not high in the nutritious omega-3 fats that salmon contains. But, it's lower in calories than a typical farmed portion of salmon.
For a healthy main dish salmon entree, try Spinach Salad with Salmon. It is topped with roasted root vegetables and turmeric dressing!
Nutrients: 100 grams (3.5 oz) | 🐄 Beef, top sirloin | 🐔Chicken breast, skinless, boneless | 🐷 Pork loin | 🐟 Salmon, farmed, Atlantic |
Calories | 214 | 120 | 166 | 208 |
Protein | 19 g | 22.5 g | 21 g | 20.42 mg |
Carbohydrate | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
Fat | 14.28 g | 2.62 g | 8 g | 13.42 g |
Iron | 1.46 mg | 0.37 mg | 0.5 mg | 0.34 mg |
Magnesium | 20 mg | 28 mg | 24 mg | 27 mg |
Zinc | 3.57 mg | 0.68 mg | 1.7 mg | 0.46 mg |
Thiamin | 0.05 mg | 0.09 mg | 0.43 mg | 0.21 mg |
Riboflavin | 0.08 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.18 mg | 0.16 mg |
Niacin | 6.43 mg | 9.6 mg | 5.57 mg | 8.67 mg |
B6 | 0.54 mg | 0.81 mg | 0.72 mg | 0.64 mg |
Choline | 83.2 mg | 82.1 mg | 57.3 mg | ------- |
B12 | 1.11 mg | 0.21 mg | 0.54 mg | 3.23 mg |
The only animal protein that really comes close is a skinless, boneless chicken breast.
Pork is brimming with B1
The average cut of pork is a great source of thiamin, vitamin B1. The table above shows that pork loin contains twice as much thiamin as salmon, nearly five times the amount in a chicken breast, and more than eight times as much as beef top sirloin!
Why should you care? After all, 0.43 mg of thiamin does not sound like much. Believe it or not, 0.43 mg is nearly 40% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for an adult woman and more than 35% of the RDA for an adult man.
It turns out that it doesn't take much to meet our body's requirement for thiamin. The most common sources of this B vitamin are breads, cereals, and whole grains. (You'll find thiamin in the outer shell or coating of the grains.)
Vitamin B1: Plant vs animal sources
A ½ cup serving of brown rice, for example, contains 0.1 mg of thiamin, which is not shabby. Legumes are another good source of B1 and packaged breads, cereals, and white rice are enriched with the vitamin, too.
Note: Do not rinse white rice before cooking. You'll lose all those B vitamins that are sprayed onto the rice.
These plant-based sources, however, do not harbor as much B1 as pork does.
The advantage of getting your thiamin from pork is that your body is more likely to absorb it. Chemically, the form of thiamin found in pork and other meats is more bioavailable than the forms found in plant foods.
Also, you are not as likely to pair a pork loin with coffee and tea as you are to enjoy those beverages with breakfast cereal or toast. Coffee and tea contain acids that can inhibit thiamin absorption.
Other foods and beverages that can diminish your ability to absorb thiamin include Brussels sprouts, cabbages, blueberries, and drinks with alcohol.
Alcoholism is a risk factor for thiamin deficiency, particularly in the U.S. where deficiency is unlikely.
What is thiamin (B1) good for?
- Energy: Vitamin B1, like its brethren vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin), is needed for energy production. Some athletes even use it as a performance-enhancing supplement. (It's not a banned substance.)
- Nerves: Another important role of thiamin is helping nerves send messages and communicate throughout your body.
Thiamin (B1) Deficiency
It's not surprising that classic symptoms of thiamin deficiency, called beriberi, are impaired coordination and muscular weakness.
In addition to alcoholics, anyone who has a problem with absorbing nutrients could have difficulty getting enough thiamin. This includes elderly people and individuals with conditions like HIV, liver disease, Crohn's, other inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, and GI cancers.
Can you get too much thiamin?
Getting too much thiamin is not a concern since a Tolerable Upper Limit has not been set by the Institute of Medicine, which determines the RDAs.
Instant Pot cooking for taste and health
Although the heat from cooking often reduces or even destroys water-soluble vitamins like thiamin, this is less likely to happen in the Instant Pot than the oven.
Research indicates that pressure cooking, which is the Instant Pot method, decreases vitamin loss as well as cooking duration. At the same time, it can increase flavor and tenderness.
Modern multifunction cookers allow you to saute ingredients like onions and to brown roasts and cuts of meat before switching to pressure cooking in the same pot. This makes them ideal for small to medium roasts such as a pork loin.
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I have used both the 6- and 8-qt models by Instant Pot Duo and slightly prefer the larger cooker. I like the 8-qt because cleanup is a little easier, and it accommodates bigger whole chickens. But, the 6-qt size works just fine for almost all cooking tasks.
Here are some Amazon links to the Instant Pots I have used and can vouch for: The 8-qt Instant Pot Duo and the 6-qt Instant Pot Duo. (I have not tried the cookers that can air-fry in addition to all their other functions! I would love to hear from you about this function. 😊)
Perfect pork roast: Oven vs. Instant Pot
The reason I use the Instant Pot for the Herb-Garlic Pork Loin recipe below is that the meat from the Instant Pot is juicier than that from the oven.
Having prepped the roasts in an identical fashion, the one I pressure-cooked in the IP was hands-down my family's favorite. It was more tender, and making gravy in the Instant Pot was a snap while the roast rested to absorb its juices before slicing.
What to serve with pork loin roast?
Roasted new potatoes or sweet potato chunks are delicious. Or keep the meal low carb with a side like spaghetti squash or a root vegetable roast.
Try my recipe for Honey-roasted Carrots and Parsnips. 🥕
Instant Pot Pork Loin with Herbs and Garlic
Equipment
- Instant Pot (multicooker)
- trivet for Instant Pot
- cutting boards
- chef's knives
- silicone brush
- measuring cups
- mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 2 pound pork loin roast boneless
- 5 cloves garlic cut in half or quartered
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly before starting the prep.
- Place raw pork lon roast on a cutting board and make 1-inch cuts all over the surface of the roast.
- Wash hands again. Have ready the Dijon mustard and pepper. Combine the thyme, rosemary, and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Mash the garlic with the herbs and press inside the holes on the surface of the pork.
- Using a silicone brush, paint a thin layer of Dijon mustard onto the exterior of the pork roast, and sprinkle all over with black pepper.
- Wash hands again, and select the saute function for 3 minutes on the Instant Pot. After a minute or two when the oil is shimmering, place the fat cap side of pork roast into the oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until well-browned. (Do not let the roast burn, the heat on saute can function be difficult to control. Remove from pot if it browns too quickly and lower the saute heat.) Remove the roast to a plate and deglaze the pot with the vegetable broth.
- Turn the Instant Pot off and place the trivet inside. Put the roast on the trivet with the fat cap facing up. Put the lid on and select the Pressure cook function for 18 minutes. At the end of the time, do not quick-release the pressure. The float should naturally drop after a bit. Remove the roast after 12 minutes and check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. It should be between 145 F and 150 F.(If the roast is not quite at 145 F, return it to the pot and cook for an additional 3 minutes. The pot will pressurize very quickly. Use quick-release venting and remove the roast as soon as the float drops.)Place the roast on a clean cutting board and cover with foil.
- While the pork loin rests and absorbs its juices, make the gravy by whisking the flour and water together into a smooth slurry. Turn on the Instant Pot saute function. Slowly whisk the slurry into the juices in the bottom of the pot. As the mixture comes to a boil, it will thicken. At this point, turn the pot off and remove the inner liner so that the gravy does not become overly thick or dry out.
- Slice the roast and serve the gravy on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
This hearty entree serves four people generously; you could easily stretch it to feed six, especially if one or two of those are pint-size (children). This entree is low-calorie and lean, but warm and filling. ♨
Nutrition
Copyright © 2021 Jani Hall Leuschel
Ruth Y Hall
Wow! I can almost taste it! Just ordered an Instant Pot through your website to try this mouth-watering healthful recipe--we're pork lovers already, but I've never done herb pockets!