Description

In this Instant pot Honey Garlic pork recipe, the tenderloin is cooked in umami-rich soy sauce and balsamic broth with garlic and a little honey. Then, the meat is removed and the sauce is reduced with extra honey and thickened with butter and cornstarch into a luxuriously glossy and caramelized glaze.

Ingredients

1 -1.2 pounds (~454-500 g) pork tenderloin, 1.5-2” thick (tenderloin, not loin!)

½ teaspoon salt and pepper

1.5 tablespoons olive oil or butter

⅔ cup (200 ml) low-sodium chicken stock

⅓ cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced or finely diced

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar Or red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

To finish:

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons corn starch (or flour) + 4 tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon butter

Garnish: green onions

Sides: Rice, Greens, Green onions

Instructions

Prepare the pork. Sprinkle evenly with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
Brown the pork. Turn on the Sauté setting. When it is hot, add olive oil or butter. Place the pork in the pot and brown on all sides for about 1- 2 minutes on each side. Add a little more oil if needed. Then remove it to a plate.
Deglaze the pot. Add the stock to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to get up any of the fond (browned bits). This is also called deglazing. Turn off the pot.
In a small pot, whisk the soy sauce, garlic, vinegar and honey. Then add to the stock in the pot and stir.
Pressure cook the pork. Place the pork back in the pot and coat it with the sauce. Secure and lock the lid. Set to HIGH pressure for 2 minutes.
Once the cooking is done, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes (if the pork tenderloin is much thicker than 1.5-2”, then add a few more minutes to natural release). Then quick release the pressure.
Open the lid and remove the pork tenderloin to a plate, cover to keep warm.
Thicken the sauce. Turn on the Sauté setting again. When it starts to simmer, add the remaining ¼ cups of honey and stir, cook for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid by about a third.
In the meantime, make a slurry by whisking the corn starch (or flour) and water. Stir it into the sauce to thicken it even further, followed by butter to give it a luxurious shine.
Serve. Slice the pork tenderloin and pour the sauce over the top or return the sliced pork to the pot with the sauce to warm it up. Garnish with spring onions. Serve rice or noodles on the side.

Notes

Leftovers Tip. Any leftover honey garlic pork can be sliced and used in a sandwich (think Vietnamese Bahn Mi) or a wrap, in a salad or stirred through some noodles or a stir-fry. Diced pork would be great in fried rice, too.

Nutrition

Serving Size: A few slices and sauce
Calories: 325
Sugar: 25.5 g
Sodium: 935.3 mg
Fat: 9.2 g
Carbohydrates: 32.3 g
Fiber: 0.2 g
Protein: 28.9 g
Cholesterol: 83.8 mg

Keywords: Pork Recipes, Tenderloin, Dinner Recipes