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It seems that everyone is obsessed with Instant Pots lately, and for good reason! This powerhouse appliance has the ability to prepare fall-apart tender deliciousness in just a fraction of the time of my old standby for fall-apart tenderness... the crock pot. If I'm being totally honest, I haven't used my slow cooker once since getting my Instant Pot for Christmas last year! Does that mean I should get rid of my slow cooker?!
A key part of my meal planning strategy is to have some protein options ready to go! So when, thanks to a holiday promotion and some reward points, I was able to buy an 11lb boneless pork loin for, not joking, FOUR DOLLARS, I was like YEP, making something awesome in the Instant Pot and FREEZING IT. Sometimes it's just nice to be able to thaw something, reheat, throw a veggie or a salad on the side, and dig in. Trust me, especially if you're doing a Whole30, you will have plenty of cooking to do and plenty of dishes to do, so a few pre-made meals like this will be so luxurious :)
This pork loin is fall apart tender, features a creamy spicy brown mustard sauce based on my Thick & Creamy Date Mustard Dressing, and was such a nice surprising flavor combo when paired with sweet potatoes and coleslaw! It's also husband-approved and might just become one of my go-to recipes.
INSTANT POT Mustard Shredded Pork Loin
[Whole30 - Paleo - Gluten Free - Grain Free - Dairy Free]
Ingredients:
3.5 - 4 lbs boneless pork loin
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1/4 cup water
For the sauce (makes about 2.5 cups):
3/4 cup water, divided
5 dried dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup raw cashew pieces (or halves)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup spicy brown mustard
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup coconut cream
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
a couple of dashes of your favorite hot sauce
2 Tbsp arrowroot starch (optional, if you want to make gravy, see note below)
Instructions:
- Cut pork loin into 4" chunks. Add to Instant Pot insert along with sliced sweet onion.
- Prepare Spicy Mustard sauce...
- In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup cashews, and 5 dates to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then transfer to the cup that came with your immersion blender (or transfer to your regular blender).
- Add remaining sauce ingredients (olive oil - black pepper) and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour ~1 cup of the sauce over the pork and onions in your Instant Pot.
- Add in 1/2 cup of water, seal the Instant Pot, and ensure the valve is set to "sealing."
- Set to high pressure, Manual setting, for 45 minutes.
- Once the time is up, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes
- Manually release the steam (I always put a towel over the valve so meat juice and steam don't explode everywhere).
- Remove the pork and onions to a large bowl and shred pork with 2 forks.
- Fold in 1 - 1.5 cups of the remaining mustard sauce (however much you want!). Taste, adjust salt as needed, and enjoy!
- Serve with extra mustard sauce and/or gravy (see note below), if you want!
- Package in airtight containers if you want to freeze it for later.
Note: I did not want to waste the juices that were left in the pot, so, I made a gravy-ish sauce! Set Instant Pot to Saute and let the juices cook down for 10 minutes or so. Then whisk in 2 Tbsp of arrowroot starch. Continue to cook until sauce thickens. Drizzle over mustard pork or save for another meal (would be great for Shepherd's Pie or just over mashed potatoes)!
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Instant Pot Mustard Shredded Pork Loin – Maria Makes: Sweet mustard-y pulled pork, pairs perfectly with sweet potatoes and coleslaw! #Whole30 and #Paleo