Pork and Apples - Instant Pot or Slow Cooker!
Pork and Apples... A perfect pairing! Combine in your Instant Pot or slow cooker with stone ground mustard and sage for a flavorful and tender main dish.
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean pork loin
- olive oil
- salt/pepper
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cubed - half inch dice +/-
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon good apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- 1 cup broth/stock
- 2 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tbsp. fresh sage - finely chopped (see notes)
- 2 bay leaves
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. flour
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Add the pork chunks and a drizzle of olive oil to a sauté pan. Bring a saute pan to high heat. Sear the pork on all sides. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. If you add a sizzling hot food to a cold slow cooker, you risk crack it. I've had this experience! When pork is cooler, add to slow cooker.
- Add cubed apples, chopped onion, and garlic to the slow cooker.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, stone ground mustard, broth/stock, garlic, sage (and thyme if using), several grinds of pepper and sea salt. Whisk thoroughly. Pour over the pork and apples. Drop bay leaves into the liquid.
- Cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 4-6 hours.
- Just prior to serving, remove pork from the slow cooker. Don't worry if it's falling apart and you leave some behind.
- Brown flour in olive oil in a small saute pan. You'll need enough olive oil to make a paste, but if watching fat and calories, don't use more than you need to. Using a ladle, add liquid from the slow cooker to the flour mixture a little at a time until you have a thick gravy. Scoop the gravy into the slow cooker, and stir gently to combine and thicken the sauce. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Add the pork back into the slow cooker. Stir gently to combine. Set dial to "warm" until ready to serve.***
Instant Pot
- Add the pork chunks and a drizzle of olive oil to a sauté pan. Bring a saute pan to high heat. Sear the pork on all sides.
- Add cubed apples, chopped onion, and garlic to the slow cooker.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, stone ground mustard, broth/stock, garlic, sage (and thyme if using), several grinds of pepper and sea salt. Whisk thoroughly. Pour over the pork and apples. Drop bay leaves into the liquid.
- Set Instant Pot to 40 minutes at high pressure. When finished, release pressure (be careful!).
- Brown flour in olive oil in a small saute pan. You'll need enough olive oil to make a paste, but if watching fat and calories, don't use more than you need to. Using a ladle, add liquid from the Instant Pot to the flour mixture a little at a time until you have a thick gravy. Scoop the gravy back into the Instant Pot, and stir gently to combine and thicken the sauce. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- To Serve
- Serve over your choice of brown or wild rice (or a mix), barley, freekeh, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh herbs as desired!
Notes
I love fresh herbs, and use them whenever possible - either from my garden or the market. If you are using dried, you will want to use about 50% of the amount used fresh.
I always include sage, but will include fresh thyme leaves if I have them. Marjoram is another nice option. Garnish with fresh sage, thyme, and/or chives as desired.
Seasoning is subjective. My husband watches sodium intake, so I typically go easy on salt. Always taste for seasoning prior to serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 6Servings | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 11g
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or star rating! Email us with any questions: tamara@beyondmeresustenance.com