Instant Pot Greek Braised Pork with Honey, Orange, and Rosemary

Instant Pot Greek Braised Pork with Honey, Orange, and Rosemary. A taste of the island of Ikaria, in about an hour, thanks to pressure cooking.

You have married an Icarus, He has flown too close to the sun. Burn, Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Ikarian braised pork. How can I resist a recipe from an island named after Greek mythology? The island of Ikaria is named after the Greek myth of Icarus; when he flew too close to the sun, he supposedly fell into the sea near the island.

I saw this recipe in Milk Street Magazine, and beyond the mythological name, I was intrigued by orange and rosemary in Greek cooking. Lemon and oregano are the Greek combination I expect, while I think of orange and rosemary as Italian flavors. Looks like I need to expand my Mediterranean flavor profiles. Rosemary and orange are both common across the entire Mediterranean basin, and are commonly used in Greece and its islands.

Of course, I’m adapting it for pressure cooking in my trusty Instant Pot. Pork shoulder and pressure cooking are a perfect pairing. Try this taste of the Greek islands; the Instant Pot will have it ready for you in about an hour.

Recipe: Instant Pot Greek Braised Pork with Honey, Orange, and Rosemary

Inspired by: Ikarian Braised Pork with Honey, Orange, and Rosemary, Milk Street Magazine Nov-Dec 2019 By Diana Kochilas and Diane Unger

https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/ikarian-honey-orange-braised-pork

Instant Pot Greek Braised Pork with Honey, Orange, and Rosemary

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 2 quarts of pork 1x

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Description

Instant Pot Greek Braised Pork with Honey, Orange, and Rosemary. A taste of the island of Ikaria, in about an hour, thanks to pressure cooking.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes (trim off as much fat as possible)
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large red onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth (preferably homemade, or water)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (if using homemade broth)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• Juice from 1 medium orange
• 2 tablespoons honey

Cornstarch slurry (optional)

• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

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Instructions

1. Brown the pork in 3 batches: Sprinkle the cubed pork with 1½ teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. In an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, heat the olive oil over Sauté mode adjusted to high until the oil is shimmering. (Use medium-high heat for a stovetop PC). Sear the pork in three batches; sear each batch until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes, and then transfer the seared pork to a bowl. 
2. Saute the aromatics: Add the minced onion and garlic to the pot, stir to coat with oil, then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Sauté until the onion softens, about 5 minutes, scraping occasionally to loosen any browned bits of pork from the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine into the pot, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 1 minute to boil off some of the alcohol.
3. Everything in pot: Stir in the pork and any juices in the bowl. Pour in the chicken broth (and add ½ teaspoon salt if using homemade broth). Stir in the minced rosemary, oregano, and 1 tablespoon honey. Scrape the bottom of the pot one last time to make sure nothing is sticking. 
4. Pressure cook the pork for 24 minutes with a Natural Release: Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 24 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC (use "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot), or for 20 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 more minutes.
5. Serve: Unlock the lid on the pressure cooker, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam. Stir in the orange zest, orange juice, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Whisk the water and cornstarch into a slurry, and then stir the cornstarch slurry into the stew. Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

Flat edged wooden spoon

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6-Quart Pressure Cooker

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Notes

• I sear in batches so I don’t crowd the pot – a crowded pot doesn’t brown the pork, it steams it, and I want those complex browning flavors in my stew. That said, brown the pork on one side only; it’s the best balance between time and flavor, giving me browning for the stew, without spending all day searing the pork cubes on all sides.

Tools

• 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot 6-Quart Pressure Cooker)
• Flat edged wooden spoon

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Category: Sunday dinner
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: Greek

What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

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My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes

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