Spanish Braised Pork Pressure Cooker Recipes

PRESSURE COOKER BRAISED PORK HOCK 萬巒豬腳

Steps:

• Optional Cleaning Step: Bring 3.5L of water to a boil. Then, boil the pork hock for 3 minutes to clean and remove the excess fat. Remove and rinse in cold tap water. We take this step whenever we make Chinese soups or cook in master stock with pork hock or any other bones and meat.
• Pressure Cook Pork Hock: Add the pork hock and 1.5 cup of master stock (see above tips section for simplified version) into the pressure cooker. Close the lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes (For more tender results: use High Pressure for 30 minutes), and full Natural Release (roughly 15 - 20 minutes). Turn off the heat. Open the lid carefully.
• Marinate Pork Hock: place the pork hock pieces in a smaller bowl, pour the master stock through a strainer and fully submerge the pork hock pieces in the master stock for at least 1 hour.
• Make Garlic Sauce: Mix 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 60 ml of master stock and ¼ teaspoon of sugar together. Taste and add more sugar if necessary.
• Serve: This dish is best served at room temperature. Slice the pork hock into thin slices and serve with the garlic sauce. Enjoy~

SPANISH PORK BRAISE

Steps:

• For pork:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle pork shanks and pig's foot, if using, with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sauté shanks and foot until brown, about 12 minutes per batch; transfer to baking sheet. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and thyme to pot. Sauté until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add coarsely chopped tomatoes with juice, broth, Sherry, chiles, tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and coriander. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from pan bottom.
• Return shanks and foot, if using, to pot. Place smoked ham shanks in pot, arranging all in single layer. Return to boil. Cover pot and place in oven. Braise until pork shanks are tender, about 1 hour 40 minutes.
• Tilt pot; carefully spoon off all fat. Simmer pork uncovered over medium heat until sauce thickens to desired consistency, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Pork can be made 1 day ahead. Cool about 30 minutes. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.
• Meanwhile, make garbanzo beans and gremolata:
• Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add beans, garlic, and saffron. Sauté until heated through, about 5 minutes. Mix in chopped prosciutto. Sprinkle beans with salt and pepper. Mix parsley, almonds, and orange peel in small bowl for gremolata.
• Place 1 pork shank on each of 6 plates. Spoon sauce around. Spoon garbanzo beans around shanks. Sprinkle with some of gremolata. Drape prosciutto strips over shanks. Serve, passing remaining gremolata.

BRAISED PORK BELLY (红烧肉/HONG SHAO ROU/RED COOKED PORK)

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the ginger, scallion, and blanch the pork belly pieces over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• After five minutes, clean the pork under running water and keep them dry with cloth or kitchen towel. Reserve some blanching water and pass it through a wire mesh strainer.
• Heat the sugar and oil in a nonstick pan. When the sugar turns to amber color, add the dried pork pieces into it.
• Pan-fry the pork for two minutes until all the sides are sear and colored.
• Add the pork, soy sauce, ginger, scallion, wine, star anise, and blanching liquid enough to submerge all the pork pieces to a pot.
• Braise the pork over low heat with the lid on for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is soft and tender. Turn the heat to medium and boil it uncovered until the braising liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.
• Dish out and garnish with thinly sliced scallion. Serve.

SHERRY-BRAISED PORK CHEEKS

Steps:

• Heat 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan then add the onion. Cook gently for 10 - 15 minutes until softened and lighty coloured. Remove and set aside.
• Toss the cheeks in the seasoned flour. Add a little more oil to the pan and turn up the heat. Brown the pork cheeks all over in batches. Turn the heat down to medium.
• Return all the pork and the reserved onions to the pan. Add the garlic, cumin and paprika and cook for a minute, then pour in the sherry. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan and mix in all the flavours.
• Pour in the beef stock then bring the pan to a simmer. Simmer gently for 2 hours or until the cheeks are tender.
• Scatter with parsley leaves and flaked almonds. Serve with rice or buttery mashed potato.

SPANISH BRAISED PORK - PRESSURE COOKER

Steps:

• In the pressure cooker, mix pork butt, olive oil, minced onion, garlic powder, and paprika until spices are evenly distributed.
• Add lemon juice, red wine, and enough chicken stock to just cover the meat (you may need more than 2 cups stock).
• Ensure that you have adequate space between the top of the liquid/meat and the top of the pressure cooker. Consult your pressure cooker manual if you're not sure.
• Bring to pressure on high heat, then turn heat down to maintain pressure. Cook 45 minutes, then remove from heat and allow 15 minutes of cool-down before releasing pressure.

PRESSURE COOKER PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Prepare the pork loin by rubbing in the Italian Seasoning and crushed garlic. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker and put in a few of the onion pieces to flavor the oil leaving it just long enough to soften slightly, then remove it and set aside. Brown the roast on all sides and both ends. Remove to extra plate so that you can add 2/3rds of the chicken broth scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all the good bits; add the trivet and return the roast, fat side up. Add the onion. Pressure cook for 1 hour; remove from heat and let it the pressure come down on its own.
• Remove the roast and onions to a serving dish and tent with foil to rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime, mix the cold water and corn starch in a mixing cup or small bowl (I like to add a little pepper here). Remove the trivet from pot, add the rest of the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the water/corn starch mixture to the pot and remove from heat. This makes a wonderful gravy for the roast.

INSTANT POT BRAISED PORK CHEEKS

Steps:

• Select saute on instant pot. Add the oil and onions and saute until onions are tender. Add the garlic and saute 30 more seconds. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides to get a good crust.
• Add the wine and deglaze the pot. Add the paprika, cumin, and cinnamon stick. Pour in the stock.
• Lock the lid and select pressure cook on high. Set the time for 45 minutes. Once cooked use quick release then remove the lid.
• Remove the meat to a plate and keep warm. Strain the sauce and discard any solids. Place in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and whisk into the gravy to thicken it.
• Serve with mashed potatoes.

INSTANT POT TAIWANESE BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Brown Pork Belly in Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot using "Sauté More" function. Wait until Instant Pot says "HOT" in order to induce a maillard reaction. Add 1 tsp (5ml) peanut oil in Instant Pot's inner pot, then ensure the whole bottom is coated with oil. Lightly season the pork belly's skin side with salt. Place pork belly's seasoned skin side down in Instant Pot. Brown pork belly for roughly 5 minutes per side. Lightly season the other side of pork belly with salt. Then, brown the pork belly's two thinner sides for 3 minutes per side. Set aside the browned pork belly.
• Optional Flavor Enhancing Step - Caramelize Sugar: Add 1.5 tbsp (22g) unsalted butter in Instant Pot, then ensure the whole bottom is coated with melted butter. Add 2 tbsp (29g) brown sugar, then stir very occasionally. *Pro Tip: Ensure the sugar reaches a deep caramelized color (see photo). This process will take ~1.5 - 2 mins.
• Saute Shallot and Garlic: Once the brown sugar has a deep brown color, add ¼ cup (60g) deep fried shallots (or minced shallot) in Instant Pot to stop the sugar from burning. Then, add in ginger slices and minced garlic. Saute for another minute.
• Deglaze: Pour 1 tbsp (15ml) Shaoxing wine and 1 cup (250ml) cold water in Instant Pot. Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
• Pressure Cook Pork Belly: Add in 2 - 3 (3g) star anise, 2 bay leaves, 3 tbsp (45ml) soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) Chinese black vinegar, ½ tsp (0.8g) five-spice powder, ¼ tsp (1g) ground white pepper. Give it a quick mix, then turn off the heat. Slowly cut the pork belly into small strips (see photo), then place pork belly in Instant Pot, and give it a quick mix. *Pro Tip: Ensure the pork belly is partially submerged in the cooking liquid. Close lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position. Carefully open the lid.
• Thicken Lu Rou Sauce: Remove & discard the star anise and bay leaves. *Pro Tip: If you want to add in soft or hard boiled eggs, add them at this stage. Bring the delicious content to a simmer with the "Saute More" function. Let the content simmer for 3 - 10 minutes to break down the meat & thicken the sauce. Stir occasionally.
• Season & Serve Taiwanese Braised Pork: Taste and season the Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly (for reference, we used 3 pinches of salt & ~1 tsp white sugar here to balance & further bring out the depths of flavors). Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, then serve on rice. Enjoy your delicious Classic Taiwanese Minced Pork!~ :)