Pork and Apple
There’s something deeply comforting about the pairing of tender pork with the subtle sweetness of apple and the earthy heartiness of potato. This pressure cooker recipe brings them all together in a fragrant, umami-rich sauce that’s both easy to make and full of flavor. It’s the kind of dish that tastes like you’ve spent all day over the stove, when really, the pressure cooker does most of the work.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclaimer.
This dish would be suitable for flexi animal based if you are ok with some sauces and potatoes. It wouldn’t be able to be strict animal based as if you remove the sauces it just wouldn’t taste the same.
It’s gluten free due to using potatoes to thicken the sauce and tamari sauce. It’s onion and garlic free so if you are sensitive to those foods but still want full on flavor this recipe is a good go to.
I’ve listed it as Japanese even though I’m using white potatoes which don’t seem a stable in the Japanese diet because the sauce is inspired from a Japanese recipe. You can swap out the white potatoes and serve with rice and use corn flour to thicken the sauce instead.
I first made this on a day when I wanted something warm and satisfying but didn’t have the energy to fuss over dinner. This dish is similar to the pork belly recipe which is below. This recipe includes melt-in-your-mouth pork again, but with a beautifully balanced sauce that has a tang of rice vinegar and the sweetness of honey, with just a hint of ginger warmth in the background.
Ingredients
- 3 pork steaks
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup tamari sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 apple, cubed (leave the skin on for extra texture)
- 1 white potato, cubed
Instructions
Start by cutting the pork steaks into large chunks if they’re thick, this helps them cook evenly. In your pressure cooker, whisk together the water, tamari, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, and sesame oil. Add the pork, apple, and potato directly into the liquid, stirring gently to coat everything in the sauce.
Secure the lid on your pressure cooker and set it to the meat setting, or manually cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Once it’s done, let the pressure release naturally if you have the time, this helps the meat stay extra tender. Otherwise, a quick release will still get you great results.
The sauce will be rich and slightly thickened, with the apple melting into the mix and the potato perfectly soft. If you want to thicken the sauce mash some of the potatoes to thicken the sauce without the need for flour, so it can stay gluten free. You can serve it as is, spooned over a bowl of rice or steamed greens.
Optional Add-Ons
While this dish is already well-rounded, you could easily throw in some sliced carrots or a handful of shredded cabbage before cooking for extra veg. A sprinkle of sesame seeds or chopped spring onions on top also adds a nice finish if you’re feeling fancy.
Variations
This dish is made gluten free, but if you have soya sauce you can use that instead of the Tamari, if it’s gluten free soya sauce that will give the same taste.
If you prefer to swap out dried ginger you can do that but adjust the amounts as fresh ginger doesn’t equate the same to dried.
Pork and Apple
Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 3 pork steaks
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup tamari sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 tsp dried ginger
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 apple cubed (leave the skin on for extra texture)
- 1 white potato cubed
Instructions
- Start by cutting the pork steaks into large chunks if they’re thick, this helps them cook evenly. In your pressure cooker, whisk together the water, tamari, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, and sesame oil. Add the pork, apple, and potato directly into the liquid, stirring gently to coat everything in the sauce.
- Secure the lid on your pressure cooker and set it to the meat setting, or manually cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Once it’s done, let the pressure release naturally if you have the time, this helps the meat stay extra tender. Otherwise, a quick release will still get you great results.
- The sauce will be rich and slightly thickened, with the apple melting into the mix and the potato perfectly soft. If you want to thicken the sauce mash some of the potatoes to thicken the sauce without the need for flour, so it can stay gluten free. You can serve it as is, spooned over a bowl of rice or steamed greens.
Notes
