Your account has been created

One of Olga Massov's favorite ways to use the Instant Pot is to pressure cook meat in less than half the time of traditional methods. This is a method

Find your bookmarks in the standalone premium version under my profile

Despite its commercial success, the Instant Pot is not the most popular container in the food world.

It lacks a certain romance to "participate" in your food, artificially speeding up the natural process of a vegetable stew. It doesn't look as romantic as the earthenware pot used to cook beans, nor as eye-catching as the bright Le Creuset handed down to you by your family. I will not try to convince opponents that the time-saving and non-interference benefits of multi-function cookers are a godsend for working parents or busy people, but those of us who have an Instant Pot will praise it. If you follow us on Instagram or read these pages, you may find that we often make broth beans, delicious stews, spicy pasta, sweet risotto, creamy yogurt, silky milk sauce-even luxury Cheesecake. Although the jury may still not be on the fashionable air fryer, it is certain that the Instant Pot will continue to exist.

This may be because the Instant Pot is not a one-trick pony, but has a wide range of functions. There is no need for a separate pressure cooker and slow cooker, which takes up twice the space of the kitchen-instant pot or other multi-function pots can do the work of both at the same time, and then some, take up less space. In addition, unlike most slow cookers, the Instant Pot has a scorching function, which is a key selling point for people who like to wash the pot less.

One of my favorite ways to use a multi-cooker is to take a large piece of meat and cook it under pressure, which takes less than half the time of traditional methods. In the warmer months, I stay away from such hearty meals, but as the day's highs and lows tend to decrease, I find myself craving more satiety. The possibility of pork shoulder perfectly embodies this comfort.

Unfortunately, pork shoulder also belongs to the cooking category I like to call "weekend wish". It is very beneficial, but it takes a considerable part of your day to make it. Instant Pot turned it into a weekend reality.

Although I reluctantly embrace the cold months — I am still mourning switching to hot coffee — I lean on braising pork shoulder in cider, sage, and rosemary, which is my favorite autumn flavor. For any meat I stew, I like to marinate or marinate it overnight to make the meat more flavorful.

For this recipe, I coat the meat overnight with a marinade of brown sugar, fennel, sage, and rosemary, as well as a slurry of orange and lemon juice and olive oil.

After scorching the meat on all sides—this is the most labor-intensive part of the recipe—I sauteed an onion and placed the meat in a half-moon pile. Next I added cider and a little white wine, the latter brings the welcome acidity to this heavy dish. Then, after opening the lid, more than 90 minutes later, I had an enviable dinner, and I hardly had to make a fuss.

The resulting stew is a delicious mixture that can be as it is or slightly enhanced. I like to skim the fat from it, and then simmer the remaining liquid to reduce and enrich the flavor to get a juice-like effect.

Although the Instant Pot has its limitations—for example, it won’t make a good roast chicken—but it does make a great pork shoulder in less than two hours for most of the time, making it One of my favorite cooking partners on weekday evenings.

Activity time: 35 minutes | Total time: 1 hour and 50 minutes, plus at least 2 hours of marinating time

Instead of slow simmering for a few hours, this tender pork shoulder (or you can use a similar pork butt) is cooked in an instant pot for over an hour, with cider, fragrant rosemary and sage. If you can marinate the pork in advance, you can guarantee a deeper flavor, but this step is not the key to success. Serve with aromatic cumin rice (see related recipe) and a glass of cider; or for the zero proof option, mix equal amounts of cider and soda for a refreshing autumn drink.

Advance: Pork needs to be marinated for at least 2 hours and overnight.

Storage precautions: The remaining pork can be refrigerated in its stew for up to 4 days.

1 (1.4-1.8kg) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 to 3 large pieces

1½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Finely chopped peel and juice of 1 lemon

Finely chopped peel and 1 orange juice

1 large yellow onion (about 340 g), thinly sliced

120 ml cider or unfiltered apple juice

Marinated pork: Dry the pork thoroughly, then poke the meat all over with a sharp paring knife-avoiding the skin. Tuck the garlic slices into the hole.

In a large bowl, add brown sugar, fennel, rosemary, sage, salt, garlic and onion powder, pepper, lemon and orange peel and juice, and stir well. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir until combined. Add the pork slices and turn them over several times, making sure they are fully coated in the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until overnight.

To cook pork: Set the 5.6 liter programmable multi-function pot (such as the Instant Pot) to SAUTE. Let the pot heat up for 2 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of oil. Remove the pork from the marinade (keep the marinade) and pat the meat dry. Working in batches, fry the pork until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes on each side. Put the roasted meat on the plate and set aside, then repeat with the remaining pork.

Pour as much fat as possible from the Instant Pot. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the onions and stir until soft and light brown, about 6 minutes. Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot, and pour the cider and wine around the meat. Add the reserved marinade and close the lid. Ensure that the steam valve is sealed. Select Pressure (High) and set the timer to 1 hour and 15 minutes (it may take up to 10 minutes for the appliance to reach pressure before cooking starts).

Let the pressure release naturally. Carefully open the multi-cooker and transfer the meat to the cutting board. Taste the cooking liquid. If it looks thin or thin, set the Instant Pot to SAUTE, then simmer the liquid until it is slightly reduced and the flavor is concentrated, for 10 to 15 minutes. If necessary, taste and add more salt and/or pepper to taste.

Transfer the meat to a plate and spoon some sauce. Alternatively, you can use 2 forks or knives and forks to chop the meat. Serve hot.

Note: To make pork in a slow cooker, follow the marinating and scorching instructions above, and then slowly simmer the pork on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours or LOW for 8 hours. If your slow cooker has a scorching function, you can cook the meat and saute the onions in the same pot, otherwise when you are ready to mix the ingredients, use a pan to transfer the meat and onions to the slow cooker.

Nutritional information per serving (approximately 140 grams of meat and 60 ml of sauce), based on 8 | Calories: 545; Total Fat: 41g; Saturated Fat: 13g; Cholesterol: 121mg; Sodium: 564mg; Carbohydrate: 11g; Dietary Fiber: 1g ; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 29g.

The analysis is based on the available ingredients and estimates of the formulation. It should not replace the advice of a dietitian or dietitian.

Activity time: 5 minutes; total time: 25 minutes

Production: 4 servings; about 600 grams of rice

If you rinse the rice before cooking, this method adapted from Chef Einat Admony shared on Instagram may change your mind. The rice is roasted in oil and then covered with boiling water. Eighteen minutes later, the rice was cooked, and each grain of rice was separated, completely different.

Storage precautions: Leftover rice can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds (optional)

200 g uncooked basmati rice (see note)

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, or more to taste

350ml boiling water (see note)

In a medium pot on medium-high heat, heat the oil to shimmer. Add cumin and mustard seeds, if using, heat them until the seeds start to dance in the oil, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and salt, stirring constantly, until the rice is coated with oil and becomes translucent and shiny, about 2 minutes.

Carefully add boiling water-step back, because the liquid will fizz and splash-then stir briefly to mix. Turn down the heat, cover and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside, cover with lid, and loosen with rice paddle.

Note: If using jasmine rice, add 350 ml (1.5 cups) of water per 200 (1 cup) of rice; if using short grain rice, such as sushi rice, use 470 ml (2 cups) of water per 200 grams of rice.

Nutritional information per serving (150 g rice) | 196 calories, 3 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 443 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other independent readers and check their responses

Rey Lopez/The Washington Post

Rey Lopez/The Washington Post

Want to bookmark your favorite articles and stories for later reading or reference? Start your independent premium subscription now.

Or, if you wish: