Instant Pot Smothered Pork Chops

Instant Pot Smothered Pork Chops - made January 4, 2019 from Beauty and the Foodie

I love my Instant Pot. I've only used it a few times but that's enough to let me know I love it. Mostly because it almost makes me feel like a "real cook". Okay, not really. It's because the recipes I find to use it are really easy and thanks to its Instant-Pot-is-really-a-fancy-pressure-cooker capabilities, it's also a quick way to make a decent meal.

I've found it's especially handy when making pork chops. If you're like me and prefer the thick-cut boneless pork chops, the Instant Pot is an even better BFF. No more frying mess, burning it on the outside while the inside is still too pink (is that just me?) or it being too dry and tasteless (also just me?)

You do have to do a little work in terms of searing the outside first before you add the ingredients and turn on the Instant Pot to do its magic but even that's pretty simple. I omitted the mushrooms because I don't like them but otherwise followed the recipe almost exactly. Except I used the minced garlic from Penzey's instead of hassling with garlic cloves on my own.

Matter of fact, the main reason I cook - besides the fact that even *I* can't eat out all the time - is to use up my spices from Penzey's. Love their spices and I'm always on the lookout for recipes that use up the ones I've bought. This recipe came out well. The pork chops were tender but not too soft and the sauce was tasty. If you want a little more texture, you might want to reserve some of the bacon and fry it separately so you can have crispy bacon bits on top.

4 boneless pork loin chops
2 slices uncooked bacon, chopped (I used 4 slices)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fine-ground sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup sliced white mushrooms (I left them out)
1 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or minced fresh parsley for garnish

1. Sprinkle each side of pork chops with thyme, salt and pepper.
2. Press Saute and add olive oil to the inner pot. Heat until the pot shows "hot" on the screen.
3. Sear the pork chops on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes to just brown the sides in the inner pot. Remove the pork chops from the pot and set aside on a plate.
4. While still hot, add the chopped bacon, minced garlic and sliced mushrooms, if using, to the pot and saute 3-4 minutes until garlic has softened and bacon is browning.
5. Add the beef broth to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Stir in the onion powder and garlic powder. Press "Cancel" to turn off saute mode. 
6. Add pork chops back to the pot.
7. Secure and lock the lid. Turn the pressure release handle to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook on High Pressure (Normal) and set the timer for 10 minutes.
8. Once cooking time is done, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes then Quick Release the remaining pressure. 
9. Once all steam has released, open the lid and remove only the pork chops. Cover and keep warm. Select Saute and heat liquid in inner pot until bubbling. Add the heavy cream to the sauce and stir. Continue to heat on saute until bubbling. Press "Warm" on the pot. Plate pork chops and pour the sauce over the chops. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves or fresh parsley.