Instant Pot Pork Adobo

01Method

1. 1

   Set the pressure cooker to Sauté mode and let it heat up. Pour in the oil, then add the pork cubes and brown them for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, 3–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and let it cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Pour in the water, soy sauce, vinegar, and add the sugar, salt, pepper, and bay leaf; stir everything together. Cancel Sauté mode.

2. 2

   Seal the lid and set the cooker to high pressure. Program the timer for 15 minutes and allow 10–15 minutes for pressure to build before the countdown begins.

3. 3

   Let the pressure release naturally, which will take between 10 and 40 minutes. Transfer the pork to a bowl and keep it warm. Ladle out roughly half of the cooking liquid and set it aside.

4. 4

   Reactivate Sauté mode. Whisk the tapioca starch into the liquid remaining in the pot to form a slurry, then cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Gradually stir in some of the reserved liquid if the sauce becomes too thick, adding it a couple of tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached.