Pork loin with onions and apples

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

One 3- pound boneless pork loin roast

1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 medium tart green apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

4 fresh thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

½ cup moderately sweet white wine, such as Riesling

¼ cup chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1 Melt the butter in a 6- quart stovetop pressure cooker set over medium heat or in a 6- quart electric model set on the browning function. Add the pork loin and brown it on all sides, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes in all. Transfer to a large plate.

2 Add the onion to the pot; cook, stirring often, until softened,about 3 minutes. Stir in the apple, thyme, and bay leaves. Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. 3 Pour in the broth; stir in the salt and pepper. Nestle the pork loin into this apple mixture; pour any juices from the plate into the pot.

4 Lock the lid onto the pot. Set the machine to cook at high pressure (9–11 psi). Set the machine’s timer to cook at high pressure for 30 minutes.

5 Use the quick- release method to bring the pot’s pressure to normal. 6 Unlock and open the cooker. Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; let stand for 5 minutes while you dish the sauce into serving bowls or onto a serving platter. Slice the loin into ½- inch- thick rounds and lay these over the sauce.

TESTERS’ NOTES

• For the best flavor, buy a center- cut pork loin, one that’s solidly pink, rather than a mix of pink and gray bits.

• For a less complex but more savory dish, use sweet firm apples like Gala or Northern Spy, and use a dry white wine like an American Chardonnay.

• To thicken the sauce, mix 2 teaspoons potato starch or cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water, then whisk it into the sauce (after the pork has been removed) with the stovetop cooker set over medium heat or the electric cooker turned to the browning function. Stir until simmering and thickened, less than 1 minute.