This Cranberry Orange Pork and Cabbage is a festive and flavorful twist on Pork and Sauerkraut, and the Instant Pot makes it quick and easy!

Pork loin has a reputation for being dry and flavorless–two things that are easily remedied with a change in thought, a change in cooking temperature, and lots of robust ingredients that can push the pork beyond bland and into something your family will ask for every week.

Slices of pork loin over cabbage, with a cranberry sauce on top.

What Kind Of Pork Should I Use?

For this recipe, you’ll want pork loin, not to be confused with a pork tenderloin (a thin, long strip of tender pork). You can read more about and see the differences over at TheKitchn.

The pork loin, also known as a “center cut pork roast” is the meat that surrounds the spine and part of the ribs of the pig. The cut we often see in the grocery stores, and the one we’re using today, is the center part of that cut. You’ll typically find this with a fat cap on top. This cut of pork is lean, mild, and juicy, but can have a tendency to dry out if it’s overcooked.

How To NOT Dry Out Your Pork Roast

The best way to keep any pork roast flavorful and juicy is to keep the internal temperature just at or slightly below 145°F. This will produce a moist roast that is ever so slightly pink in the middle, which is perfectly safe, because thanks to modern breeding and processing, we’re no longer required to cook pork until it is opaque, white, and dry to be safe.

Don’t Lose The Fat Cap

The fat cap on the roast is one of the things that gives this recipe a lot of flavor, so feel free to trim it, but don’t remove all of it–fat equals flavor, especially in this case.

I start off browning the fat cap for about three minutes, using the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. I like to place the lid on the pot, just slightly ajar, and run the oven fan whenever I’m using this function, which helps keep any steam and smoke from hazing up my kitchen.

Despite the fat cap, the rest of this cut of pork is pretty mild in flavor, which makes it the perfect foundation for some punchy holiday ingredients, like tart cranberry sauce, grainy mustard, and a little orange zest.

After the roast has been seared on the fat cap side, remove that from the pot, add the cranberry mixture, chopped cabbage, onion, bay leaves, and then nestle the trivet right on top of the cabbage. I know, it sounds weird, but it works really well. Give it a little smush and the trivet will fit perfectly. Place the roast on top of the trivet, and as everything cooks down, the trivet will keep the roast above the sauce.

Seal it up tight with the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook away. In 15 minutes, the roast will be ready, along with a 12-minute rest time inside the pot.

When you open the lid, you’ll find a perfectly cooked pork loin and tender cabbage. One last step is finishing the sauce, which couldn’t be easier. Mix a cup of the cooking liquid with a cup more of cranberry sauce, and spoon over everything before serving.