Instant Pot Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454g) pork shoulder (, 1.5 inches thick)
• 15 grams dried shiitake mushrooms (, rehydrated and thinly sliced)
• 10 grams dried wood ear mushrooms (, rehydrated and roughly chopped)
• Optional: 12 grams dried lily flowers (, rehydrated and halved lengthwise)
• Optional: 140 grams bamboo shoots (, julienne)
• Optional: 100 grams carrot (, julienne)
• 1/2 block (250g - 350g) firm tofu (, cubed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) ginger (, sliced)
• 1 large egg (, beaten)
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock
• 2 cups (500ml) shiitake mushroom stock or unsalted chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) Chinkiang vinegar (Zhenjiang vinegar) or white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon (8g) fine salt
• 1 teaspoon (3.2g) ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) roasted sesame oil
• Optional: 1 tablespoon (15ml) Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 3 - 4 tablespoons (27g - 36g) cornstarch
• 1/4 cup (63ml - 78ml) cold water
• 1 - 2 stalks green onions (, finely sliced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rehydrate Dried Mushrooms and Dried Lily Flowers: Rinse dried ingredients to remove any dirt or residue. In a 500ml measuring cup, rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms with 2 cups (500ml) of 120°F warm water. In 2 separate bowls, rehydrate dried wood ear mushrooms and dried lily flowers with 2 cups (500ml) of warm water in each bowl. Soak them for 20 to 60 minutes until softened.

2. 2

   Prepare Ingredients: To save time, prepare other ingredients while the dried ingredients are rehydrating. Shiitake Mushrooms: Once the shiitake mushrooms are rehydrated and softened, squeeze all liquid out of the mushrooms, remove stems, then slice them thinly. Save the shiitake mushroom liquid, we'll use it as stock later in the recipe. Wood Ear Mushrooms: Roughly chop the wood ear mushrooms. Dried Lily Flowers: Remove tough ends, then cut them in halves lengthwise.

3. 3

   Brown Pork Shoulder in Instant Pot: Optional - Brown Pork Shoulder in Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot by using the “Sauté More” function. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen (roughly 8 minutes). Pat dry pork shoulder, then lightly season one side of pork with salt and black pepper. Add 1 tbsp (15ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil in Instant Pot. Make sure the oil is coating the whole bottom of the pot. Carefully place the seasoned side of pork in Instant Pot. Then, lightly season the other side of pork with salt and black pepper. Brown one side of the pork for 5 minutes before flipping over, then brown the other side for another 5 minutes. You don't need to constantly flip the meat. Set aside the beautifully browned pork shoulder in a large container.

4. 4

   Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour 1 tablespoon (15ml) Shaoxing wine and 1 cup (250ml) of the shiitake mushroom stock in Instant Pot. Then completely deglaze the bottom of the pot by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon. Note: If you skipped Step 3 (optional browning step), add Shaoxing wine with other ingredients in the next step.

5. 5

   Pressure Cook Hot and Sour Soup: Press "Cancel" button to turn off Instant Pot. Add browned pork shoulder in Instant Pot. Add in sliced shiitake mushrooms, 1½ tsp (8g) sliced ginger, 2 tbsp (30ml) ChinKiang vinegar, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, 1 tsp (8g) fine salt, 1 tsp (3.2g) ground white pepper, and 1 tsp (5ml) roasted sesame oil. Add in the remaining shiitake mushroom stock and 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock. Close lid and turn the Venting Knob to Sealing position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 18 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position. When Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.

6. 6

   Shred Pork Shoulder and Add Ingredients: Place the pork in a large bowl. Discard ginger slices. Add lily flowers, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, and tofu to the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil using the "Saute High" function. Then, allow it to boil for 2 minutes. While you're waiting for the soup to boil, shred the pork with two forks.

7. 7

   Thicken and Add Egg to Hot and Sour Soup: In a mixing bowl, combine 3 tbsp (27g) cornstarch with ¼ cup (63ml) cold water. Stir thoroughly. Amy + Jacky's Thickening Tip: For a thicker consistency, use 4 tbsp (36g) cornstarch and ¼ cup + 1 tbsp (78ml) cold water. Add shredded pork back in Instant Pot. When the soup is simmering, mix the cornstarch mixture into the soup one-third at a time until desired thickness. Slowly add 1 large beaten egg to the soup while stirring with a continuous circular motion.

8. 8

   Season and Serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning with more vinegar, salt, white pepper, and roasted sesame oil if needed. Amy + Jacky's Flavors Balancing Notes: We designed this recipe in a way that you can tailor the sour level at the end (See Experiment #1). Keep in mind different types and brands of vinegar have different acidity levels, flavors, and aromas. So make sure to taste and balance the soup according to your vinegar & liking.a) Chinkiang Vinegar: When we used 2 tbsp (30ml) Chinkiang vinegar in Step 5, we balanced the flavors by adding another 1 tsp (5ml) roasted sesame oil and 1 tbsp (15ml) white vinegar. b) White Vinegar: When we used 2 tbsp (30ml) white vinegar in Step 5, we had to balance the soup with roughly 1 tsp (4g) granulated sugar. Finally, garnish the Hot and Sour Soup with finely sliced green onions, then serve!