Finishing Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Bbq Pulled Pork
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The easiest + BEST pulled pork ever! Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce. So smoky, so flavorful, so juicy, and SO SO GOOD.
Hello, summer. Please dont leave us just yet. Im not ready for the Chiberia snow.
No, but really, lets get back to the best part of summer days: Pool parties. COVID honeymoon boat trips. And now, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.
Thats right. PULLED PORK SAMMIES. Smothered with your favorite BBQ sauce ever.
The instant pot takes care of all the hard work and all the time, infusing all the flavors into the most tender, juicy shredded pork in less than 90 minutes.
When ready, drizzle with desired BBQ sauce and serve with slaw, pickles and brioche buns. The pork also keeps VERY WELL so these can easily be prepared ahead of time for all the socially-distanced-get-togethers.
Stay safe and stay cool, friends. And eat some pulled pork sammies immediately.
How To Reheat Pulled Pork In The Oven
If you dont want to wait 2-4 hours, you can reheat pulled pork in the oven. Here are the steps:
You can also always reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, until heated through.
Read Also: How To Cook Chicken Breast In An Instant Pot
Ingredients For Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe
- 3 ¼ pounds pork shoulder , cut into 2 2 ¼ inches cubes
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small onion, roughly sliced
- 1 2 tablespoon peanut oil
- Kosher salt & ground black pepper to taste
Chicken Stock Mixture
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Thickener
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons cold water
How To Reheat Pulled Pork
Heres the tricky part. Many people avoid pulled pork meal prep because reheating pulled pork is problematic, to say the least. Pulled pork tends to dry out when reheated. Sigh. No one wants to lose the tenderness and juiciness of pulled pork. And you dont have to.
Remember when I told you not to throw away the leftover sauce? That leftover sauce is the secret to reheating pulled pork and keeping it tender and juicy.
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How Long To Cook Pulled Pork In An Instant Pot
I pressure cook this pork for 45 minutes at high pressure to get the tenderness I’m looking for. Pork shoulder holds up remarkably well to pressure I’ve done cooking times as long as an hour, and there wasn’t much difference in the result. I’ve never gone past an hour under pressure, but I have left it in “keep warm” mode for an hour after it spent 45 minutes pressure cooking, and it came out fine. Pork shoulder is very forgiving, and hard to overcook. You can do it, but you have to work at it.
How I Make This Recipe
Pulled pork is super easy to make in the Instant Pot and turns out the juiciest, crowd-pleasing, delicious grub in a few simple steps.
To start, trim the pork and cut into pieces if it’s too large for your Instant Pot like I did in these photos. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Then combine the dry rub spices and coat the pork on all sides.
Sear all sides of each piece of pork using the ‘Saute’ setting in the Instant Pot. Deglaze the pot by adding a splash of broth and scrape the brown bits off the bottom. This is “liquid gold”).
Pressure cook the pork on HIGH for 45 min pressure cook with 15 min natural pressure release .
Transfer pork pieces to a tray or bowl. Shred the pork into smaller, bite-sized pieces with meat claws or two forks. Serve warm.
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How Do You Make Pulled Pork
Pulled pork is a very simple dish to make at home, and there are a few ways to make it even more quick and easy.
Pulled pork recipes start with basic seasonings that you probably already have at home. I like to use a mixture of brown sugar, salt, garlic and onion powder, paprika, pepper, and cumin.
Once you have seasoned your meat, you will mix up your wet ingredients. I prefer to use broth over water for added flavor. Use your favorite type of barbecue sauce, and then a bit of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar not only adds great flavor, but, the acid helps to tenderize the meat as it cooks!
After you have seasoned your meat, and mixed up your wet ingredients it’s time to get cooking!
This recipe, in particular, is for the Instant Pot. If you don’t have an instant pot, I highly recommend that you try out my Crockpot Bourbon Bacon Pulled Pork and you can find the recipe for that right HERE.
Should You Brown The Pork First
This is totally up to you. If I have extra time, I would brown the pieces. Also, this bumps the flavor up a bit.
However, if you are short on time, simply skip this step. The end product will be just as delicious. Keep in mind, that when cooking frozen meat, youll want to skip browning it, as frozen meat does not brown well.
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Is Pulled Pork Healthy
Yes, it is.
First of all, pulled pork made in an Instant Pot requires very little oil. It is as healthy as sauteéd dishes.
Similar to shredded chicken, the pork cuts used to make pulled pork often contain very little fat. Lean meat helps you reduce your saturated fat intake and control your calorie input, important steps that the USDA recommends in their dietary guidelines.
Plus, since we wont be smoking the meat, were excluding plenty of cancer-promoting substances from our diet.
What Is The Best Cut Of Meat To Use For Pulled Pork
First things first, lets chat about what cut of pork you need for this recipe! Like our Instant Pot Carnitas, this recipe calls for a Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast. Make sure you find a roast that is around 2.5 3 lbs.
The reason why we suggest a pork shoulder roast is because it has a good amount of fat in it, making it the perfect cut of pork to shred.
Did you know > > a boneless pork shoulder roast is also referred to as a pork butt and Boston butt?!
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Instant Pot Dr Pepper Pulled Pork
Instant Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork serve this up for dinner tonight. In under one hour, you have Instant pot pulled pork that is tender, juicy, and jam-packed with flavor. You will feel like you ordered takeout from your favorite bbq pit stop. Pile on a sandwich or top some fries, and dive headfirst into this simple Instant Pot pulled pork recipe.
I make this recipe a lot, especially in the spring and summer months. We love bbq, and this recipe is outstanding. It is a recipe that my entire family can agree on, and leftovers are just as good as the first night you serve it up. Dr. Pepper adds a nice flavor to the pork, but it also helps tenderize it, so you have that juicy and tender pork.
How To Make Pulled Pork In A Pressure Cooker
Ok, so weve all heard how amazing Instant Pots are but how do you make pulled pork in an Instant Pot?
For a traditional pulled pork recipe, you are required to cook the meat slowly to allow the pork protein to break down properly and achieve that juicy tenderness pulled pork is known for. However, since well be making an Instant Pot pulled pork recipe theres no need to stress about this part. The Instant Pot takes care of it.
All you have to do is
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How Do You Make Pulled Pork In An Instant Pot Or Pressure Cooker
- Cut pork roast into 4 equal pieces. Combine in pressure cooker with Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, or Root Beer.
- Stir together bbq sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder and pour over pork.
- Cover and set to pressure cook setting for 45 minutes. Use natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
- Uncover pressure cooker and shred pork. Transfer pork to a bowl, discard juices, and stir bbq sauce into pork.
- Serve on hamburger buns.
Tools For Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipe
- Pyrex glass measuring cup
- Fat separator This is such a handy tool to have. Instead of scooping the fatty oil a little at a time with a ladle or spoon, you can quickly separate the fat/oil from the sauce with this fat separator.
- Optional Fun Tool: BEAR PAWS Shredder Claws If youre a fan of pulled pork or a Wolverine-wannabe ), get these claws to shred your meat! It makes pulling pork easier and FUN. Some users use them to pick up hot food too.
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Whats The Best Cut Of Pork For Pulled Pork
The best pork cuts for pulled pork are called Boston butt,pork shoulder,pork roast, or pork loin. for my Instant Pot shredded pork, I prefer using pork loin because its a bit leaner so you dont have as much fat to trim or in the final recipe, yet its still super flavorful. You can use either boneless or bone-in. That being said, a lot of people say the best cut of pork for pulled pork is Boston butt because its the most flavorful and high in fat, which makes for tender pulled pork.
Yes, pork is relatively high in fat for a protein, compared to chicken breast, for example, but, thankfully, its a great source of protein, too. And it contains vitamins and minerals. Pulled pork contains 11g of protein per portion while shredded chicken contains only 5g. As youve seen in the steps for how to make pulled pork, I like to trim the fat to reduce the fat content.
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Pork Butt Or Boston Butt Or Pork Shoulder
They’re all the same cuts of meat. I’ve heard the name “pork butt” comes because it is the part of the shoulder that “butts” up against the body of the pig. At least, that’s what I’ve heard – sources differ on the internet. No matter where the names came from, pork butt, Boston butt, and pork shoulder all refer to the same cut of meat, and all will work in this recipe.
What is liquid smoke?
Liquid Smoke is made by burning wood in a low-oxygen environment and distilling the water vapor that is produced. That’s right liquid smoke is actually condensed wood smoke. It’s a side effect of making charcoal, and “wood vinegar,” as everyone else calls it, has been around for centuries.
It’s optional in this recipe, but I like the extra depth of flavor when I add just a little of it to the water before cooking.
What Is The Best Cut Of Pork For Pulled Pork
The best cut of pork for pulled pork is a boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, also called Boston butt. These cuts of pork have plenty of fat marbled throughout for flavor, and they become fall apart tender after pressure cooking.
You can also use a pork loin to make pulled pork. I have tested this recipe both with pork shoulder and with pork tenderloin. My family enjoyed the pulled pork made with both cuts of meat. A pork shoulder or pork butt creates a slightly more flavorful pulled pork because it is a fattier cut of meat. Pork tenderloin makes a healthier pulled pork because it is a leaner cut of meat.
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How Long Do You Cook Pork In The Instant Pot
A 3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast will take around 90 minutes on high with a quick release. Remember that the Instant Pot takes time to build pressure, so it will take around 15 minutes to start counting down from 90.
Our cook time might seem a little higher than other recipes on the internet, but thats because we arent huge fans of the natural release. We like to quick-release whenever possible! Furthermore, fattier cuts of pork cant really be overcooked, so dont worry!
Can you use a bigger roast? Yes, of course, you can! 1. Just make sure it fits in your Instant Pot and 2. Use 90 minutes as a starting point and go from there. You can always check how tender your roast is after 90 minutes and put it back in for longer if its not quite there yet.
Why wont my pork pull apart? It is likely that your pork wont pull apart because it hasnt cooked long enough. If this is the case, continue cooking your pork shoulder for 5-10 more minutes.
Best Damn Instant Pot Pulled Pork
This is the best damn pulled pork recipe ive ever made. Yes, you read that correctly. And its made in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker!
Pulled pork is something you always see on those barbecue competition shows where people go to great lengths to prepare and cook with all kinds of methods. Most often, these methods require huge pieces of equipment, lots of space , and a ton of time and commitment to make. Now dont get me wrong, you have an opportunity to sink you teeth into pork thats been cooked this way, its an experience thats simply a festival of flavor youll never forget. Many of the best real BBQ joints will start making their pulled pork days ahead of time and when its ready to eat, people line up. And when these places run out of food for the day, thats it until next time.
In the last couple of years, along comes electric pressure cookers such as the Instant Pot and people go crazy for these things! And theres a reason for that because they open up all new possibilities for making incredible food. Pulled pork is tops on my list of favorite foods to make with an Instant Pot. From start to finish, it can be done in under 2 hours. No kidding!
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How Long To Cook Pulled Pork In The Instant Pot
The amount of time you need to cook pork in the Instant Pot will vary based on the cut.
- Pork Loin. For a 4-to-5-pound pork loin, pressure cook for 40 minutes on high, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Pork Shoulder/Butt. For a 4-to-5-pound pork shoulder or pork butt, cook the pork for 1 hour on high pressure, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Pork Tenderloin. I do not recommend this cut for pulled pork, as it will be too dry. See more in the ingredients section below.
What Kind Of Pressure Release To Use For Instant Pot Pulled Pork
With long cooking meats, a natural pressure release is always best to lock in the flavor and prevent the meat from drying out. If you are in a hurry, Ive found that a 10 minute natural release, followed with a quick release gets similar results.
Learn more about natural verse quick pressure release in my post.
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How To Make Pulled Bbq Pork In The Instant Pot
This Instant Pot Pulled Pork is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, dry mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cut pork shoulder into four large chunks. Rub pork with the bbq dry rub on all sides.
Turn Instant Pot on saute setting. Add olive oil to the pot. Cook pork pieces on all sides for a few minutes until starting to brown. Turn off the pot and add water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits in the bottom of the pot. Cover the pressure cooker and seal lid. Cook on manual pressure or high pressure for an hour. Turn off and do a natural release for 20 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure. Remove the cooked pork from Instant Pot. Shred with two forks discarding any fatty pieces. Toss with your favorite barbecue sauce and enjoy!
