If you’re looking for fool proof fall apart pork shoulder then you must make it in the Instant Pot. Not only does this free your oven up for other things, but it also takes a fraction of the time of other methods. This three ingredient shredded pork is delicious in tacos or enchiladas, or on its own with rice and beans. My personal favorite is to make pulled pork sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce.
Jump to:
- Equipment
- Ingredients
- Tips and Tricks for the Best Pork
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe
- Reviews
Table of Contents
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Equipment
For this version of pulled pork you will need a pressure cooker of some kind. The Instant Pot is wildly popular for good reason! Electric pressure cookers are much easier and safer that the traditional stovetop pressure cookers. Perfect for the beginner chef.
You will also want to use a trivet that fits into your pressure cooker. This helps elevate the pork pieces above the water so you are truly pressure cooking it vs boiling it (eww).
Slow Cooker Method
You could also use your slow cooker. Add just a few tablespoons of water and cook on high for 6-8 hours or until fork tender. It should pull apart easily otherwise, keep cooking.
Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder– Typically a tough piece of meat that benefits from pressure cooking or slow cooking. You may find it bone in or boneless. I’ve used either, but you’ll want to make sure you remove the bone before shredding. You can also use pork butt roast, which is a different cut of meat that is just above the pork shoulder. Read more about pork butt vs pork shoulder here to see if you have a preference when given the choice! You may be tempted to use pork loin roast, but I would not recommend that. Pork loin is a much smaller and leaner piece of meat that may dry out quickly.
- Kosher Salt– My number 1 secret to incredible tasting meat is to salt generously the night before. You will be amazed by how much better your food turns out if you don’t skip this step. You can also use table salt, just make sure you have an even coating.
- Cloves Garlic– This is totally optional, but I love the addition of whole garlic cloves slipped into cuts into the meat. You can just use whole garlic. I like to buy big bags that are already peeled at Costco. I keep them in my freezer for whenever the need arises.
- Cooking Liquid– I typically just use a cup of water, but you can also use chicken or beef stock. Regardless of the size of pork that you have, you will still only need one cup of liquid for your Instant Pot to come to pressure.
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Tips and Tricks for the Best Pork
#1 Tip
Salt the night before!!! Allowing your boneless pork shoulder (or any kind of pork roast) to rest in the fridge with salt overnight seasons the pieces of pork from within. All of your pork recipes will benefit from this treatment, so if you can don’t skip this step! It’s vital for flavorful meat.
#2 Tip
Pork roasts tend to be a bit fatty. This is great for having tender meat, but not great when you get a mouthful of fat in your dinner. When shredding the meat but sure to keep an eye out for the fat from the pork and remove it from the dish.
Quick Release vs Natural Release
After the timer goes off, immediately release the pressure (quick release). Then grab a couple of forks and see how easy it is to shred the meat. So many different factors go into how long it takes to cook something in the pressure cooker. Different altitude, the temperature of the liquid you added, the size of your pork roast, if it’s in one piece or cut into pieces etc. all impact the time it takes to cook. If you start trying to shred the meat and it isn’t simply falling apart, place the lid back on and give it another 30 minutes or so and test again. You want it to be falling apart and fork tender. It shouldn’t add too much cook time overall, as it won’t take as long to come to pressure since everything is already very hot.
Don’t worry if you get distracted and don’t quick release right away. Oftentimes I prepare the pork shoulder early in the day and just allow it to natural release to ensure that it’s truly as tender as I can hope for.
To Sear or Not to Sear
You may be wondering about searing the meat ahead of time. This does impart flavor to the overall dish so I would recommend this if you aren’t using a very flavorful sauce or are serving it as is. It’s extra easy since the Instant Pot has a sauté function that you can use. However, if you are mixing it with barbecue sauce then you won’t really notice the difference. This is a step I skip more often than not.
Frequently Asked Questions
We really hope that you love this pulled pork shoulder as much as we do. It’s a great staple for so many other recipes like tacos and enchiladas. You could also do things like add a Korean sauce or cover with pineapple. This is a great basic recipe that can be modified for so many different meals. If you have any questions or if you tried this out and loved it, please leave a comment below! We want you to have the best experience for your zest life. We’d also love to see your pictures! Tag us @thatzestlife so we can see your creations.
Recipe
Please see more list about Bone in picnic roast instant pot
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