This recipe is everything I love about classic pulled pork. It’s mouth watering flavour and melt in your mouth tender. It’s packed with all of my favorite tastes. Smoky, tangy, sweet, savory, and mouthwatering BBQ flavours. It’s very versatile, from piled high on sandwiches, on its own or whatever your imagination can create. It also happens to make for fantastic leftovers. And it's super easy to make, and only takes a little over 1 hour to cook in the Instant Pot. No more waiting all day staring longingly at the slow cooker or smoker. Just 1 hour of cooking time. Ah-mazing
I topped my pulled pork sliders with a Cilantro-Lime Mango Slaw, which was just a mix of shredded carrots, coleslaw, fresh chopped mango,fresh cilantro. Add a little fresh lime juice and a little salt, pepper and ground cumin. Super easy and delicious!
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3-4 pound boneless pork roast*, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (homemade or store-bought), divided
1 cup chicken stock or water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Whisk together the smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, mustard and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Add the pork, then gently toss with the spice blend until it is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
When you’re ready to cook the pork, press “Sauté” on the Instant Pot. Add the oil. Then once it is hot (it will be shimmering), add a single layer of the pork pieces. Brown the pork on all sides, then transfer the pork to a clean plate and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces of pork. (This may take you 2 or 3 batches.)
Once all of the pork has been browned, turn the Instant Pot off. Then add the browned pork, chicken stock, and 1 cup of the BBQ sauce to the Instant Pot, and give the mixture a quick toss to combine everything. Twist on the lid, turn the vent to “Sealing”, then set the pressure cooker to “Manual” for 60 minutes. Once the time is up, let the vent naturally release. (Don’t do the quick release option.)
Carefully open the lid. Transfer the pork to a separate clean plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the juices behind. Press the “Sauté” button once more, and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes or until it has thickened and reduced by more than half.
Meanwhile, shred the pork with two forks.** Once the sauce has reduced a bit, skim some of the fat off of the top with a spoon or use a fat separator to separate and discard it. Then add the shredded pork back into the sauce, and give everything a good toss so that it can soak up those tasty juices.
Serve immediately, topped with an extra spoonful or two of the remaining BBQ sauce.
NOTES: *I recommend using boneless pork shoulder. You are welcome to use more tender cuts of meat, but the pork may not be quite as tender and juicy. **If the pork does not shred easily, just pop it back in the Instant Pot and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes on high pressure.