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Pulled Pork · Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork

Smoky, tender pulled pork in about 2 hours instead of 8. A spice rub and a quick sear give it deep flavor before the pressure cooker does the rest.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 35 min
Total
2 hr 5 min
Serves
8
Level
Medium

Ingredients

Rub

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Pork

  • 4 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of thick fat, cut into 4 even chunks
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving

To serve

  • 8 hamburger buns
  • coleslaw and pickles

Cook to 145°F inside (check with a thermometer).

Steps

  1. Stir the rub ingredients together and rub them all over the pork chunks.
  2. Set the pressure cooker to sauté on high and add the oil.
  3. Brown the pork in two batches, turning a few times. Move it to a plate.
  4. Turn off the sauté setting. Add the onion, broth and vinegar and scrape the bottom until nothing sticks. This prevents a burn warning.
  5. Set the pork on top of the onions and pour any juices from the plate over it.
  6. Lock the lid and set the valve to sealing.
  7. Cook at high pressure. (The pot takes 10 to 15 minutes to come up to pressure before the countdown starts.)
  8. Let the pressure release naturally.
  9. Turn the valve to venting to release any pressure that remains, then open the lid away from your face.
  10. Move the pork to a cutting board. It should be very tender, at least 145°F (63°C) and usually well above 195°F. If it doesn't shred easily, cook it 10 minutes more at high pressure.
  11. Shred the pork with two forks, discarding any fatty pieces.
  12. Spoon the fat off the liquid in the pot. Return the pork, add the barbecue sauce and about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and stir.
  13. Set the pot to sauté and simmer, stirring, until the sauce clings to the meat.
  14. Pile the pork on buns with coleslaw, pickles and extra sauce.

Tip: Pork shoulder is safe at 145°F, but it only gets tender enough to shred at about 195°F to 205°F, so cook it by tenderness.

Tip: Cutting the shoulder into chunks helps it cook evenly and pick up more seasoning.

Tip: Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 4 days. Freeze with some of the cooking liquid up to 3 months.

Make ahead: Make up to 3 days ahead. Reheat in a covered pan with a splash of the cooking liquid until hot (165°F).

Estimated nutrition per serving: 760 calories · protein 44 g · carbohydrates 43 g · fiber 2 g · sugars 19 g · fat 45 g (saturated 15 g) · sodium 1,260 mg. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 14 of 14 ingredients.