My husband was craving pulled pork, so I ordered a pork butt that I planned to cook in my Instant Pot—a tool I mostly reserve for chicken stock. But as the days get warmer, I find myself turning to it more often to avoid using the oven or stove, which make the house unbearably hot.
When I ordered the pork butt, I took for granted that I had everything I wanted to make a slightly tangy, slightly sweet barbecue-style pulled pork, but… I didn’t exactly. So, I improvised.
I was out of brown sugar, but had tons of super sweet peaches, which I added on a whim to sweeten the sauce. I used some ketchup and soy sauce for richness and mustard because it’s a flavor I like in barbecue sauce.
Because I wanted this to be an easy hands-off meal, I didn't brown the pork or the onions before setting them to cook. If you have an extra 30 minutes, it would certainly help you develop some extra flavor, but I would not say it is essential. If you're using an Instant Pot, you can do this on the sauté function.
This recipe made enough pork for about 10 servings, depending on how you use it.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup – you could use tomato paste or tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced – you could use a red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lb yellow peaches, pitted and roughly chopped – these didn’t end up contributing as much flavor as I thought they would, and I don’t think it’s essential by any means. In place of peaches, you could use another fruit, like mango or cherries. But you could also just add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of brown sugar, depending on how sweet you like your sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes – add more if you like spicy. You could also toss in a whole jalapeño
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- One bone-in pork butt (about 4 1/2 lb) – pork shoulder would work here, too, but they tend to be bigger
Directions
- In the pot of a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, combine the vinegar, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, onion, garlic, peaches, pepper flakes, black pepper, and bay leaves. Add 2 cups of water, and stir to combine. Nestle the pork butt into the mixture.
- Cover the pot and set to high pressure for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, then remove the pork and set aside to cool slightly.
- Using an immersion blender (or a tabletop blender, if needed. Just wait for the liquid to cool a bit first), blend the cooking liquid until smooth. Turn the pressure cooker on sauté mode and set it to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to your desired sauce consistency.
- Meanwhile, pull the pork from the bone and shred into bite sized pieces. Toss with sauce before serving, with additional sauce on the side.
Okay, so here’s the surprise. I thought this pulled pork was good on its own, but it didn’t thrill me (I’ll always be honest with you, DISH pals!). I’ve admittedly never been pulled pork’s #1 fan. I don’t love the texture. But keep reading.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a compulsive freezer, and I am convinced that I can turn nearly anything into a 5-star meal. So, true to form, I froze the leftover pulled pork in dinner-sized portions (lightly coated in sauce, to help keep it moist).
The following week, I pulled out one portion of pulled pork, desperate for a quick and easy dinner. I heated up my favorite heavy skillet, coated it with a light drizzle of vegetable oil, and seared the pulled pork until it was crisp and almost charred all over.
What I’m saying is, I turned that just-fine pulled pork into the most amazing carnitas-inspired tacos I have ever made.
They were simple. Toasted corn tortillas + crisp pork + smear of sour cream + salsa verde (also from the freezer!) + cilantro + pickled onions. They were amazing.
I almost didn’t share this recipe with you, because I didn’t think it was anything special. But then I realized that it’s actually an incredibly simple and very versatile first step to tons of great dinners.
As it is, sauced and fresh from your pressure cooker, I think it absolutely makes a tasty sandwich, even if I haven’t exactly sold it that way so far. I also bet I’ll use some of my leftovers in a baked sweet potato with a ton of sliced scallions and maybe a little sharp Cheddar cheese.
But like lots of rich and semi-fatty pork situations, this pulled pork shines in twice-cooked roles. Give it a quick sear as a stir-fry ingredient (yum in fried rice!). Use it to fill enchiladas or quesadillas. Crisp it like I did, and use it to top a rice bowl, salad, sandwich, or even a savory waffle. The tanginess from the vinegary cooking liquid will be subtle, but present enough that the pork will stand on its own in any of these dishes.
Oh, and because many of you may not have an electric pressure cooker: yes, you can cook this in a slow cooker or in the oven. In the oven, it will probably take about 5 to 6 hours at 325°F (you can cut the pork into smaller pieces to cut down on the time). In a slow cooker, about 9 hours on low heat.