I don’t think my family has ever been more skeptical than the day I told them I was going to make pulled pork using a pressure cooker. They’re used to watching me sweat it out for hours over a barbeque or smoker to prepare this Southern delicacy. While this new version probably wouldn’t beat out traditional pulled pork at a competition, it is a pretty awesome substitute for the stuff that otherwise involves a 6 hour cooking and shredding ritual. The pressure cooker makes the meat fall-apart tender and shredding it in the stand mixer was a stroke of time and energy saving genius, if I do say so myself. I’ll be serving a lot more pulled pork now that I’ve found a way to save this much time preparing it.
Ingredients
The Meat
5 pound loin roast or equivalent weight of boneless pork chops
3 – 4 tablespoons olive or canola oil
The Rub
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup paprika
The Sauce
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1 cup water
3/4 tsp cayenne
few drops liquid smoke
Directions
If using a pork roast, slice crossways into 3/4 inch thick pieces (they’ll resemble pork chops).
Place the pork pieces or chops on a baking tray and rub both sides of the meat liberally with the dry rub. Set aside.
Make sauce by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking occasionally. Let cook 2 minutes then remove from heat.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Working in small batches to avoid overcrowding and adding more oil as needed, sear the pork chops on both sides.
Return all the pork to the pressure cooker and add 1 cup water plus 1 cup of the sauce, being sure not overfill your pressure cooker (2/3 full is typically the maximum).
Put the lid on the pressure cooker and following the manufacturer’s instructions, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat slightly, maintaining pressure, and cook for 45 minutes.
Safely de-pressurize the cooker.
To shred the meat, place it in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the regular paddle, stir the meat on a slow speed until it begins to fall apart, then increase speed and beat for 1 minute more until uniformly shredded. Alternatively, shred the cooked meat on a cutting board using two forks.
Place the shredded meat in a heatproof bowl or casserole dish and drizzle the reserved sauce over top; stir to combine.
Note that you can prepare pulled pork in advance and reheat it gently in microwave when ready to serve. It also freezes and reheats beautifully.
Serve on buns with your favourite salads.
Serves 10 - 12
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