One of my hobbies is cooking and trying to cook new things. I’ve recently been experimenting with the InstantPot pressure cooker that we have and decided to start sharing the recipes that I use, and what works for me (you can thank a few friends for the push).

Disclaimer: I fully acknowledge this is not real BBQ. If you’re going to pick that fight, just mentally change the title to “Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce”.

Ingredients

I have made this meal about 4 times so far. I tinker with the recipe a bit each time, but below is what I think works best. This recipe is what I used for my base.

Meat

I have made this recipe with 3lbs up to 5.5/6 lbs of meat. 4 lbs will feed two people sandwiches for about 5-6 meals (great leftovers).

I usually buy pork butt because that is what my grocery store typically has available. You could use pork shoulder, but that is mostly sold with the skin on and will have a bit less fat marbling. Bone in or bone out doesn’t matter, but you will have to remove the bone.

Spices

You’ll of course need to rub the meat with spices before cooking. These are the spices I use (measurements are per 4 lbs of pork):

• Light brown sugar (3 tbs)
• Salt (2 tsp)
• Ground mustard (1 tsp)
• Black pepper (1 tsp)
• Onion powder (1 tsp)
• Paprika (1 tsp)
• Garlic powder (1/2 tsp)
• Cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp)

I have also experimented a bit with including ground cinnamon. But I am still not sure I can tell the difference. The last time I made this (when I took the photos below), I actually forgot the brown sugar. It was still good, but I could tell it was missing.

Liquids

You’ll need the following liquids to put into the pressure cooker.

• Chicken broth (I use the low sodium) (1.5 cups)
• Worcestershire sauce (1 tbs)
• Liquid smoke (tsp)
• Olive oil (2 tbs)
• Minced garlic (this is here because I use the refrigerated minced garlic unless I have fresh, but it also is not needed until we start using these liquids)
• Your favorite BBQ sauce

Sides

I usually make sandwiches with this, but you could serve plate style. I recommend you have:

• Your favorite bulky roll. I use sesame seed sandwich rolls
• Cole slaw
• Pickles

Instructions

Step 1: Prep

First thing you’ll need to do is prepare the meat. Before doing this, take the cover off the pressure cooker and turn it on using the saute mode to let it heat up.

There will be a thick fat cap on the top. You’ll want to cut that off as best as possible (don’t throw it out yet). But don’t feel like you need to get every last piece of fat (a little fat is tasty)!

Remember to remove the bone if you purchased a bone-in cut. Cut the meat into large chunks. I try to limit them to 3-4 inch squares. Then cut 6-10 small 3/4″ pieces of fat from the fat cap.

Step 2: Rub

Whisk all of your spices together and sprinkle them over your meat in another bowl. Rub it on the pork making sure you get all sides of the pork covered.

Step 3: Sear

Add the olive oil to the now hot pressure cooker and let it heat up. I have experimented with adding the minced garlic during this stage, but had poor results. It became burnt after searing and I had to scoop it out. I also have been meaning to experiment with other types of oil to see how it affects the sear and flavor.

Sear each side of the pork. I sometimes get a bit impatient and lazy on this step, but you want a nice crisp sear.

Step 4: Deglaze and fill it up

Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape anything off the bottom of the pot.

Add all of the pork and the remaining liquid ingredients. Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. Use the natural pressure release for 20 minutes.

Step 5: Shred and enjoy!

Remove the pork and shred. I usually place the pork in a bowl using a slotted spoon to drain the juice. Shred with two forks and stir in your favorite BBQ sauce.

I like to enjoy as a sandwich with some coleslaw, and an ice cold beer.