Is there anything better than a big pot of smoky, garlicky shredded pork? I don’t think so. I made this Instant Pot Kalua Pork and it was, as we say here in Minnesota, not too shabby. (Translation for those of you who don’t live here and don’t understand our special brand of understated compliments: That means it’s really, really good.)
It’s super easy too. You just need some basics: a little garlic, a little salt, a little smoky bacon. Stick it in the pressure cooker for 90 minutes, and like magic, you’ll have some killer shredded pork for dinner. Toss in a little steamed cabbage at the end, and hey, it could even be good for you.
There are a ton of Kalua Pork recipes for the pressure cooker out there, but I drew most of my inspiration from this one and this one.
If you wanted to make your pork a little crispy, you could take one extra step before serving it. Just spread the shredded pork on a cookie sheet and throw it under the broiler for a few minutes. Full disclosure: I didn’t do this because I was too impatient and wanted to eat my pork ASAP.
This recipe made a ton of pork for just the two of us who live here in our household, but if you’ve got a small family like we do, don’t let that stop you. It makes for great leftovers and it freezes well. One idea for using up the leftovers — How about making some pork nachos?
I also hear that this recipe is Whole30 compliant, if that’s your thing.
As for me, I finished off this dinner with a bowl of peppermint bon bon ice cream. But hey, you do you.
A super simple pressure cooker shredded pork recipe that just requires some basics: a little garlic a little salt, a little smoky bacon. Toss in a little steamed cabbage, and it even seems like it could be good for you.
- 4 slices bacon
- 4 lb boneless pork shoulder
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 head cabbage cut into 4 wedges
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Set Instant Pot to sautee setting and cook the bacon until it's crispy. Once the bacon is cooked, turn the Instant Pot off.
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Cut the pork shoulder into two equal pieces and trim excess fat if you'd like. It's ok to keep some of the fat on, though. It's what makes your pork taste juicy and delicious.
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Using a knife, cut 6 slits in the pork shoulder and nestle a clove of garlic into each one.
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Place the pork shoulder in the Instant Pot, on top of the bacon. Sprinkle salt over the pork shoulder, and then pour in the water along the sides, being careful not to rinse off the salt.
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Close the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the pressure valve is closed. Set your Instant Pot to high, and cook under pressure for 90 minutes. Once the pressure cooking is completed, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 15 minutes. Then switch the pressure valve to release the remaining pressure and open the lid.
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Remove the pork from the Instant Pot using a pair of tongs. It'll probably fall apart and shred easily. Place it in a bowl and shred it into bite-sized pieces.
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While shredding the pork, place the cabbage wedges into the Instant Pot, nestled in the juices from the pork. Cook the cabbage under high pressure for 3 minutes. When the pressure cycles is completed, do a quick release immediately. Place the cabbage in a bowl and serve it with the pork.
This looks so easy!