Instant Pot Pulled Pork

The short answer is no.

The purpose of searing meat before cooking is to lock in flavor and moisture. When cooking food in a pressure cooker, you get that simply because of the way it’s cooked. You’ll notice when you start using your pressure cooker to cook food tastes even better than normal. So, it’s entirely up to you if you want to sear or not. I am usually in a hurry, and I don’t feel like it’s necessary. 

If you want to take the time to sear the pork shoulder, then feel free. You can turn the pressure cooker to the saute setting and sear until it’s the color you like then follow the rest of the directions. 

There are many methods people use and they all work well. Try them all out and see what fits your likes and needs the best and stick with that method. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Forks – This is the most traditional method. You simply take two forks and twist the to shred apart. This is a very inexpensive way to do it, and you don’t need any special tools. 

Shredder Claws – You can buy some claws that are specifically made for shredding all sorts of meat. You literally just have to twist them, and next thing you know, you have perfectly shredded meat!

Stand Mixer – I know it might sound a little crazy, but if you put the meat in the stand mixer, you can turn it on to low speed for a few seconds to a minute, and it will shred FAST! 

Food Processor – Using your slicer blade, you can efficiently shred the meat by giving it a few pulses. It will be a fabulous texture and will look great too. 

As you can see, there are several methods and there is no right or wrong way to do it as long as you are happy. We have used several methods, and they all work great.

If you opt to use a different cut of meat like a pork loin or tenderloin, using the stand mixer or food processor is the way to go. Since they are a little denser, you need a stronger shredding option to get it pulled apart well. 

You can easily swap out the pork shoulder for your favorite cut of pork. Many people use pork butt, which is essentially the same as shoulder. The main difference is that the pork butt is a little bit higher up on the pig. Otherwise, they are pretty much the same in flavor and texture. 

You can also use boneless pork country-style ribs in place of pork shoulder. They are actually cut from the shoulder meat so they have the same great flavor and they cook beautifully in the Instant Pot.

To refrigerate it, let it cool down all the way. Then place it in an airtight container, and it will easily last 3 – 4 days. This is ideal if you are wanting to make it ahead of time for a party or event. Plus, it’s awesome if you are working on meal planning too. 

You can easily add it to all sorts of other dishes to get the most use out of it and have a variety of flavors. Think barbecue pulled pork nachos! Yum! 

Anyway, it makes fantastic leftovers and should be added to your recipe rotation. Especially in the summer months when it’s hot, and you don’t want to spend so much time in the kitchen. 

Yes, you can freeze the leftover (if you have any!). After it has cooled all the way, you can add it to freezer-safe bags or a container of your choice and put it in the freezer. If we make an especially large batch, we will stick it in multiple containers so we can have it to eat for several meals. 

It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. To serve, simply thaw in the fridge overnight and microwave. It’s that easy! Then you will have a no-fuss meal on hand any time you need it.