Pulled Pork Adobo
Pork shoulder recipes are abundant in the world of pressure cooking because they make fantastic use of the Instant Pot's quick-cooking powers, turning this tough braising cut tender and easy to shred in less than an hour. Flavorful, saucy pork adobo makes a great taco, burrito, or tamale filling or a good main course with sides of rice and beans. The sauce recipe yields twice as much as you need for pork, but the extra batch freezes well. Any leftover pork will keep too, for up to a couple of days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Pork shoulder recipes are abundant in the world of pressure cooking because they make fantastic use of the Instant Pot's quick-cooking powers, turning this tough braising cut tender and easy to shred in less than an hour. Flavorful, saucy pork adobo makes a great taco, burrito, or tamale filling or a good main course with sides of rice and beans. The sauce recipe yields twice as much as you need for pork, but the extra batch freezes well. Any leftover pork will keep too, for up to a couple of days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil with high smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 4 ancho chiles
- 4 guajillo chiles
- 1 yellow onion (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 pork shoulder roast (boneless about 3 pounds)
- 2 yellow onions (sliced)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (low sodium or water)
- Carbohydrate 8.70430889071466 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.03352472225733 g
- Fiber 2.72604725967051 g
- Protein 1.709631111234 g
- Saturated Fat 0.10652041667088 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -8 serving (30g)
- Sodium 509.790861111287 mg
- Sugar 5.97826163104416 g
- Trans Fat 0.298359611128666 g
- Calories 45 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil on the stove top. Place the ancho and guajillo chiles in a heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak for 20 minutes, until softened.
- Remove the chiles from the water, remove their stems, split them in half lengthwise, and scrape out their seeds and ribs. Discard the soaking water.
- In a blender, combine the chiles, garlic, onion, salt, cumin, oregano, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne, and orange juice and process until a smooth puree forms. You should have about 2 cups.
- Measure 1 cup for this recipe and set aside. Transfer the remainder to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Cut the roast into 4-inch cubes—it is fine if they are a bit irregular—and season them with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and all of the pepper.
- Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot, adjust the heat level to More, and heat the oil.
- Using tongs, place the pork cubes in the pot. Sear the pork for about 6 minutes, until well browned on the first side. Flip the pieces over and sear for about 6 minutes longer, until well browned on the second side. Using the tongs, transfer the pork to a plate.
- Add the onions and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions have softened. Stir in the broth and the 1 cup adobo sauce, then return the seared pork to the pot and stir to coat it with the sauce. Arrange the pork pieces in a single layer.
- Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Meat/Stew setting and set the cooking time for 50 minutes at high pressure.
- Perform a quick release by moving the Pressure Release to Venting. Open the pot and, using the tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a carving board or large dish.
- Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Sauté setting. Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, use a pair of forks to shred the pork.
- When the sauce is ready, return the shredded pork to the pot and stir to combine. At this point, you can select the Keep Warm setting to keep the sauce and meat warm for up to 10 hours before serving.
- Serve the pork right away, refrigerate it for up to 48 hours, or freeze it in ziplock bags for up to 4 months.
- If you are pressed for time, substitute 1 cup of your favorite store-bought simmering sauce for the adobo sauce.
- To make a smooth, thicker sauce, before adding the meat, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce. To prevent splattering and to blend the sauce evenly, wearing heat-resistant mitts, lift the inner pot out of the housing, then tilt the pot to make sure the immersion blender head is fully submerged in the sauce.
- To make pork adobo tacos, warm corn tortillas and top them with the pork, sliced or pickled red onions, and fresh cilantro.
Limited kitchen time often conflicts with the demand for deeply complex braised dishes. Pressure cooking bridges this gap by collapsing hours of traditional oven simmering into a fraction of the duration, forcing connective tissue in tough pork shoulder to break down rapidly. Rooted in traditional Mexican adobo preparations, this style relies on rehydrated dried pods like ancho and guajillo chiles rather than vinegar-based counterparts found in other regional styles. Sweet citrus juice balances the earthy, smoky depth of the dried fruit components while garlic and warm spices anchor the flavor profile.
The Searing Step
Surface browning dictates ultimate flavor development in pressure-cooked meats. Cube the roast into four-inch chunks and brown them thoroughly on high heat for six minutes per side before liquid enters the pot. Skipping this step results in a flat-tasting final sauce because Maillard reactions cannot occur under wet pressure conditions. Once the meat shreds easily with two forks, reducing the remaining liquid uncovered for fifteen minutes concentrates the aromatics into a clinging glaze.
- Soak dried chiles in boiling water for exactly 20 minutes to soften skins before puréeing.
- Sear pork cubes until deeply browned on both sides for six minutes each to build foundational flavor.
- Simmer the post-shred sauce uncovered for 15 minutes to reduce excess moisture.
- Freeze extra adobo purée safely for up to three months in an airtight container.
