Multi-purpose pulled pork?

July 18, 2018 7:58 AM

I have a couple of huge, very inexpensive cuts of centre pork loin and want to make a couple of large batches of multi-purpose pulled pork in my Instant Pot to flavour in smaller batches later. Is this a good idea? If so, two questions.

Plan is to cut up portions into manageable sizes for the Instant Pot, then cook per directions for the meat. Flavouring plan is salt / pepper / broth (to allow the pot to get to pressure), possibly garlic slices put into the pork itself.

The idea is to have a large batch of shredded pork to freeze that I can then flavour in smaller portions in various themes (Mexican, Korean, Chinese, regular BBQ, etc.) based on whatever I feel like making at a later date.

Two questions, assuming this is a good idea:
- Is my plan for the initial cooking good or shall I add or omit anything?
- Do you have any recommendations for how to get the subsequent flavours into smaller batches as though they had been cooked in it originally?

Thanks!

posted by mireille to Food & Drink (14 answers total)

Best answer: This is a good plan.

It'll never be exactly as if you'd prepared the shredded pork in the flavorings, but a short-ish simmer in whatever sauce or quick pan-fry in seasonings should do the trick, and it'll be close enough.
posted by SansPoint at 8:03 AM on July 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I do this. I use a set of "common" seasonings in the pork, so for me that's salt, garlic, onion, smoked paprika, cumin, some chili powder (usually chipotle, sometimes also ancho or cayenne), a shake of liquid smoke, juice of an orange (I have a tree, I might just do a tablespoon of vinegar for the acid) and enough other liquid to get to pressure, often soy sauce or fish sauce.

For my subsequent prep, I use sauces to add flavor, and additional dry seasonings. It's not like pressure-cooking does some sort of flavor magic; in fact the temps are too high in there for most seasonings to strongly survive so you could just as easily cook it in chemical seasonings only - salt, acid - and worry about flavor after. I'll often reduce my cooking liquid after I take the meat out, adding more seasonings, and then store/freeze the pork in some of that gravy, to give it a boost.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:07 AM on July 18, 2018

Best answer: Pork loin is not the right cut for pulled pork -- for that you want pork shoulder (also called pork butt). You can of course cook the loin in the Instant Pot and have tasty meat for all kinds of purposes, but it won't shred into that soft texture you expect from pulled pork. It will slice, more like a big pork chop. Loin is leaner than butt, with little connective tissue, and will require a shorter cooking time.
posted by libraryhead at 8:08 AM on July 18, 2018 [26 favorites]

Best answer: A lot of recipes follow the pattern "rich, savory pork plus bright-tasting sauce": pulled pork barbecue, carnitas and salsa, pork belly buns with hoisin, etc. In a lot of these, the sauce is added at the end anyway, as a contrasting note, instead of being the medium the pork is cooked in.

So I'd just run with that. Don't try and pretend the pork was originally cooked in your sauce. Just reheat your pork in its own fatty broth, or in the oven to crisp up the bits, and then drizzle your sauce over top.

(And yeah, seconding that you want a less lean and more cartilaginous cut for this plan.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:11 AM on July 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I also missed that you said "loin". It will be pretty leathery if you pressure cook it like a pork roast. I do pretty much exclusively boneless shoulder.

If you cubed it quite small so you could keep your cook time down to a few minutes, it might be okay, but you may want to experiment with a small amount to start.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:11 AM on July 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Nthing that pork loin is not the cut for pulled pork, or really for any long-cooked treatment. It will end up dry and leathery, and won't pull into shreds. Pork loin is best cooked to medium-rare or medium, and sliced.

If you want to make pulled pork you want a tough muscle with plenty of connective tissue like a butt or shoulder. That will need long, moist cooking to become tender and convert the connective tissue to gelatin.
posted by slkinsey at 8:26 AM on July 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Sadly, no.

Thank you for reminding me I have a large pork loin that also should not go in the Instant pot.

Process it into the portions you want, par cook it (slow cook in a slow oven, Google "reverse sear for steak") then freeze in portions. Defrost and sear for serving.

Alternatively, sear, par cook, freeze, reheat to cook through for serving.

I would do pretty chunks or medallions.
posted by jbenben at 8:41 AM on July 18, 2018

Best answer: Sadly loin is too lean to really get a great pulled pork, for both flavor and texture.
posted by Carillon at 8:44 AM on July 18, 2018

Best answer: If you are committed to the Instant Pot, use a 1/4 of red wine vinegar in lieu of stock!

The IP only needs a 1/4 of liquid to come to pressure, pork is FULL of water that will add to the cooking liquid (oh, trust me...) and you will not taste the vinegar but it is the correct choice here (super duper trust me on this!)
posted by jbenben at 8:45 AM on July 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Agreeing that pork loin isn't going to do what you want it to do. Pulled pork is made from pork shoulder or pork butt.

What I like to do when I have a big pork loin is cut it while raw into various helpful sizes (stir-fry or chops, usually) and then wrap and freeze until needed. The raw meat freezes very well, maybe better than cooked pulled pork.
posted by bananana at 10:58 AM on July 18, 2018

Response by poster: Okay, record scratch, change of plans. I'm so glad I asked! Considering the number of times I've made bo ssam you'd think I'd know what cut does what. Might try a small piece just to see what happens but yeah, off to Google different recipes I go!
posted by mireille at 11:07 AM on July 18, 2018

I LURVE my InstantPot and have made brisket in it a million times ... but the IP rillettes I tried (using pork shoulder) were definitely subpar. Your pork mileage may vary.
posted by 2soxy4mypuppet at 5:13 AM on July 19, 2018

My husband does a generic pulled pork recipe with our pressure cooker. He uses a large pork butt/Boston butt and adds onions, garlic powder, season salt, tiny bit of liquid smoke, worcestershire sauce, and a can of Coke (regular coke). The result is a nice pulled pork that can definitely be dressed up all kinds of ways. We even freeze it for future use.
posted by jraz at 5:20 AM on July 19, 2018

WFIW, pork loin practically cries out for a sous vide treatment.
posted by slkinsey at 1:18 PM on July 19, 2018