Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pork shoulder gets a smoky brown sugar rub, then pressure-cooks with onion, apple juice, and a splash of cider vinegar until it falls apart at a touch. Shred it, toss it with barbecue sauce and some of the cooking juices, and pile it onto soft buns with pickles. Great for a busy night, and leftovers make tomorrow's lunch.
2 hrs
8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Pork Shoulder
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 8 Hamburger Buns
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 ½ cups Barbecue Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoons Paprika (Smoked)
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- ¾ cup Apple Juice
- 1 cup Dill Pickle
Directions
- Stir together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry and rub the spice mix all over each chunk.
- Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to Sauté on high and add the oil. Brown the pork in two batches, a few minutes per side, and move it to a plate.
- Add the onion to the pot and stir for a couple of minutes. Pour in the apple juice, vinegar, and Worcestershire and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom so you don't get a burn warning.
- Stir in the barbecue sauce for cooking, then nestle the pork and any juices back into the pot.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 60 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then quick-release the rest.
- Move the pork to a large bowl and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Skim the fat off the cooking liquid. Switch the pot to Sauté and simmer the liquid for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Toss the shredded pork with the remaining barbecue sauce and enough of the reduced cooking liquid to keep it juicy. Pile onto toasted buns and top with pickle chips. Leftover pork keeps 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer; reheat with a splash of the cooking liquid.
