Pressure Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

By Sarah DiGregorio

Published September 19, 2019

  • Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
2 hours
Rating
5(1,623)
Comments
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A pressure cooker provides a nifty shortcut to perfect pulled pork. This recipe calls for braising the meat in a dark soda like Dr Pepper or Coca-Cola, and the results are lush and tender — savory, slightly sweet and tangy. Once the pork is done, you can customize it to your taste using your favorite barbecue and hot sauces. Adding lots of black pepper and a few dashes of Southern-style hot sauce, like Crystal, Louisiana or Tabasco, is a very good idea. Like many braises, the pork improves overnight and can be cooked up to three days in advance; shred and warm it gently on the stovetop before tossing it with sauce and serving. The pork makes satisfying sandwiches on soft rolls (try coleslaw as a topping), but it could also be used in tacos or served over grits. (You can find the slow-cooker version of this recipe here.)

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 2 teaspoons hot or sweet smoked paprika

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of skin and excess fat and cut into 4 large chunks

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 yellow onion, chopped

  • 1 (12-ounce) can dark soda, like Dr Pepper, root beer, cola or birch beer

  • ½ to 1 ½ cups homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce

  • Hot sauce (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)

19 grams carbs; 141 milligrams cholesterol; 593 calories; 18 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 40 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 693 milligrams sodium; 35 grams protein; 12 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mix the garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the pork and turn to coat in the spice mix. Put the oil in a 6- or 8-quart electric pressure cooker and turn on the sauté setting to warm the oil. (Use the “normal” heat setting if your pressure cooker has that option.) Working in batches, add the pork and brown on two sides, about 2 minutes per side. If the bottom of the pan gets too dark or you get a “hot” or “burn” warning, turn the heat down to “less,” if your pot has that option, or turn it off entirely and allow the pork to continue searing. Turn it back on if the pot cools too much.

  2. Step 2

    Add the onion to the pot. Add the soda and stir to thoroughly scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for one hour. Turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Open the lid. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the pork and onion bits to a large serving bowl. Using two forks, coarsely shred the meat. Add ½ cup barbecue sauce and a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid to moisten. (Discard remaining cooking liquid.) Taste and add salt, pepper, hot sauce, and more barbecue sauce as you like. Serve with soft rolls and extra sauce on the side.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,623 user ratings
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Comments

No common sense

Since the recipe didn’t say to put the pork back in the cooker, my pulled pork was very oniony and the meat was raw and I was hospitalized. The recipe didn’t say to open the can of soda before putting it in the pressure cooker. Oops! After I received the insurance settlement, I rebuilt my kitchen and tried it again with the pork in the pot and opening the soda can and pouring the liquid in this time. It was much better and there were no explosions or hospital visits.

Sierra

After shredding it, put it in a tray and stick it under the broiler for 5 minutes. Makes a huge difference in texture.

Anaïs

That was my first homemade pulled pork and I loved it!! This recipe is fabulous and so easy. After receiving some very good advice from a few friends I have decided to season the meat and let it rest for ~6 hours or so. I then seared the meat in my cast iron skillet, put aside, then cooked the onion and deglazed using beer (winter ale) rather than a soda. Dump everything in pressure cooker and followed all instructions. Best choice I have made this week ;).

Jomi C

I made this w the bone - I added 10 min but maybe didn't need the full extra time. It needed more salt but that was easily fixed. I didn't brown the meat as someone mentioned. I also didn't have onion powder. It was still fabulous!

susan

Scaled down by half (thank you, NYT, for this feature!). Used ginger beer since I had it. Didn’t bother with either the searing at the start or browning under the broiler at the end. The beloved picky eater in my house thought it was great! Win! If your beloved won’t touch a vegetable (Exception: french fries) or fruit (unless it’s pineapple on a pizza), run away. Exception to that: if your beloved and you have a mortgage, kids, common interests, then maybe don’t run away. NYT Recipe App and its great comments holds us together. And 57 years later, here we are!!! Many thanks to the multitude of commentators as well as the recipe contributors, worth every penny.

Katie

Delicious! We used Dr Pepper and a small amount of BBQ sauce at the end.

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