This versatile and easy Asian pulled pork recipe can be used to make rice bowls, Asian pork tacos, sliders, or sandwiches. Tender pieces of pork are spiced to perfection with the Asian flavors of soy sauce and chili paste, making every flavor-packed bite worth savoring. The Instant Pot makes cooking the pork easy and the pork cooks perfectly every time.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork from the Instant Pot to a large bowl and set aside. Skim the fat from the surface of the remaining liquid or use a fat separator to separate the fat and discard it.
Turn on Saute mode and reduce the sauce until slightly thickened. Use a splatter screen, if necessary, to prevent splatters.
Shred the meat using two forks or a meat shredder and remove any visible fat.
Coat all sides of the pork shoulder with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat.
Sear both sides of the pork until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Turn off the heat and transfer the pork to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and set aside.
Heat the skillet over medium heat. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through. Turn off the heat and return the seared pork back to the skillet and ladle the sauce over the pork.
Cover the skillet with aluminum foil. Place into preheated oven and roast for 3 ½ to 4 hours, turning the meat halfway through. If too much liquid has evaporated, add a small amount of broth to replenish.
Bake until the pork is fall-apart tender. Remove the meat from the oven and transfer it to a large bowl. Allow the pork to rest for about 15 minutes.
Use two large forks or a meat shredder to shred the pork into small pieces.
Skim off any excess fat from the sauce that's still in the skillet and pour the sauce into the bowl in small batches and mix well. Taste as you and add more sauce as needed.
Serving Instructions
To serve as part of a rice bowl: - Add the sauce back into the meat in small increments, tasting as you go, until the flavor is just right. Reserve the remaining sauce to serve.- Add jasmine rice, brown rice, or other grain such as farro to a bowl.- Arrange sauteed vegetables and shredded pork over the rice.- Drizzle reserved sauce over the pork. Top with a fried egg.- Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
To serve as tacos:- Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Place desired amount of shredded pork in the frying pan and press down gently.- Pour 2 to 3 tablespoon of the juices from the Instant Pot over the meat to moisten the pork while it’s cooking.- Fry the Asian pulled pork until it is browned and crisp on the bottom. Don’t flip the meat over, just fry it on one side, about 6 to 8 minutes.- To serve, place pork in a heated corn or flour tortilla and add your choice of fillings such as pickled onions, cabbage, cilantro, sriracha mayo, and sesame seeds.
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Notes
* If you're using country-style ribs, you can reduce the pressure cooking time to 30 minutes.
Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
You can choose to marinate the pork in the sauce for 4 to 6 hours before pressure cooking.
If you get the Food Burn or Burn error messages with this recipe, you may need to add an additional ¼ broth.