Instant Pot Shredded Pork with dried herbs

I never had shredded pork maybe until three year ago and let me tell you…

I was missing out! 

I was never a big fan of pork. Obviously, I ate gyros and pork skewers; I am Greek after all, but nothing other than that. But true to my expanding taste journey I decided it was time to venture outside my flavor realm.

And wouldn’t you know! Pork can be fall of the bone tender, incredibly juicy, far from greasy and utterly delicious. What I like best is that the fat is around the meat which makes it very easy to cut off as much as you like. I’m not very fond of fat, as you probably guessed.

It also has kind of a mild taste. This makes it very versatile because you can use any type of flavoring that you want, or have on hand!No special ingredients needed to make your food taste amazing.

My favorite combinations are smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and tabasco or a mix of mediterranean dried herbs. My kids are not very appreciative when I serve them spicy food, but if you prefer you can swap the herbs for hot spices and follow the same cooking directions.

I don’t have an Instant Pot. Can I still make this?

Of course you can! I love my Instant Pot and use it all the time and highly recommend it. That being said, it is really nothing more than an automated pressure cooker. In other words you just cook faster and there is no way to leave your pot unattended.

Here is how to alter the cooking times depending on the cooking vessel.

Regular pot. Slow cook the meat on the stove under low heat for about 4 hours. From time to time check if the cooking liquid has evaporated and add some as needed.

If you have a pot you can use in your oven you can bake the meat on low heat for approximately 3-4 hours. Again, as cooking on the stove, check periodically to ensure that there is enough cooking liquid and add some if needed.

As you’ve probably guessed the same applies for the slow cooker.

I have a big pork roast in the freezer. Do I have to defrost it first?

That is a good question. Although technically a pressure cooker can be used to defrost meat and cook frozen food I would not recommend. Since it takes time to defrost a big piece of meat. I am under the impression that the meat will not cook evenly, since some parts will be still defrosting while others will start cooking, resulting in mediocre results at best.

I have a freezer full of beef. Can I use it in this recipe?

Unfortunately, I have never tried it. Here are my thoughts. As stated above the fat distributions on these two types of red meat is very different. Considering that cooking meat in fat makes it more tender I would be very hesitant to use beef. If you do decide to try it I would suggest using a cut rich in fat.

I have a lot of leftover shredded pork! What can I do with it?

 In my house we absolutely love leftovers. Sometimes we even fight over them! This recipe is perfect on day two and it also freezes beautifully. Many times I find myself doubling it so I can store some in the freezer. It is wise to freeze it in small portions so you only defrost the amount you are going to eat. To prevent freezer burn and maximize flavor you can add some of the cooking liquid with the meat. Remember to leave enough space for the food to expand; 1 inch headspace is a safe place to start.

Tools you may need