On a recent Saturday night, one with spring weather so fickle we couldn’t possibly dine on a patio, I made a proclamation: It was going to be Taco Night at Home, and I was going to cook.
As any home cook knows, sometimes you just make your mind up on something and nothing is going to stand in your way. That’s how I felt about this particular Taco Night idea, and so I set out to fulfill what I was after: a delicious pulled pork recipe that I was going to make up, and make in my Instant Pot.
I already posted it on my social media, so if you follow me there, you know I somehow stumbled my way into figuring it out, by piecing together several recipes I found on the Internet into one and, I truly think, somehow out of sheer luck.
My Instant Pot Pork with Hoisin and Ginger is truly delicious stuffed in a corn tortilla and topped with a simple slaw that I found online: coleslaw mix, a sliced pear, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil tossed with plenty of cilantro. We also added some healthy chunks of fresh cotija cheese to ours without complaint.
The next day, Matthew doused the pork in some barbecue from Joe’s Kansas City and slid it onto a bun for a tasty leftover sandwich.
Because one taco is not enough for At Home Taco Night, I found another of Sam Sifton’s no-recipe recipes, this one for Steak Tacos with Pineapple Salsa. A word of advice: In the photo, Sam’s salsa looks like it just has a sprinkle of the recommended chili powder. We used way too much, a teaspoon or more. I’d hold back on that, but otherwise, the non-recipe recipe is pretty great, particularly the steak cooked as he advises.
All this I paired with some homemade refried beans (mash cooked pinto beans with Rancho Gordo dried Mexican oregano, salt, pepper and a good glug or two of olive oil) and this boxed Spanish rice from Whole Foods, because rice is my new Achilles heel (it used to be bread. But I made some progress there.)
Pair all of this with Matthew’s blood orange margarita or two, and I think you’ll agree: A successful Taco Night at Home could be in your weekend plans this weekend.
Instant Pot Hoisin and Ginger Pulled Pork
Trim fat from pork rost and cut into two or three large chunks.
Add sesame oil to Instant Pot and set to saute. Once it is hot, add pieces of pork, and sear on all sides. Repeat until all pork is seared. Remove pork and set aside on a plate.
Add onions to the pot, and saute until transparent, about five minutes, then add garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant.
Add 3/4 cup water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot, deglazing the juices. Add remaining Hoisin sauce, fish sauce and sriracha, and swirl together.
Place pork chunks directly in the liquid in the pot, spacing out as well as possible. Secure lid and set the vent to “sealing.” Manually set your instant pot to high pressure cook for 60 minutes.
When time is up, let pressure release manually for 20 minutes, or until pin drops. (Unplug the pot and set the timer for a quicker release.)
Remove pork and shred with two large forks or a knife. Use for tacos, sandwiches or anything else where Asian-inspired pulled pork will be delicious.
Ingredients
Directions
Trim fat from pork rost and cut into two or three large chunks.
Add sesame oil to Instant Pot and set to saute. Once it is hot, add pieces of pork, and sear on all sides. Repeat until all pork is seared. Remove pork and set aside on a plate.
Add onions to the pot, and saute until transparent, about five minutes, then add garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant.
Add 3/4 cup water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot, deglazing the juices. Add remaining Hoisin sauce, fish sauce and sriracha, and swirl together.
Place pork chunks directly in the liquid in the pot, spacing out as well as possible. Secure lid and set the vent to “sealing.” Manually set your instant pot to high pressure cook for 60 minutes.
When time is up, let pressure release manually for 20 minutes, or until pin drops. (Unplug the pot and set the timer for a quicker release.)
Remove pork and shred with two large forks or a knife. Use for tacos, sandwiches or anything else where Asian-inspired pulled pork will be delicious.
