Kalua Pig

First things first: Drape three pieces of bacon on the bottom of your Instant Pot. Press the “Sauté “button and in about a minute, your bacon will start sizzling.

Grab the pork roast…and slice it into three equal pieces. I normally cut out the piece with the bone first, and then cut the two other pieces to match the first.

If you’ve got some garlic on hand, use it! With a sharp paring knife, stab a few slits in each piece of pork, and tuck in the garlic cloves.

With most recipes, I liberally salt my roasts like it’s raining cats and dogs. But because the pressure cooker can concentrate flavors (including saltiness), I carefully measureout the amount of salt I use.

use ¾ teaspoon of medium-coarse salt for every 1 pound of meat.(Using fine salt? Use about half that amount.)

As you’re seasoning the pork, you’ll hear the bacon sputtering in the pressure cooker. Don’t forget to flip the slices, and turn off the heat when the bacon is browned on both sides. 

Place the salted pork on top of the bacon, keeping the meat in a single layer.

Pour in the water.

DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP. With my Slow Cooker Kalua Pig recipe, I tell folks not to add any liquid. But with a pressure cooker, you have to add some liquid for it to work properly. Check your manual to see what the minimum amount of liquid is for your particular model, and adjust accordingly. (After some digging and experimenting, I discovered that 1 cup of water is perfect for this recipe in my Instant Pot.)

Next: cover and lock the lid.

If you’re using an Instant Pot, select the “Manual” button and press the “+” button until you hit 90 minutes. Once the pot is programmed, walk away.

When the stew is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to its “Keep Warm” mode. If you’re at home, press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to turn off the cooker and let the pressure come down naturally quicker.

Once the cooker is depressurized, check that the pork is fork-tender. If the meat’s not yet fall-apart tender, you can always cook the pork under pressure for another 5-10 minutes to get the right texture.

Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl, and taste the cooking liquid remaining in the pot. Adjust the seasoning with water or salt if needed. 

Chop the cabbage head into six wedges…

…and add them to the cooking liquid.

Replace the lid and cook the cabbage under high pressure for 3-5 minutes. When the cabbage is done cooking, activate the quick release valve to release the pressure.

While the cabbage is cooking, shred the pork.

Once the cabbage is cooked, pile it on your shredded pork.