The Most Tender Pressure Cooker Pork Roast
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If you know anything about The South, then you know that all of our favorite things revolve around food. We literally can not make it to a function, a gathering, a party, a get-together without thinking about, or cooking, food. It’s one of the things that I love about Louisiana, our food is amazing.
I’ve heard a lot about the pressure cooker taking away the fun of cooking. Obviously, these people have never tried cooking a pork roast for 18 hours in an indoor oven when its 1,000 degrees outside in Louisiana. Your house begins to feel like a sauna and it gets old really quick.
Any person in their right mind wants the yumminess that comes from the most tender pressure cooker pork roast. If you haven’t tried this yet, you’re totally missing out.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS POST PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DIRECTIONS AND RECIPE CARD FOR OUR PRESSURE COOKER PORK ROAST HAVE CHANGED BUT WORDS IN THIS POST HAVE NOT.
After trial and error on different pressure cookers, and by requests and comments of our readers, we have edited this recipe to note a better process that will work for ALL pressure cookers. You can check the comment section for reference.
P.S.: We know that the measurements listed are a little “extreme”. This is because this is A LOT of meat and A LOT of gravy. You will need a good amount of seasoning to be sure that your meat tastes great without seasoning afterward. However, you can adjust the amounts as needed and to your preference.
When I was a kid, I thought everyone ate like us. I mean jambalaya, crawfish pi-ya, file gumbo-o! Aren’t those just common things everywhere? Rice and gravy was the main dish for many, many nights and there was absolutely no fuss about it.
But then I started traveling a little and realized people got it really, really wrong in the food department (sorry, not sorry). Southern food is my jam. It has the most special place in my heart and it would probably be the only thing I missed about moving out of the south. I hate the heat- gimme snow!
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By the way, isn’t Alabama still considered The South? Because I was about ready to revoke their southern status this weekend. I was up there visiting family and someone said that rice and gravy is gross. Gross? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that in my life. Rice and gravy is a southern staple.
My favorite thing about a pork roast is how versatile it is. You can eat it with rice and gravy, pork carnitas, pork tacos, BBQ pork. Down here in the south, the pork shoulder is often referred to as the boston butt. That’s the best cut of the pig to make a great pork roast.
Always score the top of your meat before you season it. This will help the seasoning reach the top of the meat, and as the roast cooks, the fat renders and helps the roast continue to be moist. I always score, season, and then stuff. Onions give the best flavor!
Next, you’ll want to sear your roast on both sides. Fat side down first, then bottom. While the bottom sears, pour the rest of your onions over the top. Guys, barely any effort and you’re almost done prepping the most tender pressure cooker pork roast you’ll ever eat.
This is what your pork roast will look like when it’s done. Look at those caramelized onions, that beautiful pork color, and if you look hard enough you’ll see the bone pulling away from the meat in the bottom right corner. Just be careful taking it out of the pressure cooker, because it will fall apart!
TIP: If you’ve ever cooked a pork roast that was tough, you probably didn’t cook it long enough. The longer you cook a pork roast, the more tender it will be. If I was cooking this is the oven or crock pot, I’d cook it 12 hours. In the pressure cooker, sometimes I go up to four depending on how large the cut is.
The Most Tender Pressure Cooker Pork Roast
Ingredients
- 3 + lb. pork roast
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbs salt
- 1 tbs pepper
- 1 tbs cayenne
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 packs brown gravy mix
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Score the top of your pork roast.
- Season with all dry seasonings.
- Stuff the roast with 1/2 onion and all garlic.
- Place oil in pressure cooker and turn to sear.
- When hot, sear roast on top side (fat side) first for three minutes.
- Flip and sear for 3 more minutes on bottom.
- Sprinkle the remaining onion over the roast.
- In a small bowl, mix the two packets of brown gravy mix with the two cups of water. Pour this mixture over the roast.
- Close and lock lid.
- Cook on High pressure for 3 hours. Personally, I like to cook my roast in 60-minute intervals with a 5 minute NPR (the small no pressure release lets some steam escape and we aren't splattered with hot gravy!) By cooking in shorter intervals, I'm able to adjust the time to my size roast and be sure that the gravy has adequate seasoning during cook time.
- If roast is not fall apart tender after 3 hours, cook on high pressure in 20 minute intervals with manual release until meat is tender.
Look, I’m still not done sharing all my favorite pressure cooker pork recipes. You may be wondering what comes next, but I’ve got plenty up my sleeve. Pork chop gravy, pork and beans, ham, brats. It’s all coming in due time. Still, I promise that pork isn’t the only thing that I cook. But isn’t it so yummy though?
