Thai Shredded Pork (Pressure Cooker)
I took common Thai flavors, infused them with a Boston butt, and the result was thorough enjoyment.
Lemongrass, panang curry paste, fish sauce, ginger and garlic… this was so delicious. I brined my pork butt to ensure a moist meat, knowing we’d be reheating leftovers. Buying a boneless pork butt is helpful. If you end up purchasing pork on the bone, it is possible (and a little tedious) to debone the butt yourself. Or go ahead and cut the pork into chunks with the bone the best you can.
Ever brined a piece of meat or your turkey for Thanksgiving? If not, I HIGHLY recommend it. It’s generally a long stretch of time, but no effort at all, and it ensures a lovely, moist experience in your mouth. Brining is the process of submerging a cut of meat into a solution of salt and water. It adds flavor, seasoning from the inside out, but it also changes the meat’s physical nature. The salt in brine denatures the meat’s proteins to allow the cells to retain more moisture (Taste of Home, Oct. 23,2020). That’s brining in a nutshell. Give yourself plenty of time, and you’ll be greatly rewarded.
This recipe is versatile. See what else you can do with this pork – Thai Pork Panini and Thai Pork Tacos. Also, this is AH-MAZING with my Spicy Slaw.
Thai Shredded Pork
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Brine:
- 3 quarts water
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Sauce:
- 4- ounce can Panang curry paste
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, grated on a microplane
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 12 dried Kaffir lime leaves
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, lower sodium, (not black soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass, finely chopped or from a tube
- 1 1/4 cups beef broth, lower sodium
- 1 5-7 pound Boston butt or pork shoulder, boneless
Finishing Sauce:
- 1/4 cup lemongrass, finely chopped or from a tube
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar, unseasoned
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, lower sodium
- 2-3 tablespoons garlic-chile paste
- 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- Add all the brine ingredients to a large pitcher. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Add the brine and pork to a large sealable bag, like a jumbo-size Ziplock, and place in a bowl large enough to hold the bag. This is in case there is any leakage, it will not go all over your refrigerator. Refrigerate the brine and pork overnight, 8 to 12 hours.
- Pull the pork out of the bag and pick off any pieces of bay leaf, peppercorns, or garlic that are attached and discard.
- Cut the pork into 4 or 5 large chunks and set aside.
- You have the option to brown your pork chunks if desired. Just add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to the pressure cooker over medium-high heat and sear the chunks of meat on all sides, remove, and set side.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in the pressure cooker over medium heat, stirring to combine well.
- Add the chunks of pork and turn them to coat in the sauce.
- Secure the lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Once the pressure indicator has popped up (or however your pressure cooker alerts you that pressure has been reached), set your timer for 70 minutes. Adjust your heat source level as needed. You might need to turn down to medium heat if your burner is very hot.
- After 70 minutes, use a slow release for releasing pressure. When your pressure cooker alerts you that pressure has been released, unlock and open the lid away from you for safety.
- Using a probe thermometer, check the internal temperature of the pork. The pork is done (falling apart) when the temperature reads 205 – 210 degrees.
- Pull the pork out of the pressure cooker and allow it to rest, covered, for about 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, shred the pork, removing the fatty pieces.
- Remove the lime leaves and discard.
- Combine all the finishing sauce ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup. Pour as much sauce as desired onto the pork and toss.
- Serve warm as is or use the meat for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, etc...
Notes
