Pressure Cooker Garlicky Cuban Pork
- Total Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 8garlic cloves
- Juice of 1 grapefruit (about ⅔ cup)
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- 2teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 14- to 5-pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces
- 1bay leaf
- Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Hot Sauce, for serving
- Tortillas, for serving (optional)
- Fresh tomato salsa, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
423 calories; 32 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 592 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a blender or mini food processor, combine the garlic, grapefruit juice, lime zest and juice, 2 tablespoons of the oil, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and salt; process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl and add the pork and bay leaf; toss to combine. Marinate, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour (or refrigerate for up to 6 hours).
- Step 2
Using the sauté function set on high if available, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pressure cooker (or use a large skillet). Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and shake the meat to remove any excess liquid. Cook until it is browned on all sides, about 12 minutes (you will need to do this in batches, transferring the browned pork pieces to a plate as you go).
- Step 3
When all the pork is browned, return the pieces to the pot along with any juices from the plate. (If you used a skillet, add 1 tablespoon water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the skillet well to include all the browned bits stuck to the bottom.) Add the reserved marinade to the pot. Cover and cook on high pressure for 80 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Step 4
Remove the pork from the cooking liquid (jus). Taste the jus, and if it seems bland or too thin, boil it down either in the pressure cooker on the sauté setting or in a separate pot on the stove until it thickens slightly and intensifies in flavor, 7 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and add a bit of salt if necessary. If you’d like to degrease the jus, use a fat separator to do so, or just let the jus settle and spoon the fat off the top.
- Step 5
Shred the meat, using your hands or two forks. Toss the meat with the jus to taste (be generous—1½ to 2 cups should do it), and serve with cilantro, lime wedges, and hot sauce.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Melisa
Can you prepare this recipe in a slow cooker?
J. Clarke
This was excellent. I made the following rice recipe and it ended up being a perfect accompaniment (either as a side for tacos or as the base for the pork):
1 1/2 c chicken broth
3/4 c long grain white rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c minced cilantro
Bring broth, rice, garlic, and salt to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and wait for rice to absorb all liquid, about 20 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Add cilantro, fluff rice with fork.
Myra
Using a blend of orange and lime is more authentic - closer to the sour orange that would be used in the real deal.
Trish
What if you don't have a pressure cooker or slow cooker? Can someone give me oven setting and timing?
Jim
I have made this dish many times and love it. I am in the process of browning the meat for a batch right now while I write this. Melissa says in the recipe to brown it in the Instant Pot on the high saute setting. Yes, that is too hot. I learned many batches ago to use the saute function for this on the medium setting.
Stacy
My husband loved this! We don’t have a pressure cooker, so I used crockpot at one hour on high, three hours on low, then dumped all into a wide, shallow pot on medium-high and reduced until juices almost gone. At that point, it all caramelized nicely. Used three pounds of meat and served four. Served with pico, hot sauce, avocado crema, fire-roasted salsa, cilantro, tortillas, and lime slices. Keeper!
Rebecca
A fantastic recipe with incredible flavor. I followed the pressure cooker instructions exactly. However, I hand-prepared the marinade (grating the garlic and fine-chopping the oregano; no need to dirty a food processor, just whisk it in the bowl you plan to marinate in). It came out incredibly tender and flavorful. A+!
Mary
If you don't have a pressure cooker or instant pot, after browning the pork on the stove, add the reserved marinade, cover pan tightly with foil, and bake in the oven at 225 degrees for 4 to 5 hours. Works just as well.
ben
It was really good — I ended up putting the shredded pork under the broiler on a sheet pan with the separated fat, similar to carnitas. Nothing but rave reviews from my friends.
Sherry
Delicious! Next time I will add some heat...a jalepeno, fresno or even a thai chili. As I have no multi-cooker I cooked it for 6 hours on high in my slow cooker...perfect. I served this with a citrus slaw made with napa cabbage and red bell pepper, Cuban-style black beans & rice. A spicy salsa was a good compliment. A complete fan-fav!
frostboots
Fantastic. Had about 3.5 lbs of pork shoulder but kept proportions the same, cooked in instant pot for 70 min, manually released pressure after 15 minutes of natural release. Used dried oregano and added a whole sliced onion on top of the pork. The onion pretty much disintegrates and adds some sweetness and body to the sauce.
Allie
Yep, why are so many Cuban dishes confused with Mexican dishes? The recipe in and of itself is very similar to a ropa vieja or pernil dish my family used to cook. It’s definitely not an authentic Cuban dish to eat it with tortillas. Eat with Cuban rice and beans instead. So delicious!
Liz
I have made this recipe several times and love it. I've gotten increasingly lazy and skip both the steps to marinate the pork ahead of time and browning it in chunks before pressure cooking - still completely delicious and so much faster on a busy weeknight!
Kim
I am a bit surprised no one has mentioned the problem of "browning" the marinated meat on high temp in the pot. We brown meat all the time, but the marinade just created a totally blackened instapot and a smoky kitchen. Half way through, we switched to our usual browning pan, and it became totally coated with scorched marinade too. Not sure we'll be able to recover the pan. *Otherwise* the recipe is fine.
Gaia
My husband is Cuban, and loves this! I serve it with rice and black beans (in the pressure cooker: fry some chorizo, add black beans, half an onion, cumin, salt, cover liberally with stock and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes) and everyone is very happy.
Name
Fsbulous… The meat was dry when first cooked but the following day it was wonderful - moist with amazing flavout. Served it in baguettes with lettuce and an improvised salsa of mayo, cucumber, gherkins, onion & jalapenas - to rave reviews
FF
I seared the pork in a Dutch oven (I’m not a fan of the instant pot sauté function) and got the same scorched effect others are describing. I think you could avoid this by leaving out the brown sugar from the initial marinade and then adding it in when everything goes into the instant pot. I had a 2.4 lb. cut and did 45 minutes under high pressure - it came out perfectly. Just adjust the time to your cut of meat based on an approximation of 20 minutes per pound.
Scott
After all the comments about the blackened pots from searing the meat I wanted to point out an easy solution. When finished and ready to clean pot, soak for an hour (or overnight) with soapy water. Then grab steel wool or a Brillo pad and remove residue by scrubbing for a few minutes. I’ve done this repeatedly and it always works without a great effort, and the Insta-Pot stainless steel pot remains unscratched/undamaged by the scrubbing. Well worth the inexpensive Brillo pad for great recipe
Kathy Vogel
This is a favorite with friends and family. Best to let the instant pot cool after browning the pork to prevent the scorching on the bottom of the pan. Love the ingredients, sometimes sub some great orange juice with the grapefruit fruit juice. Serve with Milk Street Black Beans with tequila and bacon, and a good cabbage salad. And homemade tortillas! Yum. The Best!
Tom
The pork came out delicious in the end but browning the meat left a layer of black char stuck to the bottom of the instant pot. I'm guessing this is due to the brown sugar in the marinade burning. Next time I'll either brown the meat in a different pan or just skip the sear process altogether.
Elizabeth
For those who are having trouble with the meat scorching while searing: another option is to marinate after searing. Sear the meat, scrape up brown bits with a bit of water (optional), stick the seared meat in the marinade, adding the water with brown bits. Then follow the recipe.
Ryan McGee
Delicious. Good on a sandwich, tortilla, and over rice. Will make again.
Lisa
This is a family favorite recipe I pull out for many of our large family gatherings (who include several foodies and big meat eaters). It feeds so many (sometimes I double it) and has so much flavor for not that many ingredients or active work time. I follow the cooking note to heat it up in a sheet pan with some of the jus to crisp it up. Serve with corn tortillas, salsa, guacamole, and cheese.
Amanda Olson
Fantastic. Easy to spoon the fat off the jus after pouring into a measuring cup. Made as written.
SeaBear
What happens if pork marinates for longer than 6 hours in fridge?
Francesca
This is SO Yummy - every time I pair it with something it compliments it so nicely. Must cook again
mg
Really good, maybe add more garlic and oregano
KWH
I am obviously an outlier here, but I found this to be quite bland in taste and blah in texture. Certainly not terrible, just ... fine. Might give it a second chance and increase the spices and garlic and then put the shredded meat under the broiler to get some brown and crispier bits. I'm really disappointed ... I expected to love this based on all of the positive reviews.
Suzanne
A keeper!
Kate
This is one of my favorite recipes to make for potlucks or freezing for taco nights. I agree with the comments of using orange and lime and I use a combo of orange and lime zest, too. If you have a Kitchen Aid, the paddle function does a perfect job of shredding the meat.
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