Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Spicy Pineapple Pork

Hey! Did you get a chance to taste my Spicy Pineapple Pork when it was available at the hot bar at Whole Foods Market stores in January of 2018?

Apparently, it was a big hit: I got a bunch of emails asking where to find the recipe. Surprise: it’s brand new! This Spicy Pineapple Pork is actually a riff on my classic Kalua Pig recipe, but I never bothered to publish the step-by-step instructions…until now. For those of you who demanded a simplified home-kitchen version of this succulent dish that can be made in your trusty Instant Pot, it’s your lucky day!

This Whole30-friendly pork stew is savory, pineapple-y, a tad spicy, and so dang easy to make in a pressure cooker. If you don’t love spicy food, make sure you remove the ribs, pith, and seeds from the serrano peppers—or just leave ’em out entirely. Conversely, you can crank up the heat even more by adding cayenne pepper to the dried spices or increasing the amount of serrano peppers. The leftovers taste great simply reheated (I plop ’em in my Instant Pot and cook for 2 minutes under high pressure) or fried crispy in a skillet.

No Instant Pot? Don’t freak out: You can make it in a slow cooker—just cook the pork on low for 8-10 hours before adding the pineapple chunks at the end.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast (or beef chuck roast if you don’t eat pork)
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt or Magic Mushroom Powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, ghee, or your preferred high temperature cooking fat
• 1 (14-ounce) can pineapple chunks in 100% juice
• 2 serrano pepper, diced (if you don’t like spicy, removed ribs, pith, and seeds and/or use less peppers)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil  
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Note: If you’re doing a Whole30, make sure your canned pineapple doesn’t contain syrup or added sugar! This brand is the one I use: 

Equipment:

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• 6-quart Instant Pot (I update this page with my favorite Instant Pot models.)
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Silicone spatula
• Lime juicer

Method:

Trim and discard the extra fat from the roast…

…and cut the pork into 2-inch cubes. (If all the available roasts are extra fatty at the butcher counter, buy a slightly larger one so you’ll end up with 3 pounds of meat.)

Measure out the Diamond Crystal kosher salt or Magic Mushroom Powder…

…and toss well to coat all the pieces. (Yes, Magic Mushroom Powder can be used as a 1:1 substitute for Diamond Crystal kosher salt in most of my savory recipes!)

Turn on the Sauté function on your Instant Pot…

…and add the coconut oil once the insert is hot. Toss in the seasoned pork cubes and cook, stirring, until the meat gets a bit of sear on the sides.

If you’re pressed for time, don’t worry about searing the meat carefully. I’ve tested this recipe both ways (diligently searing in batches and not), and the final result tastes great either way.

Drain the pineapple juice and set the pineapple chunks aside (or keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve and eat the pork stew). You’ll be adding ½ cup pineapple juice to the recipe.

Turn off the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add the diced serrano peppers, basil, cumin, and black pepper to the pork.

Give everything a good stir to distribute the seasoning.

Pour in ½ cup pineapple juice…

…and the lime juice. Give everything a good stir. (Make sure the liquid reaches the bottom of the insert. Otherwise, you might get a “BURN” or “OVHT” error message on your Instant Pot display as the stew reaches high pressure.)

Lock the lid on top and make sure the top valve is pointed to the sealed position. (If you’re using the Instant Pot Ultra, you won’t need to adjust the valve.)

Program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 35 minutes, and let the pressure drop naturally. If you’re feeling impatient and hangry, you can manually release the pressure after 20 minutes.

Open the lid and check that the pork is fork tender. If the pork is still tough, cook for 5-10 more minutes under high pressure.

Stir in the pineapple chunks until warmed through. Taste and adjust for seasoning with additional salt, Magic Mushroom Powder, or lime juice. 

Ladle up the pork and pineapples…

…and garnish with scallions. Spicy Pineapple Pork tastes great served over cauliflower rice!

Enjoy!

Wanna watch the replay of me cooking this dish live from my kitchen on February 7, 2018?

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

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Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Spicy Pineapple Pork

Prep 20 mins

Cook 1 hour

Total 1 hour, 20 mins

Author Michelle Tam

Yield 6 servings

My Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Spicy Pineapple Pork is the homemade version of the same popular Nom Nom Paleo hot bar dish at Whole Foods Market! This Whole30-friendly pork stew is savory, pineapple-y, moderately spicy and so dang easy to make in a pressure cooker!

Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast (or beef chuck roast if you don't eat pork)
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt or Magic Mushroom Powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, ghee, or your preferred high temperature cooking fat
• 1 (14-ounce) can pineapple chunks in 100% juice
• 2 serrano pepper, diced (if you don’t like spicy, removed ribs, pith, and seeds and/or use less peppers)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil  
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Trim and discard the extra fat from the pork roast and cut it into 2-inch cubes. (If all the available roasts are extra fatty at the butcher counter, buy a slightly larger one so you’ll end up with 3 pounds of meat.)
2. Measure out the Diamond Crystal kosher salt or Magic Mushroom Powder and toss well to coat all the pork pieces. (Yes, Magic Mushroom Powder can be used as a 1:1 substitute for Diamond Crystal kosher salt in most of my savory recipes!)
3. Turn on the Sauté function on your Instant Pot and add the coconut oil once the insert is hot. Toss in the seasoned pork cubes and cook, stirring, until the meat gets a bit of sear on the sides. If you’re pressed for time, don’t worry about searing the meat carefully. I’ve tested this recipe both ways (diligently searing in batches and not), and the final result tastes great either way.
4. Drain the pineapple juice and set the pineapple chunks aside (or keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve and eat the pork stew). You’ll be adding ½ cup pineapple juice to the recipe.
5. Turn off the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add the diced serrano peppers, basil, cumin, and black pepper to the pork. Give everything a good stir to distribute the seasoning.
6. Pour in ½ cup pineapple juice and the lime juice. Give everything a good stir. (Make sure the liquid reaches the bottom of the insert. Otherwise, you might get a “BURN” or “OVHT” error message on your Instant Pot display as the stew reaches high pressure.)
7. Lock the lid on top and make sure the top valve is pointed to the sealed position. (If you’re using the Instant Pot Ultra, you won’t need to adjust the valve.)
8. Program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 35 minutes, and let the pressure drop naturally. If you’re feeling impatient and hangry, you can manually release the pressure after 20 minutes.
9. Open the lid and check that the pork is fork tender. If the pork is still tough, cook for 5-10 more minutes under high pressure.
10. Stir in the pineapple chunks until warmed through. Taste and adjust for seasoning with additional salt, Magic Mushroom Powder, or lime juice. 
11. Ladle up the pork and pineapples and garnish with scallions. Spicy Pineapple Pork tastes great served over cauliflower rice!

Notes

• If you’re doing a Whole30, make sure your canned pineapple doesn’t contain syrup or added sugar! This brand is the one I use.
• If you don’t love spicy food, make sure you remove the ribs, pith, and seeds from the serrano peppers—or just leave ’em out entirely. Conversely, you can crank up the heat even more by adding cayenne pepper to the dried spices or increasing the amount of serrano peppers.
• The leftovers taste great simply reheated (I plop ’em in my Instant Pot and cook for 2 minutes under high pressure) or fried crispy in a skillet.
• No Instant Pot? Don’t freak out: You can make it in a slow cooker—just cook the pork on low for 8-10 hours before adding the pineapple chunks at the end.

Courses Dinner

Cuisine Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker, Pork, Paleo, Primal, Nom Nom Paleo, Whole30, Gluten-free