Crispy Pulled Pork with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Spice Rub
This recipe is a slightly different version of my Beer and Brown Sugar Braised Pork Roast. While I love to braise that pork roast all afternoon on a chilly winter’s day, I try to avoid running the oven for hours during the summer. The old farmhouse doesn’t have central air and keeping the inside of the farmhouse cool and comfortable requires me to get creative in the summer when it comes to preparing some of our favorite recipes.
That creativity was exactly what led to me attempting to prepare the delicious brown sugar braised pork in my Instant Pot. It stood to reason that I could cook the pork in a fraction of the time without heating up the house. I am happy to report that it cooked beautifully and that we’ll be able to enjoy this family favorite even on the hottest of summer days.
You can cook the pork using either method with delicious results, so I have included instructions for both the Instant Pot preparations as well as for cooking it in the oven. Once it is finished cooking and you’ve shredded it into pieces, you’ll finish it under the broiler to create those crispy edges that pulled pork from a great barbecue joint is famous for.
I like to serve this delicious pork with Barbecue Baked Beans, Farmhouse Slaw, and plenty of Bourbon Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce. I make enough to ensure that we’ll have leftovers to make a batch of Farmhouse Fries (a simplified version of poutine) or sandwiches the next night. This crispy pork can be topped with a sprinkling of cilantro, green onions, and served as carnitas with soft tortillas and a batch of Pico de Gallo made with garden fresh tomatoes.
Don’t throw away the braising liquid left in the pot. It has a wonderful depth of flavor from the cinnamon and can be thickened into gravy to serve with the pork, over mashed potatoes, or on the poutine I mentioned. I also use the reserved cooking liquid to make Cast Iron Skillet Pork and Potato Hash. The delicious possibilities are nearly endless. I can’t wait to hear what you’ll make with it!
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Crispy Pulled Pork with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Spice Rub
We have prepared this recipe using several cuts of boneless pork. Each of them turned out beautifully. Pork shoulder (also referred to as pork butt or Boston butt), pork roast, pork loin, and pork belly are all good choices. A boneless pork shoulder or pork roast is my favorite cut to use. I find that they have the ideal ratio of meat to fat to make a tender and delicious meal.
You can use beer, cider, bone broth, or water as the liquid in this recipe. I tend to use beer or cider when braising in the oven and bone broth when cooking in my Instant Pot. Each yields a slightly different flavor. In a pinch, I once used a bottle of root beer before braising a pork roast in the oven and the results were delicious.
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 pound boneless pork shoulder or roast
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8-12 ounces beer, cider, or bone broth/stock
Instructions
Instant Pot Preparation:
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine and set aside as you break down the pork.
- Cut the pork into pieces measuring about 3” in length. Breaking the pork roast down into smaller chunks/pieces will allow it to cook more quickly and also take on more of the flavor from the spice rub. Season each piece liberally with the spice rub. Place the seasoned pieces of pork in a large bowl or casserole dish and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- Turn your Instant Pot on “Sauté” and allow the liner to heat up for a few minutes. Add a teaspoon of the olive oil and begin searing the pork pieces in batches. I like to place three or four pieces in the pot at one time to avoid crowding the meat and ensure a good sear. Sear each piece for 4 minutes without moving. Flip and sear on the other side for another 4 minutes. Remove from the pot to a rimmed tray or baking sheet. Repeat until all of the pieces have been seared, adding more oil if necessary to prevent it from sticking.
- As you are searing the meat, some of the brown sugar spice rub will stick to the bottom of the pot. When the last pieces of pork have been seared and removed, add one cup of liquid (I use bone broth or stock to the pot and use a large spoon or spatula to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cancel the sauté setting on the Instant Pot.
- Return all of the seared pork to the pot and toss gently to bathe them in the liquid. Secure the lid, turn the pressure release valve to “Sealing”, and cook on the “Meat” setting at high pressure for 40 minutes. When the cycle has finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10-15 minutes before turning the valve to “Venting” to safely release any remaining steam. Press the “Cancel” button.
- Open the lid of the Instant Pot. Remove the pork to a large broiler safe baking sheet. I like to use a jelly roll style cookie sheet. Allow to cool for a few minutes. As the pork cools, strain the cooking liquid, reserving it in a bowl or measuring cup.
- Shred the pork using two large serving forks or your preferred method. When all of the pork has been shredded, add a bit of the strained cooking liquid to the tray of and toss the pork to coat. This will prevent the pork from drying out as it is broiled. Spread the pork into an even layer on the pan.
- Place the sheet pan under the broiler for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and check for doneness. The edges should be slightly crispy and any brown sugar spice rub will be caramelized. The pork should remain moist and juicy thanks to the pan sauce. If you like, you can return the pan to the broiler for a few more minutes until the texture is just the way you like it before serving.
Traditional Oven Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture on all sides of the pork.
- Heat a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan
- Add the pork to the pan and sear each side for approximately two to four minutes. The sugar will caramelize and add a beautiful brown color to the pork.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the beer, cider, bone broth, or stock to the pan, deglazing and scraping up any browned bits of sugar from the bottom of the pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer before covering the pan and placing it in the warm oven.
- Allow the pork to cook for two hours undisturbed. The overall cooking time will vary depending upon the size and type of the cut, but I find that 2 ½ hours is the average time needed to deliver perfectly cooked pork to our table.
- After the two hours have elapsed, I begin checking the roast every half hour for doneness. The pork is finished when it will easily pull apart and reaches an internal temperature of around 160 degrees. At that point, I remove the pan from the oven and allow the pork to rest in the covered pan for an hour.
- After the hour has elapsed, I remove the meat from the pan to a large sheet pan to cool a bit. Then I shred the meat and strain the cooking liquid, reserving it in a large bowl. I add a bit of the strained cooking liquid to the tray of shredded pork and toss to coat it. This will prevent the pork from drying out as it is broiled.
- Place the sheet pan under the broiler for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and check for doneness. The edges should be slightly crispy and any brown sugar spice rub will be caramelized. The pork should remain moist and juicy thanks to the pan sauce. If you like, you can return the pan to the broiler for a few more minutes until the texture is just the way you like it before serving.