Crispy and tender, Instant Pot pork carnitas cook fast and make tacos that will quickly become a family favorite. This is a versatile recipe that can also be used in burrito bowls, salads, or wraps.
0 Cut pork into 2-3 large pieces. Trim off excess fat. (Note, if the pork is bone-in, you can just slice off a few pieces around the bone and leave the bone and any attached meat in the pot. The meat on the bone will easly shred off at the end of cooking.)
1 Add water and then pork to the Instant Pot insert.
2 Season the pork pieces with salt and pepper (go easy on the seasoning at this stage - you can add additional seasoning later).
3 Lock the lid and use the manual setting to cook the pork on high for 60 minutes.
4 When the pork is done allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure manually.
5 Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a paper-towel lined plate. Shred using two forks. If it won’t easily shred, move pork to a cutting board and roughly chop with a knife. (Reserve the cooking liquid.)
6 When you are ready to serve the pork, heat a skillet over high heat. Add cooking oil and then pork (you many need to cook it in batches). Let pork cook on one side until very crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. If the pork looks dry as it cooks, add some of the reserved cooking liquid about 2 Tablespoons at a time (repeating this step as needed if the pork again looks dry during cooking). Season with some salt and pepper as it cooks.
7 Flip pork and cook on the other side until crisp. Break pork apart and serve.
