Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork

It's been a while since I tried a Nom Nom Paleo recipe and they never disappoint! This one turned out delicious and was super easy to make. I am not a fan of spicy meals, so I simply removed the ribs, pith and seeds from the serrano peppers and it was not spicy at all. However, you can totally leave all that in there and have a much spicier meal. I used salt instead of the Magic Mushroom Powder and found canned pineapple chunks in 100% juice at my local grocery store - make sure to check the ingredients and avoid any extra sugars and unwanted ingredients. I seared the pork this time and really liked the way that turned out, but the directions note that you don't need to diligently sear if you are low on time. While the pork was in the Instant Pot I heated up some plain cauliflower rice on the stovetop with some onions, coconut oil, and salt. There ended up being plenty of extra sauce in the Instant Pot that a simple cauliflower rice was a great pair for this meal. My favorite part about this recipe is how simple the ingredients and instructions are! This one will definitely be thrown into the meal prep rotation. 

Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork
Ingredients:

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast or beef chuck roast 
• 2 teaspoons Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil ghee, or your preferred high temperature cooking fat
• 14 ounces canned 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)

Directions:

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.
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!

​Original recipe found here