Pressure Cooker Pork Shoulder Tacos with Orange and Cumin
Tender shredded pork shoulder cooked in a pressure cooker with toasted cumin, garlic and orange, then piled into warm tortillas. A high-protein, not spicy Mexican-inspired dinner.
- Total
- 90 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 55 · Rest 15
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Blooming spices · Braising
- Savory
- No rush
- Mexican
- Pressure cooker
Instructions
-
Cut the pork shoulder into 4 cm chunks and pat them dry. Season all over with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Peel and quarter the onion, and peel the 6 garlic cloves. Zest the orange into a small bowl, then juice it and keep the juice.
~15 min
Cutting into chunks and patting dry ensures even cooking and better browning; salting early seasons the meat throughout.
-
Set the pressure cooker to the sauté setting. Add 2 tbsp oil and let it heat until a piece of onion sizzles. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, about 6 minutes.
~6 min
Sautéing the onion in hot oil builds a flavorful base through caramelization and softening.
-
Add the garlic, 2 tsp cumin and 1 tsp oregano to the pressure cooker and stir for 45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the cumin. Add the pork and turn it in the seasoned oil for 3 minutes to coat and lightly brown.
~3 min
Blooming the spices in hot oil releases their fat-soluble flavors, while coating the pork begins browning.
Toasting the cumin in the hot oil for under a minute is what gives this pork its warm, deep flavor; the moment it smells nutty, add the pork so it cannot scorch.
Blooming spices Toast ground spices in hot oil for under a minute until fragrant; they burn quickly and turn bitter if left too long.
-
Pour in 250 ml water and the orange juice, scraping the bottom of the pot. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before opening the valve.
~45 min
Pressure cooking breaks down collagen into gelatin, making the pork tender; natural release prevents tough meat.
Braising Cook meat in liquid under pressure until fork-tender; natural release prevents sudden temperature drops that toughen meat.
-
While step 4 cooks
While the pork cooks, warm the 12 tortillas in a dry pressure cooker on the sauté setting, about 20 seconds per side, and stack them in a clean cloth to stay soft.
~6 min
-
Transfer the pork to a board and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded pork to the cooking liquid in the pot, stir in the orange zest, and simmer on the sauté setting for 5 minutes until the sauce coats the meat. Taste and add salt if needed.
~5 min
Shredding increases surface area for sauce absorption; simmering reduces the liquid so it clings to the meat.
If the shredded pork still looks watery after simmering, keep it on the sauté setting a few more minutes; the sauce should cling to the meat, not pool on the plate.
-
Let the pork rest in the pot off the heat for 5 minutes so the juices settle, then serve in the warm tortillas.
~5 min
Resting allows juices to redistribute and thicken slightly, so they don't run out when serving.