Instant Pot Al Pastor Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Dust off your Instant Pot for this easy and flavor packed meal of slow cooked Al Pastor Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.  

Instant Pot Al Pastor Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

I’m more than halfway through my 30 days of Whole30 and I think I can officially say I’ll make it through about 10x better than I did the first time around I tried it out two years ago.  I won’t deny that I’m getting a little tired of eggs in the morning and I’ll happily take a break from them for just a little while once my 30 days are up.  However other than that,  I seem to be surviving no dairy, no grains, no legumes, no sugar, no alcohol just a-okay.  Granted the sugar monster peeks its head around every now and then but it’s way less than it was before and I’m happy to learn that I can control it with a piece of fruit or just a spoonful of nut butter.  Turns out I don’t always need a cookie or a small piece of chocolate.

What I am missing though is eating out.  You cook a lot on Whole30 and I mean a lot.  It’s not that we can’t eat out, we could if we wanted to but that means asking the server a lot of questions about how the food is prepared and if they can make substitutions if necessary.  I hate being that person.  In general I’m not a picky eater, there are very few things I won’t eat so when I do dine out I will eat a meal the way the chef wanted it to be eaten.  I understand substitutions for severe allergies but because I decided to make a lifestyle choice for 30 days? Nah, I can just stay home and cook instead.  Still there are some foods I’m missing, one of which is the al pastor pork from our favorite Mexican restaurant down the street from us.

Instant Pot Al Pastor Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

I never really made al pastor before because I just didn’t have to or even felt the desire to.  In some cases when I dine out I do want to run home and make it myself but when the restaurant is two minutes out your door and they make the best al pastor you’e ever had? Well, I’d rather go there and let them take care of the dishes!

The time had come though, the craving was strong and I knew I could make a Whole30 friendly version.  It is just slow cooked pork after all!  I did my research and found a million different ways to make al pastor, so I just went for it with an array of spices, pineapple, onion, garlic, and liquids all in my handy instant pot.  I haven’t used mine much since it was for a freelance gig but it was just what I needed for this dish.  I never loved my slow cooker as I felt it muted a lot of flavors in the food but the instant pot locks it in, plus it only takes 60 minutes vs. 5-8 hours.  Perfect for people like me who don’t really plan ahead for slow cooking! You get a perfectly tender piece of meat that just needs to be crisped up on the stove top before serving and you’re good to go.

Since we are Whole30ing this thing my typical tortillas are swapped out with a sweet potato.  The flavors are just perfect together.  The seasoned pork on top of perfectly baked sweet potatoes is a party in your mouth and yes I just used that term.  This is a meal that doesn’t feel like it’s grain free, sugar free, dairy free etc. . .it just feels delicious.

Instant Pot Al Pastor Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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Instant Pot Al Pastor Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
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Ingredients

  • 3 1/2lb pork shoulder (Boston Butt) cut into 1/2 -1 inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons dired oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1/2 pineapple cut into small chunks
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • To serve:
  • 2-4 small to medium sweet potatoes, baked
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • cilantro
  • fresh diced pineapple
  • lime wedges

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl mix together the ancho chile powder, salt, oregano, cumin, garlic, powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Place the pork in a large bowl and toss to coat with the seasoning.
  2. Add the diced onion, half the pineapple and smashed garlic in the bottom of your instant pot, then the pork and top with the remaining pineapple.
  3. Pour in the vinegar and chicken stock and then lock the cover of the instant pot. Turn the pressure release gauge to air tight, plug in the machine and press manual to set the time to 60 minutes. The machine will take time to pressurize completely and then start cooking.
  4. Once the machine has finished cooking, let the machine de-pressurize naturally for 15-20 minutes and then very carefully release the pressure by turning the gauge to exhaust.
  5. Lift the lid and using a slotted spoon remove the pork from the liquid. At this point you can refrigerate the pork for use at a later date or continue on.
  6. When ready to serve, crisp the pork in a cast iron skillet with a small amount of avocado oil and serve about 1 cup on top of half a baked sweet potato, top with diced avocado, pineapple and cilantro.
  7. Makes enough to serve about 6-8 and keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.
https://girlinthelittleredkitchen.com/2016/10/al-pastor-pork-stuffed-sweet-potatoes/

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