When you hear chocolate, you generally think sweet treats. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Chocolate can be savory, too. A great example is this Cocoa Rubbed Instant Pot Pork Roast.
Even better, this cocoa rubbed pork roast is easy to make in the Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker. Oh yes it is.
Pork roast is a delicious meal, that’s really easy to make, and won’t break the bank. Cocoa adds such a great depth of flavor to the rub. People will wonder what it is, and be shocked when you tell them. Our minds are trained to only consider chocolate and cocoa to be sweet. Well, it’s time to shake that belief and start looking at cocoa in a whole new way.
This pork roast is so good. Tender and flavorful, yet fairly quick and easy to make. Cooking this roast in the InstantPot makes short work of it. Cook time is about an hour, including searing your pork roast. So, while it’s probably a little long to make after work, it’s definitely a great weekend meal that won’t have you cooking alllll day long. It’ll only taste like you did.
We’re using a pork shoulder here. Pork shoulder is a meat that benefits from the slow and low long cooking process. The shoulder has a lot of fat, and connective tissue. These are the things that create the best flavor. The electric pressure cooker speeds up that process. The results are tender and delicious, in a fraction of the time.
Cocoa Rubbed Pork Roast Recipe
Cocoa Spice Rub Ingredients
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. paprika
½ t. chipotle powder
1 t. ground cloves
½ T. sea salt
½ t. ground black pepper
Pork Roast Ingredients
3½ – 4 lbs. pork shoulder roast, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1½ c. chicken broth, preferably organic
2 whole bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Cocoa Rubbed Instant Pot Pork Roast Directions
- Remove pork shoulder from refrigerator. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, but not more than 2 hours, before cooking.
- Prepare dry rub by combining all dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine and rub into all sides of each pork shoulder section, reserving one tablespoon of the rub for later use. Set the seasoned pork and reserved dry rub aside.
- Select the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot® and add one tablespoon olive oil once hot. Add seasoned pork and sear on each side, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. (Work in two batches, if necessary). Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining olive oil, along with celery, carrots, and yellow onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to develop some color and become fragrant, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Add broth and stir to combine, gently scrapping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon in the process. Turn the unit off.
- Return pork shoulder to the Instant Pot®. Add bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Sprinkle reserved tablespoon of dry rub on top and stir to combine. Add lid and lock into place. Switch the vent to “Sealing” and set the “Manual” setting to 50 minutes.
- When cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure, if necessary.
- Remove lid and discard the bay leaves and woody stems from the rosemary and thyme. Transfer the pork roast to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Set aside.
- With an immersion blender, blend the pan sauces until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Serve pork roast immediately with choice of sides and topped with some of the warm sauce. Enjoy!
Isn’t cocoa rubbed Instant Pot Pork Roast easy? There are just a few minutes of active cooking time, and a whole lotta letting the Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker do the work for you. Of course, you’ll need to add some time for the pressure release and the bringing up to pressure, but it’s not too bad.
A delicious cocoa spice rubbed pork roast that's made in the Instant Pot. So easy, so delicious. Remove pork shoulder from refrigerator and let rest at least 30 minutes, but not more than 2 hours, Prepare the rub by combining all dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine and rub Select the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot® and add one tablespoon of olive oil once hot. Add seasoned pork and sear on each side, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. (Work in two batches, if necessary). Transfer pork to a plate Add remaining olive oil, along with celery, carrots, and yellow onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables develop some color and become fragrant, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add broth and stir to combine, gently scrapping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon in the process. Turn the unit off. Return pork shoulder to the Instant Pot®. Add bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Sprinkle reserved tablespoon of dry rub on top and stir to combine. Add lid and lock into place. Switch the vent to “Sealing” and set the “Manual” When cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure, if necessary. Remove lid and discard the bay leaves and woody stems from the rosemary and thyme. Transfer the pork roast to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. With an immersion blender, blend the pan sauces until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Serve pork roast immediately with choice of sides and topped with some of the warm sauce. Cocoa Rubbed Instant Pot Pork Roast
Ingredients
Pork Roast Ingredients
Instructions
before cooking
the dry rub into all sides of each pork shoulder section. Reserve one tablespoon of the rub for later use.
and set aside.
setting to 50 minutes.
This Cocoa Spiced Rubbed Instant Pot Pork Roast is part of Choctober. Check out all of the other fab recipes in the linky below. And don’t forget to enter the giveaway, too!
