Mastering Perfectly Tender Pork Hocks in the Instant Pot

Make this classic Taiwanese Pressure Cooker Braised Pork Hock Recipe 台式萬巒豬腳. Imagine dipping bouncy & crisp pork hock slices into the addictive secret homemade sauce. The great mouthfeel with bold, garlicky flavors make it satisfying to eat!.

When it all began in 1948, it was a simple food stand in Taiwan’s Wanluan Township.

This addictive Braised Pork Hock dish quickly gained popularity and the love spread around the country. People started flocking to Wanluan town to eat it.

Many other locals jumped in and started selling their own version of Braised Pork Hock. Thus, the beginning of the infamous Wanluan Pork Hock 萬巒豬腳. Now, there’s a street in town called Wanluan Pork Hock Street that’s just for this traditional Taiwanese treat.

You can enjoy these savory bites as snacks or served with rice. Though the Pork Hock is the star, the garlicky dipping sauce is the soul. The strong savory & spicy flavors with a hint of sweetness truly enhance the meat.

Ever since the first time we tasted it, we just couldn’t stop going back for more!!

Pork hocks, also known as pork knuckles, are a delicious and flavorful cut of meat from the lower portion of a pig’s legs. They consist of the leg bone surrounded by fat, skin, and a small amount of tasty meat. When cooked properly, pork hocks become meltingly tender and make a wonderful addition to soups, stews, beans, and more.

The Instant Pot is the perfect kitchen appliance for cooking pork hocks to absolute perfection. The pressurized environment allows the tough connective tissues in the meat to break down rapidly, resulting in succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender pork hocks in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional cooking methods.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll provide tips, guidelines, and recipes to help you master cooking pork hocks in the Instant Pot with impressive results every time.

Benefits of Using the Instant Pot for Pork Hocks

Here are some of the major advantages to using the Instant Pot instead of conventional slow cooking methods

  • Significantly reduced cook time thanks to pressure cooking
  • Tender, juicy meat that would otherwise require hours of braising
  • Intensified flavors as liquids reduce rapidly within the closed pot
  • Ability to achieve meltingly tender pork while still retaining shape and texture
  • Convenience of cooking pork hocks from start to finish in one pot
  • Versatility to prepare pork hocks in small batches for just a few servings

How to Cook Pork Hocks in an Instant Pot

Follow these simple steps for perfect Instant Pot pork hocks:

  • Choose fresh, quality pork hocks and rinse them well. Pat dry.
  • Season the pork hocks with salt, pepper, spices, or other flavorings of choice.
  • Place the seasoned pork hocks into the Instant Pot insert.
  • Add enough liquid to cover pork halfway. This can be broth, stock, wine, etc.
  • Secure the lid and set pressure valve to sealing position.
  • Pressure cook on high pressure using cook times provided below.
  • Allow pressure to release naturally before opening lid.
  • Remove pork hocks and shred meat or serve bone-in.

Instant Pot Pork Hocks Cook Time

Pork hocks can vary in size so cooking time should be adjusted accordingly

  • Individual or half hocks: 25-35 minutes
  • Medium 1-2 pound hocks: 35-45 minutes
  • Large 2-3 pound hocks: 45-60 minutes

Always allow the pressure to release naturally after cooking for maximum tenderness. If after cooking the meat seems tough, you can simmer with the lid off for 15-30 minutes until tender.

For even more convenient hands-off cooking, you can cook the pork hocks from frozen using the same cook times. The Instant Pot thaws and cooks them simultaneously.

Tips for the Best Instant Pot Pork Hocks

  • Sear or brown the hocks first for deeper flavor before pressure cooking.
  • Choose flavorful braising liquids like wine, broth, or ginger ale.
  • Add aromatics such as onion, garlic, herbs for extra flavor.
  • Let the pressure release naturally for juicier meat.
  • Remove skin and bones then shred meat once fully cooked.
  • Thicken excess braising liquid into a sauce.

Recommended Instant Pot Pork Hock Recipes

Simple Soy Sauce Pork Hocks

Ingredients: Pork hocks, soy sauce, garlic, water

Instructions: Marinate pork in soy sauce and garlic for 30 mins. Add to Instant Pot with water and pressure cook 40 mins.

Red Wine Braised Pork Hocks

Ingredients: Pork hocks, carrots, onion, red wine, broth

Instructions: Sear hocks, add veggies and wine, pressure cook 45 mins. Reduce sauce after.

Pork Hocks with Sauerkraut

Ingredients: Pork hocks, sauerkraut, broth, juniper berries

Instructions: Combine in Instant Pot and pressure cook 35 mins. Serve hocks on top of sauerkraut.

With the right amount of time and a flavorful braising liquid, the Instant Pot turns tough pork hocks into a melt-in-your-mouth dinner or addition to soups and beans. Follow the tips above for perfect results every time. Be sure to adjust cook times as needed based on size. In 45 minutes or less, you can enjoy the rich, succulent pork that traditionally requires hours of simmering.

So if you’re wondering how long to cook pork hocks in an Instant Pot, keep these guidelines in mind for tender, fall-off-the-bone pork hocks in no time at all. With the pressurized environment of the Instant Pot, you can infuse pork hocks with flavor and make them deliciously tender in a fraction of the time.

how long to cook pork hocks in instant pot

Pressure Cooker Pork Hocks Experiment

We tested 2 pounds of 1. 5 inches thick Pork Hocks with 3 different sets of pressure cooking time using 1. 5 cup of Master Stock. Here are the results!.

  • How to Cook
  • Result: smelling good, tasting good, fully cooked, and having a great mouthfeel—bubbly, crisp, with a bit of chew but still tender. Just the right texture for this recipe.
  • How to Cook
  • Result: moist and juicy, with strong flavors. Very bouncy, crisp, and chewy.
  • How to Cook
  • Result: flavorful & super tender with fibers broken down. The skin doesn’t have much chew left and feels smooth like gelatin. Although it’s tasty, it’s better served whole rather than cut into slices.

Both Test 1’s results and Test 3’s results were delicious. The result of Test 1 has the right feel.

What we look for in a delicious dish of Taiwanese Braised Pork Hock?

This classic braised pork hock has to be:

  • Flavorful
  • Very nice texture
  • Full of fragrance
  • Not fatty/oily tasting
  • Great dipping sauce with a strong mix of spicy, sweet, and savory tastes

Instant Pot Ham Hocks, Beans and Greens

FAQ

How long to cook frozen pork hocks in an instant pot?

Put the ham hocks and the water into the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and be sure the venting button is set to seal. Using the pressure cooking function, set the timer for 40 minutes. Push start.

How long does it take to cook hocks?

In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine ham hocks, onions, garlic, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook at a bare simmer until hocks are very tender, 2 to 3 hours. Remove ham hocks from liquid, transfer to a cutting board, and pull bones from meaty and fatty parts.

How many minutes per pound in Instant Pot?

Cooking time: When cooking a pot roast in an Instant Pot, allow 20 minutes for every pound of meat. For example, cook a 2-pound pot roast at high pressure for 40 minutes and a 3-pound pot roast for 60 minutes. Frozen beef: I highly recommend thawing your beef for this recipe, since you cannot sear the frozen beef.

Can you cook pork too long in an instant pot?

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there’s no going back. You’ll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat.

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