Pork Chile Verde Troubles: Meat Still Tough After Instant Pot and Dutch Oven Cooking

[rhymingwithorange]

Hi I have a problem. I wanted to make Pork Chile Verde. I had a fresh pork picnic roast so I cut it off the bone in med chunks and sautéed them with onions and garlic. I then added the blended pepper and tomatillo mixture and closed up the IP. I cooked the meat for 35 min. And let it release for 20 min. I opened it and checked the meat but it was tough as a boot! So I closed it back up for another 20 min. Still tough. This morning I dumped it into a cast iron Dutch oven and put on low for three hours. It’s still tough. I’m done the dogs and chickens will be eating it instead of family. But what did I do wrong? I’ve never had something not get tender in the IP.

 

[praisinghim87]

90 minutes high pressure with full NPR would’ve resulted in tender meat.

 

[ap0calipso]

I think you cooked it for too long. When I’ve made beef stew using chunks I only cooked it for 17 minutes after browning it and quick released it. I know it’s different meat but it shouldn’t be too different for chunks.

 

[praisinghim87]

@ap0calipso no, it wasn’t cooked long enough.

 

[pnao]

Probably not enough liquid

 

[rhymingwithorange]

@pnao swimming in juices

 

[thankfulguy]

@rhymingwithorange water or … in a pinch a fix is 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and water stir it in and go again. Make sure the seal is right and the pressure is high.

 

[stepoffaith]

Sometimes you just get a bad piece of meat nothing will tenderize

 

[rhymingwithorange]

@stepoffaith meat was a fair 4h pig so good quality.

 

[vojtas]

@rhymingwithorange
A 3lb chuck roast is high pressured 60min with AT LEAST 15min NR.

 

[mfuller]

@rhymingwithorange when I’ve used 4h fair pig in the past found it not so tender due to high muscle low fat content. Maybe?

 

[samualmathews]

Sounds like you needed to cook it longer. I would have done more like 90 mins with a 30 min npr. That’s what I do for my chuck roast and it’s always fork tender

 

[ap0calipso]

@samualmathews 90 minutes for chunks? Wouldn’t that be too long?

 

[seaweed09]

@ap0calipso nope

 

[samualmathews]

@ap0calipso Not really, but it clearly needed more time so I would try something close to that 90 mins. It did take me some trail and error to find a time that worked best for me. I’ve been using my IP’s since Feb of 2017 and roast was the first thing I made in it! Now it’s the only way I do it or any tough piece of meat that needs that longer cook time. I hope this helps

 

[ap0calipso]

@samualmathews I wouldn’t doubt the time for the whole piece of meat. But I make beef stew with chunks and I only cook for 17 min. Granted it’s different meat and more liquid but I never would’ve thought to cook chunks for that long.
Also, check out Amy And Jacky for meat! They are the best!

 

[samualmathews]

@ap0calipso I love Amy and Jacky’s recipes but I do base mine on what has worked best for me! Even my stew recipe calls for a 30 min cook time and those are small 1” cubes. You don’t have to use the 90 mins, that is completely up to you but it works for me so that is what I will continue to do

 

[iamacountnotasaint]

@ap0calipso Depends on the size of the chunks, but yes, 90 minutes is probably too long. I cut mine into 3-4" chunks and only cook 45 minutes, and it completely falls apart.

 

[hazeloak]

90 minutes with 15 minutes natural pressure release.

 

[elinell]

Don't feed it to your dogs they can get pancreatitis