Instant Pot Braised Pork

I made a batch of skin-on braised pork shoulder during the Chinese new year edition of Budget Eats and there's just no denying how much it exceeded my expectations: the meat was soft and tender, the skin was melting like silken butter, the lotus seed was creamy, and even the cabbage leaves that were just left to steam on top had soaked up so much flavor that I wished immediately I had thrown more in there to begin with.

Given that this recipe was made for a Budget Eats episode, there are no real exact measurements: I used some sautéed onion, garlic, ginger to go with cubes of skin-on pork shoulder; I also added fun ingredients from my mom's pantry like goji berries, lotus seeds, dried shiitake mushrooms, and smoked tofu. For flavoring, a hunk of thick, miso-like soy paste; brown sugar and anise for the sweet curve, and white pepper and chives for a savory touch. 

After 25 minutes of high-pressure cooking, the results were astonishing for such a low-maintenance process. All that was needed was a light garnish of fresh cilantro and some cooked rice to soak up all that broth.