Nick Verdisco, executive chef at Bolster, Snow and Co. in Portland, prepares ingredients to top off his entry of Mexican Street Tacos for the Instant Pot Super Bowl Cook-off at the Portland Press Herald cafeteria in South Portland.

Taste testers Maria Odlin and Susan Kosek discuss entries while writing comments on a judging form. Staff photo by Gregory Rec

Stephanie Brown, the owner of North 43 Bistro in South Portland, prepared blood orange-maple braised beef. Although Brown was an Instant Pot novice, the dish got more than half of the judges' first-place votes.

Taste testers Chris Huff, left, and Laurie Carlson help judge entries.

Korean-style wagyu meatballs by Jay Harris, chef at Esidore's Bistro in Falmouth. Harris used gluten-free panko and gochujang. Staff photo by Gregory Rec

The second most popular dish belonged to Melissa Bouchard of DiMillo's. The miso-braised pork belly tacos include ginger-pineapple slaw.

Bouchard folds tortillas for miso-braised pork belly tacos. “It is very tender, the pork belly,” said judge Chriss Huff of Portland. "That’s got to be the Instant Pot doing that.”

Mexican Street Tacos by Nick Verdisco, executive chef at Bolster, Snow and Co. in Portland. Most judges found the meat "very flavorful and tender." Staff photo by Gregory Rec

Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Dip by Cordelia Davies, sous chef at David's Restaurant in Portland. Davies based the recipe on her mother's chicken tortilla soup. Staff photo by Gregory Rec

Ingredients in an Instant Pot for a Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Dip by Davies. "I have no actual plan," Davies said of the contest. "I'm just winging it." Staff photo by Gregory Rec

Davies pours honey into her Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Dip. Staff photo by Gregory Rec

One subscriber/judge said she found Filipino Adobo Party Ribs by Dave Mallari of The Sinful Kitchen to be surprisingly tender "for a dish that usually takes hours."

Mallari's ribs are his traditional Super Bowl Sunday dish. He spent the weekend before the cook-off experimenting with the Instant Pot. Staff photo by Gregory Rec

Braised Beef Guinness Ribs by Karen Rice of Ri Ra Irish Pub in Portland. Rice is not a chef, but she suited up to represent Ri Ra because its chef wasn't able to attend the competition. Staff photo by Gregory Rec

Karen Rice pours stock into an Instant Pot. Staff photo by Gregory Rec

Instant Pots, depending on the model, range from $64.95 to $159.95. Staff photo by Gregory Rec