I cook all the vegetables with the pork because it adds a really nice flavor, but I only use the onions in the sauce. Im liking this idea! thanks for reading ABK xo You just mix together all four ingredients (yes, only four ingredients! This pulled pork is perfect over salad, rice, tacos, burritos, quesadillas or on a toasted bun. Go goo goo for gooey with that one! Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Remove pork from marinade and place in a slow cooker along with half a can of coke, water, and garlic salt. haha, at least Im not the only one dealing with a non-sharer. What was the other recipe that called for the elusive sauce packet? Every single time we eat at Caf Rio, he orders the sweet pork salad. In fact, I pinned it to make sure. I make LOTS when I make it and freeze ittastes just as good when thawed! It is spot on! xo, enchilada sauce (can) If youve ever been to Utah youve probably had Cafe Rio, specifically Cafe Rio Sweet Pork. Sweet pork is my favorite meat at Cafe Rio. I love it! xo, Hi Tamara, I usually just simmer the pork in a pan with cut up yellow onions, serrano peppers and chopped carrots, then remove the peppers and carrots after cooking and do not use the peppers and carrots in the sauce. I missed this because I was doing all the other recipes as well. (sorry for the late reply, just now seeing this). 2c packed is too sweet so I used 1.5c. Thank you so much for your review! Can i make this in an instapot? Si. There are a lot of Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio Copycat) Recipes out there. xo Marinade pork for at least 2 hours or overnight in can of coke and 1/4 C brown sugar. Its in the crockpot right now. Required fields are marked *. I would also place the trivet at the bottom of the instant pot before you put the roast in. My husband is coming home from a trip tomorrow and I think this will be a perfect meal to make to make us both happy. Si. I skipped out on doing it this time, and I could not tell a difference at all. Add about a can and a half of coke and about cup of brown sugar. Cook again. Thank you! We like to use the following toppings on our salad: It works great in the Instant Pot too and you can find my Instant Pot Cafe Rio Pork recipe here. This will definitely be a staple meal in out home! I have made this recipe several times (we love it) and suddenly I cant find the Old El Paso sauce at the grocery store weve always gotten it at. Si. Si. then make sure you roast the garlic first and if possible roast your own tomatoes and then puree to the amount that the can normally is. How many pounds of meat do you recommend, and should I alter the cooking time? I tried several different cook times, from 30-75 minutes. Turned out fabulous. How would it taste to make this completely through, and then freeze it? Im going to have to slice and it absorbed no flavor. The longer the better. Lettuce It doesnt taste like cafe rio pork at all. Hi Deb, Im sorry to hear that. Cafe Rio is a popular fast-casual Mexican style restaurant with headquarters in Utah. Just curious if it would make the flavor different. I hope you all enjoy. I know Ive posted about a few copycat recipes from Cafe Rio like the cilantro lime rice, Creamy tomatillo Cilantro Ranch and slow cookerCafe Rio chicken, but this recipe is so dead on I had no choice but to post. Grab a blender and add 8 oz coke, green chilies, red enchilada sauce and brown sugar. Can you say easy? We are still working on it too. Makes for amazing salads, burritos, tacos and quesadillas! Thanks so much! Then the recipe says 45 to cook and 45 NPR. Si. I used pork butt and my meat was thought at 6 hrs and I cant even shred. that all work together. Cook the Pork Drain marinade. There are many different cuts of pork sold in the grocery store and at big box stores, such as Costco. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Corrected made. I think a few are helpful. yahoo!! TfRecipes. Your email address will not be published. My family loves it! Altenew 8th Anniversary Blog Hop Day 5 + Giveaway (over $2,000 in Total Prizes). Turn to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Being critical is mean, but this is not what Id expect on a food blog. Excited to try this. Si. This looks so good! Si. We love to place a tortilla on a plate, then top it with black beans, rice and the sweetpork, just like Caf Rio does. Otherwise will try again when I have more time. Theres no need to marinate the pork, like other recipes. Ingredients Scale 2 1/4 cups Coke, divided (not diet) 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into quarters 1 1/4 cup brown sugar, divided 1 tsp garlic salt 1 (4 oz) can green chilies 1 (10 oz can) red enchilada sauce Instructions We've perfected the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe! Thanks for asking and for reading ABK! If using Boston butt, or pork butt, count on about 1/2 of the total pounds before cooking being discarded (after cooking). Im actually so excited about this that Im going to make it as a crockpot freezer meal for my freezer exchange group, too! . Hi, which instant pot did you use for this recipe? Im so glad youre trying this recipe, I know youll love it! Give them a try and let me know what YOU think! Or just the last 2 hours add the mixture? It is a bundle of aromatic herbs and sometimes vegetables that are used to enhance the flavor of soups, stews, stocks, poaching liquids and even braised dishes. Rub with garlic salt and pour 2 cups of coke and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6. Pour 1/3 cup of the juices back onto the pork and toss to combine well. We recently moved ro an area where we no longer have quick access to cafe rio (our fave). {recipe to follow} This was, in my opinion, the easiest of the recipes. I so look forward to trying some of your recipes. Si. Cafe Rio {Copycat} Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch Dressing [+ Video], Cilantro Lime Rice Cafe Rio {Copycat} [+ Video], Crock Pot Cafe Rio {Copycat} Chicken [+ Video], Smothered Cafe Rio {Copycat} Chicken Burrito. Marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Also, when you write oregano it is the ground oregano, not the leaves, right? Oh no! Put meat back in the slow cooker and add enchilada sauce, garlic, green chilies, and cup brown sugar. My slow cooked method posted previously recommends marinating, but this recipe does not. Remove the remaining juice from the pan and place in a small bowl. I havent tried the old elpaso version, but this is very close to the cafe rio flavor. The regular Coke does add a sweetness to it that makes this pork so amazing. How to cook . Your email address will not be published. I have a 7lb pork butt and I dont want to chance it in my instant pot. An even coating of garlic powder, salt, and pepper should be spread across the pork roast. Or should I do it in the oven? I strained the meat, but it looks nothing like yours!! Thank you so much for compiling this recipe and all your other recipes. Add the shredded pork back to the slow cooker. Some say Dr. Pepper. I get it! Lucky! ), and happy to be watched over by 2 dogs. Please let us know how it goes! When you try a recipe, please use the hashtag#ohsweetbasilonINSTAGRAMfor a chance to be featured in our stories! -Use a spice blend of garlic powder, dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Please check back and let us know how long it took you to cook your 7 lb roast. We moved from Utah to Mississippi and its nowhere around! The sugar in the drink break down the fibers in the meat. Double one of the recipes and the make one single recipe in the other. Marinate the pork by placing it in a large ziploc bag. Si. Thanks for passing on the recipe. Cover with lid and cook on high heat for 6 hours. After eating more than my share of Cafe Rio meals, I came up with this oven or slow cooker recipeback in 2011. xo Since 2007, our family has been dishing out tried and true recipes for classic, home-cooked food online. Place pork shoulder or butt in a slow cooker and pour 1 cup each of Dr. Pepper and water over the meat. What size of cut did you use? I dont think garlic powder would give the same flavor but you could roast a bulb of garlic and add 2-3 minced cloves into the sauce and that would be closer. Thank you so much for your support! Sarah, Im eating it right now for the third day in a row, still in awe at how delicious it is. Once pork is completely cooked, shred up the pork with two forks. This time combination allowed the meat to cook for the proper amount of time, breaking down almost all of the fat so it melted back into the meat when using a pork shoulder. Usually, after cooking, you will have approx a little over half of the meat left in weight. Do you think canned enchilada sauce would work instead of the cooking sauce? When cool enough, pull any remaining visible fat off of meat and set aside. Si. Carole, [Note to judges: this was recipe 2 for all of you that preferred this one]. xo Seriously, made my day! We feel like the Cafeo Rio pork, at least the one by us, tastes totally different than it did years ago which is a bummer too. Were not really Coke people, so we used root beer instead. Thanks for reading ABK and thanks for your help. I did see some Frontera sauces at my grocery store today. -Pork is marinated in Coke, full strength, not Diet Coke. Allow to cool for a few minutes. We have moved to a state that doesnt have Cafe Rios and needed to recreate it! We are thrilled that so many of you have enjoyed this recipe as much as we have. Move along. Si, This may seem like a dumb question, but could you also use this recipe with chicken? Thankfully, now I can make this a few more times for my family! Your pork is incredible. So I moved to Texas a little over a year ago and to my despair there isnt a Cafe Rio for 500 miles. If you are trying to lose weight, pork is a better choice than beef, because pork is lower in calories. Looks incredible, Carrian! Mine needed more time in the pressure cooker, but that was an easy fix. Just made this today and no one in my family could wait a day to let it set. This Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe is the real deal. Set it and forget itthats why we love that slow cooker! We Dont have Cafe Rio in Michigan. I wonder if I can use chicken for pork? Remove the roast onto a cutting board. It always turns out tender and moist. 1 cup rootbeer, coke or Dr Pepper. Join our family as we cook, bake, and enjoy time together in the kitchen. Filed under: Dinner, Family Reunion Food, Mexican, Pork, Slow Cooker and Instant Pot, Videos. Set the manual/pressure cook button for 60 minutes. During early experiments with this recipe, I cooked the pork in the sauce but found the sauce ingredients to be so diluted (even without adding water) and the sauce so runny that it was better to drain off some of the sauce and start over after cooking. Pour the sauce all over the pork and toss to coat. Cafe Rio pork is my fav! Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is an updated version of my original recipe made in the oven or slow cooker, which takes up to 12 hours to cook. boneless pork carnitas, shoulder etc 12 oz Coke 1 can 1/4 cup brown sugar 10 oz. Goodness. , Hi Crystal, I havent tried it with chicken yet, but it should turn out just as well. So if you are cooking a 7 lb roast, about 3.5-4 lbs of meat left if using a pork butt or shoulder. I have a 5 pound, bone-in pork shoulder. Las Palmas brand used at Cafe Rio. Cafe Rio does marinade the meat but you will still have a delicious meal if you dont. Fresh cooked tortillas Cut off the meat and shred it. Also, the sauce is actually called roasted garlic and chile or something like that. Thank you so much for sharing, Josee, Im so glad you enjoyed the recipe! We originally shared this recipe back in 2007, and it has been the most popular Cafe Rio copycat recipe on the internet! Thanks to todays recipe, I can make the delicious sweet pork at home in mycrock pot. Let marinate for 3 hours or overnight. I do have one question though, how much taco sauce do you use? Thanks what flavor is the el paso liquid ? Si. Thanks for another great one!! All Cafe Rio style recipes listed and linked on post. Place the shredded meat back into the Instant Pot and turn the setting to Saute. Shanna's Jiffy Mix Cornbread Made Better! I just added that to step 11 (where it should have been!). I have always marinated my pork the night before or for at least a couple hours, but if you forget or just dont have time go ahead and cook it without marinading it. Remove meat and shred. Thank you! Being a mother of 5, I love the simplicity and still great taste of it! Its perfect in burritos, tacos and salads. Now those are some lucky judges! So delicious- this recipe is a keeper! When we go to Cafe Rio, I pretty much always get the salad to split (this is quite rare as the hubs DOES NOT split anything. I need guidance. Use a can of Coke and a quarter cup of brown sugar to marinate the pork for at least two hours and up to overnight. Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates. Put meat back in crock pot and add enchilada sauce, garlic, green chilies and brown sugar. Walmart. Instructions . Hi Anna, its actually a sauce pouch, so its liquid but not in a can. We ate on it for 2 days!! Go ahead and make this recipe as written. I love the pork Barbacoa burrito and have not been able to recreate it or find some thing close to it here in Texas until this recipe thank you for posting this. This will add the perfect flavor to this pork! ). Oh, I wish you did! and it was a huge hit! Shake until meat is coated. Use this pork to make giant burritos smothered with Cilantro-Tomatillo Dressing, or an amazing pork salad. It is removed after cooking and can be made with either fresh or dried herbs, root veggies etc. [Note to judges: this was recipe 1 for all of you that picked the first sweet pork sample as the winner]. Thank you . Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Total time: 495 minutes Cook time: 480 minutes Prep time: 15 minutes Yields: 10 servings Cuisine: Mexican/Spanish Number of ingredients: 8 Ingredients: 2 pounds pork ((we use boneless pork ribs)) Youre welcome, Lindsey! My family loved it! Pure comfort food! So sorry, I asked my comment in a reply on accident. And this recipe is perfect for a crowd! If you do try this recipe, be sure to try their Garlic Black Beans as wellso good! We dont buy caffeinated drinks so I was hoping it would taste just as great with rootbeer. If you scroll down the IP Cafe Rio post, under the second photo are links to all the Cafe Rio recipes (the words in blue writing). Here is the Sweet Pork Recipe that was a favorite among 50% of the judges! Surprise! xo That is an awesome idea! I made this for Sunday dinner and it was huge hit! Can you tell me what I maybe did wrong? We put ours on top of nachos with homemade guac and queso and fresh pickled jalapeos. Its in a yellow liquid sauce packet. Can I sub beef for this or do you have the cafe rio shredded beef recipe? Wonder what the Coke does? How To Make Our Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe: When you are ready to prepare the sweet pork for this Cafe Rio copycat recipe, get out your slow cooker and fill it half of the way with water. I love Cafe Rio sweet pork, so I will definitely try this. Turn the setting to Manual or High Pressure and set the timer for 50 minutes. If youve ever even had a flight layover in Utah, youve probably eaten at Cafe Rio (thanks to the airport location)! Here is the old recipe: 3- Cover and secure the lid, and set valve to seal. LOVED this cafe rio pork recipe and got multiple compliments on it- I always tell everyone you are my recipe hero. . Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Thanks for reading ABK. Can I make this is in the crockpot or oven. Required fields are marked *. I love your variation and thanks for sharing, Joana! Im feeding 5 men tomorrow and was hoping to freeze the extra cooked meat, but now Im worried I wont be able to get 9lbs cooked to fork tender. SO, Ive been searching for a good recipe for sweet pork that didnt have cola in the ingredient list. In factI find these recipes to be actually BETTER than the real versions. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When using an IP, it is extremely important when cooking meat to allow the meat to naturally release the pressure in the pot. Their sweet pulled pork was the absolute sizzle and now that Ive found this recipe I can have it whenever I want. Its a tender pulled pork recipe with a coke or dr pepper sauce that Utah loves! Frontera Red Chile with roasted tomato and garlic Enchilada Sauce. I have another question, will cooking the pork shoulder in a crock pot break down the fat enough that it will shred ok? 16 ounces Coca-Cola soda, divided (( do not use diet soda. Glad it was such a hit for you. Id love to know if this turned out well for you! . Hi Jeri, yes you can freeze it. In a small bowl, mix about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Weve perfected the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe! -Thicken sauce with cornstarch after cooked. Make sure to marinate for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. I definitely saving this one! I just want to make sure Im using correct measurements. Remove the fat before shredding the pork. Youre not making something that needs to be cooked to a temperature, so unless you cook to the point where the meat starts dissolving, which is possible, you cant really over cook it. Cook the shredded pork in the crockpot with the sauce for 2 hours on low. I forgot to take that out of the instructions. I hope this helps! And then release for 45 min. But most of all, they love the memories made, shared and treasured and its all thanks to a meal shared together with loved ones. Im wanting to make this for a group of 20-25 people. Chill at least 1 hour or overnight. xo And also Im loving your post about cooking for a crowd, girls camp and such! Toss with the shredded meat and cook an additional 30 minutes. My neighborhood would go crazy without one. Hi, in step 10 it says to put the the remaining juice aside in a small bowl. Thanks for sharing it. Pork Tacos today, Pork Salad tomorrow! Thanks! If you are in a hurry, skip this step and omit the oil in the pot. Wedge the bundle next to an end of the pork. Remove all liquid from the slow cooker. But heres the deal. When purchasing the shoulder cut pork, I ask my grocery butcher to trim it off, along with the thick piece of fat that accompanies it. If so would you put the sauce on before your freeze it or wait until you serve it? Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. . If you turn the crock pot on high and heat it for another 30 to 45 minutes it should be good to go! Living in Midwest we have to make our own Cafe Rio and I have made versions often. Keep warm until ready to serve. I tried the recipe with both boneless pork ribs and boneless pork shoulder. Hi Si you said if you do a frozen pork butt to increase the time to 70-80 minutes, but you also said that was for 4 lbs. Will the carrots get tender on just the warm setting? Yes, you can freeze the pork and sauce easily in gallon ziplock bags, remove from freezer in the morning, let thaw several hours and then heat on the stovetop or in a slow oven (300-325*) with foil wrapped over the pan. Mention @favoritefamilyrecipes or tag #favoritefamilyrecipes! Pull apart pork with two forks and discard the fat. Just made this recipe for the second time. 1 packet sauce (no longer made) Rub with garlic salt and pour 2 cups of coke and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6. Si. boneless pork (carnitas, shoulder etc). When you try this recipe, please tell me how you like it. But have you noticed that most of them call for Coke or Dr. Pepper? Wondering if I could make this recipe in a crockpot-I dont have an instant pot. Im considering this for dinner but theres not enough time to thaw it today. Im glad you enjoyed the recipe, the IP makes all the difference. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride. xo, Many pressure cooking experts agree that releasing the pressure manually (turning the pressure valve to release) will cause the meat to be tough. This recipe is clearly a little different because it uses Coke, but trust me its the way its prepared that is key. He, Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Sweet Cinnamon Butter! Everyone at my family gathering loved it. So delicious! Do you live around a Kroger? How do you serve this pork? Can you please tell me how many this recipe will feed? Chicken breast cooks a lot faster than the pork, so you dont want to over cook it. i didnt continue to cook with sauce mixture but Im sure it would make the flavor more deep and perhaps a little thicker maybe? We are doing a lot of recipe testing to find one. We will definitely look into that! We will have ovens, or I could bring a crockpot to reheat? i use a boston butt cut and found it works perfectly. Thank you! Carefully remove the lid from the pot when all of the pressure is released. I agree the IP version is my favorite and I also love using the shoulder cut.