document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Has anyone tried making it with rootbeer? Spread some garlic salt, salt, and pepper around. It doesnt taste like cafe rio pork at all. Remove the remaining juice from the pan and place in a small bowl. I would cut it into thirds and definitely do it in the oven. Ann. This post may contain affiliate links. Si. Place the shredded meat back into the Instant Pot and turn the setting to Saute. Thanks, The recipe calls for a 4-7 lb roast, and you are using a 7-8 lb roast, so the cook time should be close to the same. Will the carrots get tender on just the warm setting? Blend until smooth. Toss pork into your favorite salads and tacos! In a small bowl, combine the cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Hi Anna, its actually a sauce pouch, so its liquid but not in a can. xo Blend or process 1/2 can of Coke with the chilies, enchilada sauce, and the rest of the brown sugar until smooth (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste). Use this pork to make giant burritos smothered with Cilantro-Tomatillo Dressing, or an amazing pork salad. just a thought for those trying to watch their sugar intake. Shred as normal, preparing the sauce separate and toss to combine. I have had pork butt get tough before, and good results other times even cooking around the same amount of time with about the same size butt! It takes about 5 minutes to make.-As stated in the post, I did not marinate the pork in the sauce before cooking. We dont buy caffeinated drinks so I was hoping it would taste just as great with rootbeer. This will definitely be a staple meal in out home! Yes, I have a slow cooker or oven version of this recipe as well! Once its shredded and ready to go, use it as a topping or filling in any of the following ways. XO Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Si, Hi there! Mention @favoritefamilyrecipes or tag #favoritefamilyrecipes! 3- Cover and secure the lid, and set valve to seal. My family loves it! -Use a spice blend of garlic powder, dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. For this recipe, count on 2 hours minimum for preparing, pressurizing and then natural release of pressure and removing any fat still attached to meat. Is there a reason it says prep 10 mins and cook time 10 mins? Si. -Pork is marinated in Coke, full strength, not Diet Coke. I made this after reading all of the reviews and it was a hit. I know the huge Pork Loin Roast at Costco is ridiculously inexpensive, and hardly has any fat on it, so not much waste as far as discarding fat goes. To help my sister out for her blessing I offered to do the pork for my mom and was feeling a little nervous but of course this recipe was not only delicious it was simple too! I am planning a large event and want to make sure I have enough. Theyre smoked jalapeos, but the adobo sauce they come canned in is the magical part. Absolutely delicious!! This pork is the real deal! Either I toss everything in a bag with the meat and freeze it then pop it in the slow cooker on low for 10-12 hours or I cook it and allow it to cool completely then put in bags (we separate into two meals since our family is small) and freeze for up to 1 month. I wonder if I can use chicken for pork? Crave no longer my friends! Living in Midwest we have to make our own Cafe Rio and I have made versions often. xo Thank you Si for another great recipe! Try Walmart or Smiths for Old El Paso sauce packets. Well, Ive tried my fair share of these recipes in the pastbut since I strongly dislike colas (yes, all of them) I found that I did not like those recipes that included them! After reading the comments, I figured out that you changed the recipe. Wow Bonnie, how lucky are you! Si. Si. -Cook onions in a pan with oil until caramelized, add to cooked pork and enchilada sauce. cafe rio dressing, copycat recipe, sweet pork, natural pressure release and preparing meat after cooked, butt or boneless pork rib meat*, cut into large chunks, large visible chunks of fat removed, or make your own (see post for instructions). You do not need to change the cooking time. Add the pork to your slow cooker, and discard the marinade. I figured some butts/shoulders were just tougher. And if so, how did you re-heat it? So delicious! Serve pork in burritos, salads and tacos! Hope this helps! Hi! xo Cook a pork roast and tuck it inside. When meat is browned on both sides, Add water around sides of meat. The sauce will darken and thicken to a thin glaze. Ive tried it only with the bone and its been great. TfRecipes. Yum. It actually acts as a meat tenderizer in the recipe so dont leave it out. Im glad you enjoyed the recipe, the IP makes all the difference. Should cook time stay the same or would you suggest longer? Thats so odd. Remove meat and shred. The pork is marinated and slow-cooked to perfection in some surprising ingredients! 3 lbs. Thats the only reason, its just gooey. Si. The sweet pork also makes a perfect topping for nachos. For keto I subbed Dr. Pepper Zero for the coke, and Monkfruit brown sugar for the regular brown sugar. 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. Im planning to make this for cinco de mayo tomorrow. Muffins, Quick Bread, Coffee Cake & Cinnamon Rolls, https://abountifulkitchen.com/favorite-cafe-rio-copycat-recipes/. Try our Restaurant Style Salsa on top too! Marinate the pork by placing it in a large ziploc bag. Krista, Just cook up some fresh flour tortillas with a little sprinkle of cheese and throw in those recipes for the cilantro lime rice and tomatillo sauce. I love making meals in the crock pot and this is no exception. Would this be good to eat on slidder rolls for a picnic? Cannot wait to use leftovers in tacos and a salad. I would love to pin this, but there is no image associated with it, so it wont let me pin the recipe. Hi Ginger, thats so sweet of you to help out your sister! I realized after I made this and then ate at Cafe Rio that this recipe tastes better than the actual Cafe Rio sweet Pork Burittos! The finished consistency of the frozen recipe was not nearly as good (obviously) as the fresh made night before and day of batches. Please see disclosure policy here. It is safer not to risk a reaction. {Plus, I sorta have an aversion to cooking with soda pop.}. Thirty minutes did not give the meat enough time to tenderize while 75 was too long. Im going to have to slice and it absorbed no flavor. Ive made this recipe now as its written, and with keto substitutes, and they were both divine!! Thanks for asking! Just made this recipe for the second time. We have used it and it was pretty good but we are working on a new recipe since we cant find that cooking sauce anymore. Add the pork to a gallon-sized ziplock bag and add cup brown sugar and 2 cups Coca-Cola. Or do you with 2 hours remaining add in the remaining ingredients? Can i make this in an instapot? 2- Cut pork roast into quarters and add to the Instant Pot. No Cafe Rio?!! I am so excited to use it for years to come. This recipe has always been a hit, especially in our family. Place the lid on the top of the pot (make sure the sealing ring is in place inside of the lid) and lock into sealing position. Thanks for sharing it. 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 the seasoning mixture all over the pork and place in a 9x13" pan, fat pad facing up. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Thank you for bringing that to my attention! And yes, youll use ground oregano. Set the uncovered pork butt in the oven and bake for 12 hours. ). It really is better the next day as it sits in the juice or from the freezer. xo 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. Si. Looking forward to making this. kinda confusing :/ maybe its showing up weird in my phone. Remove pork from crock pot and transfer to cutting board. When you make it, please let me know how you like it. Doing a slow roast on the pork with a spice mixture, those root veggies and preparing the sauce separate makes for an identical result. Can you tell me what I maybe did wrong? Would you recommend cooking all of it at once for a longer time, or cutting it into thirds and cooking only one piece for now? Calista This amount of sauce will work fine for 4.5 lbs. Mix to combine and sprinkle over the roast. Drain marinade and discard. 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. I am getting windy, but the Instant Pot version of CRP is amazing. Hi Tara! Thank you . 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. After I cooked up both recipes, I put a taste of each on small plates for our judges. I did see some Frontera sauces at my grocery store today. Thanks! Just made this today and no one in my family could wait a day to let it set. I hope this makes sense, thank you for asking! Any other tips are appreciated! We are thrilled that so many of you have enjoyed this recipe as much as we have. You can just turn it on and walk away! I planned and prepped, started the process and allotted for 8 hrs, as top of recipe states but did not realize until it was too late there was additional 2 hours. Cafe Rio does marinade the meat but you will still have a delicious meal if you dont. Wouldnt you know it, this is now my familys favorite. Sothis recipe is sugar, pre-packaged sauce, and meat. It does add more flavor to the meat, but it will still turn out great. Thanks for the recipe! After the timer goes off, allow the pot to naturally release the pressure for at least 45 minutes. About 2 years ago I started making the sweet pork at home, and it just never tasted right. Thanks for another great one!! Thanks so much for the yummy recipe! . -It is important to remember that Instant Pot cooking is not necessarily quick cooking! Or would you stick to the original recipe you posted of the crockpot version? Blend for 20 seconds. At what point in the recipe do you add these vegetables? Put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water and garlic salt in slow cooker. There is no change in cooking time. i didnt continue to cook with sauce mixture but Im sure it would make the flavor more deep and perhaps a little thicker maybe? I think a few are helpful. Marinade for a few hours or overnight, shaking once or twice during the marinating. Dont like the one she posted? This recipe will serve 8-10 people. Go ahead and make this recipe as written. Seriously, made my day! thanks and let us know if you try the beef! Add the pork to a gallon-sized ziplock bag and add cup brown sugar and 2 cups Coca-Cola. Hi Megan, thank you for pointing that out, the cook time should be about and hour and a half. In your tips it says to simmer pork with cut up yellow onions (later you suggest caramelizing the onions prior), serrano peppers and carrots and then discard the peppers and carrots. Thanks for ALL of your great Cafe Rio copycat recipes, Si! Not only that this pork sounds deeelicious, I absolutely LOVE that serving bowl! The best imitation of the caf rio pork recipe Ive tried! In the end, your best bet for tender fall apart meat is either Pork Shoulder, Boneless Pork Ribs or Boston Butt. Thanks! Cover crock pot with lid and cook another 1 to 2 hours on low heat. Thank you for such a great recipe!!!! -Pork is marinated in Coke, full strength, not Diet Coke. Si. Sounds yummy. Si. Your pork is incredible. Si. Hi Morgan, I would totally make this again. Thank you so much for sharing, Josee, Im so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 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. Altenew 8th Anniversary Blog Hop Day 5 + Giveaway (over $2,000 in Total Prizes). Also the dressings freeze well too! I am likely the only person in the world that couldnt get this to work for me. Sorry about the half eaten salad in this next pictureit was SO good that I forgot to take a picture before I ate most of it! Whisk to combine. serving of pork contains 4.5 g of fat, with 1.5 g of saturated fat. How can i SUBSTITUTE the pork for chicken? Marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight. it is super yummy. Thank you so much! We will definitely look into that! Place pork in a baking dish and pour 8 ounces of Coca-Cola and water over it (I used a measuring cup). ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. -I only cooked 2 pounds since its just us and a 2 year old. Taste and adjust salt, if needed. Thank you! 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. Thank you Si! Drain marinade and put pork, can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but dont let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. -Simmer pork in a pan with cut up yellow onions, serrano peppers and chopped carrots. We dont have Caf Rio where I am, so I have nothing to compare to, but it sounds like a great combo. Hi, which instant pot did you use for this recipe? Thank you for sharing!! I read in a comment that you would recommend some sauces at Kroger. Filed under: Dinner, Family Reunion Food, Mexican, Pork, Slow Cooker and Instant Pot, Videos. Calm down now. Its a fun series of futuristic fairy tale stories with a twist We have spent YEARS, much like we did for the perfect Melt in Your Mouth Buttermilk Pancakes and The Very Best Banana Bread, searching out exactly how this pork is made. xo Made some mistakes about draining the juices but it was pretty fool proof turns out. Si. It is a family favorite for sure! I just added that to step 11 (where it should have been!). So so good and so easy. The nearest Cafe Rio is 1200 miles away and we miss it as much as we miss The Mandarine.which is a lot!!! Thank you so much for posting this! We put ours on top of nachos with homemade guac and queso and fresh pickled jalapeos. Can I make this is in the crockpot or oven. Carole, Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Also, just received your cookbook and cant wait to flip through it at lunch! Si, I ordered my groceries online (including the pork roast) and when I got home from picking them up, I found a 20 pound roast! You just mix together all four ingredients (yes, only four ingredients! This post may contain affiliate links. Im constantly tweaking this recipe too!Tandie, Yes, you can use a beef roast instead of the pork! - Pork recipe is made with pork shoulder (Boston pork butt), pantry Im happy to announce that I found a couple recipes and then put them up to the Taste Test Challenge! This recipe is clearly a little different because it uses Coke, but trust me its the way its prepared that is key. Si, I made this Instant Pot Cafe Rio for our RS Birthday dinner which was right before the Covid shutdowns. Grab a blender and add 8 oz coke, green chilies, red enchilada sauce and brown sugar. Jennilyn, Do I have to thaw my meat? But for adults, 1/2 lb perversion (before adding the sauce). This is the best sweet pork recipe Ive tried! I was just freaking out wondering where my sweet pork recipe went! Fresh cooked tortillas How do you serve this pork? Cook the Pork Drain marinade. Its perfect in burritos, tacos and salads. I used pork butt and my meat was thought at 6 hrs and I cant even shred. I havent tried the old elpaso version, but this is very close to the cafe rio flavor. Im so excited to make this. Its red chile enchilada sauce with roasted tomato and garlic. Thanks for all the work you put in to figure this out for the instant pot! Thanks so much! In a small bowl, combine remaining can of Coke, can of chiles, enchilada sauce and brown sugar. Added some lettuce, corn salsa, pico, and cotija cheese and it was so, so good! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Cook time should state 10 hrs and not 8. Si. Hi Elise, you could try cooking it for 45 minutes if you only have 3 lbs of meat. Or throw it in some enchiladas. Cook for the 6 hours, then an additional 2! Its a little scary making a meal for a group when youve never tried the recipe before! Oh it's so good! . Marinate for a few hours or overnight. Pure comfort food! . My sample batch was with the ribs and I froze that batch ahead of time. Remove pork from marinade and place in a slow cooker along with half a can of coke, water, and garlic salt. Total time: 410 minutes Cook time: 400 minutes Prep time: 10 minutes Yields: 12 servings Cuisine: Mexican Number of ingredients: 7 Ingredients: 3 lbs. Pour half of the can of soda around the roast in the slow cooker. Ive had dozens of readers email and leave comments regarding the at home version of this recipe and reported back huge success in making Cafe Rio Sweet Pork for family reunions, weddings, girls camp, and youth conference gatherings to name a few. Thank you! We love this pork! Its in a yellow liquid sauce packet. I used to work at a Costa Vida and the sweet pork is very similar to Cafe Rios. Could I pull this off w/the normal sauce packet and then add garlic powder? Cafe Rio Sweet Pork {Copycat} Recipe [+ Video]. Maybe they will work? But both have a good side, for example the protein and iron is awesome in beef. Yes it really is that fast and simple! 50 min and I let it npr for 1hr until I was ready to finish dinner. The pork slow cooks all day, and then at dinnertime, you have an amazing dish to serve to your family. This is my favorite cafe rio pork recipe. Or would you recommend using your older recipe? This was super yummy! Hi Jill, If you buy lean cuts of pork, your Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork will not taste like Cafe Rios Pork. Hi Cristi, -Only use pork butt or shoulder. Hi Deb, Im sorry to hear that. Shake until meat is coated. Sprinkle the garlic salt and salt and pepper over the meat and cook on high for 6 hours. I really am not exaggerating when I say that we have tried pretty much every single Cafe Rio Pork recipe thats out there and while many are quite delicious, they just arent close enough to the real version. xo, Cilantro Lime Dressing, Oh. Thanks for asking! Hoping it turns out! Lauren, Cheese Permission granted! Thanks for passing on the recipe. ), Hi Tanya! you can use any flavor you want but we usually stick with roasted garlic or tomato as the other is a little spicy for the kids. Thanks for the insider tip! Hi! brown sugar, cafe rio, cafe rio copycat, cafe rio pork, copycat, copycat recipe, mexican pork, pork, root beer, shredded pork, sweet pork, FREE EMAIL BONUS: Cozy Soup Recipes to Get You Through the Winter, http://www.pinterest.com/pin/157555686939072946/, http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/09/red-chile-sauce-chicken-enchiladas.html, Jenna @ Extra Income Genie on February 24, 2014, Rocky Mountain Woman on September 11, 2013, Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain on September 11, 2013, Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking on September 11, 2013. This pork is SO flavorful! Add enchilada sauce, garlic, green chilies, and brown sugar to the crock pot with the reintroduced meat. Serve on top of tortilla chips, tortillas, or a bed of rice. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I have been a little intimidated by new recipes in my IP, but had a great cut of meat from a sale and thought I would give it a try. And also Im loving your post about cooking for a crowd, girls camp and such! Cover and cook on high 3 hours. Once it finishes and steam is released I drain liquid, shred with two forks, then add the enchilada sauce mixture and just incorporate together until hot. I pretty much make all the recipes for this meal for family parties and everyone loves it!! Neither has a high enough fat content to make the fall apart finished product youre looking for. You made my day Rebecca! They have pics on their website so you can see it there. Thanks so much! Drain the marinade and add the pork to a 5-quart slow cooker. I need to make this for 20-25 people. Goodness. I did try the sauce and it is tasty. Im with you Natalie! We are still working on it! Hi Melissa, I havent tried cooking it with soda, but Im sure it would turn out great! Warm in a slow oven or stovetop. Its okay, and turned out fantastic all the same! If you want a true copycat of Cafe Rio sweet pork, you have to use a bone in pork shoulder/butt with a nice fat pad on top. If the chicken is frozen cook for 13 minutes and then check it should be easy to shred. After trying a few different cook times and water levels and also marinating vs not marinating, I found pork loin to be too lean. This applies to braising or smoking or an oven roast. Thank you for this easy recipe! I love the copycat cafe rio recipes. Thanks for asking and for reading ABK, Their sweet pulled pork was the absolute sizzle and now that Ive found this recipe I can have it whenever I want. How long should i cook it? Its is good any way, shape or form! Si. Im hoping to serve 8 people. If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little. I preferred the finished consistency of the shoulder meat. Hi Megan, Yay Rebecca! Pour can of Coke, water and garlic salt over pork in the slow cooker. And thank you! Thank you! Made the recipe as directed, rolled it up into a burrito, covered it with some salsa verse and cheesebam. My. HAVE you ever tried Diet Pepsi for the soda in place of coke or Pepsi? You could try to add more brown sugar to compensate if you absolutely cannot find or use a regular soda. My neighborhood would go crazy without one. Ours are now by the Mexican aisle and the italian tomato sauces. Oh, I already know I am going to love this week over here!! Hi, in step 10 it says to put the the remaining juice aside in a small bowl. We have received many rave reviews on this sweet pork recipe. When cool enough, pull any remaining visible fat off of meat and set aside. Thank you! Scoop out the pork from the crock pot and discard the cooking liquid. Definitely a new go to!! Pour 8 ounces of Coca-Cola ( I used a measuring cup) and water around pork. So today, I am going to share with you my mothers recipe for Sweet Pork. This was amazing! Someone sneaky got into my cans of Coke I keep stored only to make Cafe Rio pork (we drink diet on a regular basis) and therefore I made this without it. Thank you, Si! Cook for 30-60 more minutes. . No cafe rio close by. You may substitute beef for this recipe. (Roast can be omitted.) How to make Cafe Rio Sweet Pork in a slow cooker: Place the pork in the pot of your slow cooker. Use the dro Stevia is a natural sweetener that grows as a plant. Im wondering if it will works or if I need to go to the store! Heres my question in someones reply: I bought a 9lb pork shoulder. I cant believe they discontinued that packet on us!! Again, it will be different, but at least it will still be delicious! Si. I actually called General Mills and was told they discontinued it.