Do you think it will be enough? We originally shared this recipe back in 2007, and it has been the most popular Cafe Rio copycat recipe on the internet! A few I use, a few I do not. xo -Pork is marinated in Coke, full strength, not Diet Coke. It is SO helpful to read about your experiences making this a few different ways and also your opinion about the best cut of meat and making ahead vs fresh! My neighborhood would go crazy without one. Im with you Natalie! Heather, Im not sure how much. We love this pork! Im so looking forward to making this for my family! Well, this one got printed out right after dinner! This looks so delicious!! I love making meals in the crock pot and this is no exception. Is it a powder or liquid and where have you found it? Enjoy using your Instant Pot! Thank you! Cafe Rio is a Utah based restaurant which has now spread into other states. Prepare everything the same, but set the pork and bouquet garni (see section below) in a slow cooker for 8-10 hours. And Im excited to try this new recipe. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker. Bring to a boil and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. And if so, how did you re-heat it? Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. Yay Rebecca! -Use a spice blend of garlic powder, dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Good job! Made some mistakes about draining the juices but it was pretty fool proof turns out. Thanks Madison! xo, Step 2: Add pork to slow cooker and discard marinade. The only problem is the other six people who live with me hated it. Let me know how this recipe turned out for you. -Shred pork after cooked and let sit in a ziplock bag overnight with sauce made fresh after pork is cooked. 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. 1 week ago wikihow.com Show details . Definitely a new go to! xo Si. Made the recipe as directed, rolled it up into a burrito, covered it with some salsa verse and cheesebam. You just mix together all four ingredients (yes, only four ingredients! Hi Melissa, I havent tried cooking it with soda, but Im sure it would turn out great! Rub the seasoning mixture all over the pork and place in a 9x13" pan, fat pad facing up. Discard the juices in the slow cooker and then add the shredded pork back in along with the sweet sauce and mix together. Turn to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Here, you can pin off of this link, http://www.pinterest.com/pin/157555686939072946/, Ive gone to three grocery stores and cant find el paso sauce packet WITH roasted garlic. It actually acts as a meat tenderizer in the recipe so dont leave it out. Cover with lid and cook on high heat for 6 hours. This pork look so saucy and delicious! Hope this helps . Recognizing the Sunshine and Living Happy. This post may contain affiliate links. Thanks so much for the yummy recipe! Ohhh, Ill have to check it out! I moved out of the area where my local cafe rio was. Would I still cook it for 50 mins? But turns out fabulous. Thank you! xo, Let marinate for 3 hours or overnight. Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe 8 hr 15 min Boneless pork ribs, gluten free, coke, brown sugar, green chilies 4.617 Copycat Sweet Pork Recipe {Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker} 2 hr Root beer, pork roast, enchilada sauce, red enchilada sauce, dark brown sugar 4.6325 Cafe Rio Sweet Pork 6 hr 50 min Add the full can of coke, brown sugar and green salsa. Home All Recipes ALL MEALS Dinner Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe (Copycat). Thanks for reading ABK and thanks for your help. Add coke and brown sugar and seal bag. Have you ever tried adding chipotles in adobo sauce? My husband and i moved and miss cafe rio/costa vida so much. The extra two hours gives the shredded meat a chance to soak up more of the marinade. (Thank you to The Sisters Cafe for such an awesome recipe!) When prepared correctly, it practically melts in your mouth. It is so yummy! Every time I eat it, its like a warm homey feeling comes over me. Kamie, I had my doubts because the ingredients seem so random, but we love this recipe and have done it with and without marinade several times. I love seeing what you made. Thanks for reading ABK, xo Here is the old recipe: OR you can place the shredded pork, and the remaining ingredients in a large pot on the stove top and heat it until its all warmed through. We found it right by the refried beans and cans of enchilada sauce. Wait 30-60 minutes before serving. Yes, the onions will get quite dark, but its ok. Hi Brenda, I would use about 8-10 pounds of meat. Add the remaining ingredients and reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 3 hours. Im hoping to serve 8 people. Will it make a difference with cooking time at all? I made it exactly per the directions. And this recipe is perfect for a crowd! How would it taste to make this completely through, and then freeze it? This recipe looks delicious! Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. Hi Kathy! You can also use the meat in tacos, enchiladas or burritos. Meaning, it will take time to allow this to happen and this time needs to be built in to the cooking time of the meat. While we dont have the actual recipe, we literally cannot taste a difference. Youll have to try ours and see how it compares in taste! How long would it need to be in the oven for a 7lb pork roast? Make a smooth paste by blending. Caramelized the chopped onions and then add them with the carrots and peppers to the sauce in the IP before adding the meat and then add the shredded pork and let it stay on warm for a while? Thanks so much! Thank you for this recipe! Carole, Or throw it in some enchiladas. I have a 7lb pork butt and I dont want to chance it in my instant pot. Maybe they will work? Place roast inside slow cooker. 12 servings Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 6 hours 40 minutes Total: 6 hours 50 minutes Rate Recipe Ingredients 3 lbs. Youre welcome, Lindsey! The sweet pork also makes a perfect topping for nachos. The IP cooks at such a high temperature and pressure for a small amount of time, while the slow cooker is the complete opposite. Copyright 2013-2019 Sunshine In My Pocket. Full of delicious sweet flavor, this copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork recipe goes perfectly in salads, tacos, burritos and more. Tips and Secrets for perfect Cafe Rio Sweet Pork! Thanks for sharing, Krista! Place the seasoned pork roast into the slow cooker. 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. Help please. Not quite the same as Cafe Rio, but Ill definitely make it again! However, in my experience coke zero and light brown sugar work really well in this recipe. 2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork ribs) 36 ounces Coke (3 soda cans) NOT diet 1/4 cup brown sugar dash garlic salt 1/4 cup water 1 can diced green chilies 10 ounces red enchilada sauce (Old El Paso brand is gluten free, I like medium spiciness but any will work) 1 cup brown sugar Instructions Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. I make this so often and it is now the ONLY way i make sweet pork! Blend for 20 seconds. Put the lid on and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 8). I did see some Frontera sauces at my grocery store today. Combine meat and sauce: Return the shredded pork to the crock pot, along with the sauce mixture. How many will this serve. ), then just shred up the meat and add in the sauce. I love this recipe and cant find any sauce either. :o). -Make red enchilada sauce from scratch. Shred as normal, preparing the sauce separate and toss to combine. Easy Banana Pudding Recipe (No-Bake Banana Pudding), Quinoa salad with edamame, cucumber and avocado, Chili recipes with ground beef and sausage, 2 pounds pork ((we use boneless pork ribs)), 10 ounces red enchilada sauce ((Old El Paso brand is gluten free, I like medium spiciness but any will work)). Sometimes at 7 hours its even still a bit tough and then 8 hours and its falling apart. You can't go wrong! Biggest compliment ever! The packet is at walmart in the Mexican food area. Cant wait to make it. But both have a good side, for example the protein and iron is awesome in beef. kinda confusing :/ maybe its showing up weird in my phone. I dont go longer than that as each week the flavor seems to fade a little in my opinion. 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 tried this tonight to make sweet pork nachos and it was delicious! I need guidance. Its okay, and turned out fantastic all the same! It is wonderful. Thanks for reading ABK. We will definitely look into that! Cook a pork roast and tuck it inside. Si, I dont believe Sirloin pork is fatty enough to achieve a shredded finished product I highly recommend either pork shoulder or butt! - Pork recipe is made with pork shoulder (Boston pork butt), pantry Doing a slow roast on the pork with a spice mixture, those root veggies and preparing the sauce separate makes for an identical result. 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. Thank you so much. Set it and forget itthats why we love that slow cooker! I am Lucky in love to a supportive husband, blessed to raise 3 kids (all moved away now! Hello! Is there any way to fix that? haha, at least Im not the only one dealing with a non-sharer. Really? And they both liked the SAME one. Just made this recipe for the second time. Thank you for sharing!! I am doing a frozen 7 lb roast should I increase the cooking time? All Cafe Rio style recipes listed and linked on post. Add the pork roast to the hot skillet and sear on both sides. I hope this helps! Si. ON. This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, Menu Plan Monday #121 - Life In The Lofthouse, Menu Plan Monday #165 - Life In The Lofthouse, Sweet Pork Nachos - Life In The Lofthouse, Light Creamy Tomatillo Dressing - Life In The Lofthouse. No words can describe how happy my family is. Thank you! I would cut it into thirds and definitely do it in the oven. Can you please post or send me the old recipe? I bought a 9lb pork shoulder. My preference is Pork Shoulder or Boneless Pork Rib meat! What brand of enchilada sauce do you prefer? Pork is best served the day after it is cooked completely and sauce is made. xo Toss into your preferred salad or burrito! I saw the Frontera one and want to know if it turned out similar. I saw someone else comment that they use half a liter of Dr Pepper but I wasnt sure if they meant in the instant pot instead of water or what. Hi Mindy! This was amazing! Your ingredient list doesnt have the taco sauce on it. Oops! If youve ever even had a flight layover in Utah, youve probably eaten at Cafe Rio (thanks to the airport location)! Im going to try this recipe tonight but I mistakenly got a bone-in shoulder butt pork roast. Keep cooking for an additional hour or two on low heat with the lid on the crock pot. If you've ever been to Utah you've probably had Cafe Rio, specifically Cafe Rio Sweet Pork. The great thing about these recipes is: you put all the ingredients in the crock pot to cook all day (easy! By taco seasoning mixes and the Spanish rice. 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. So ive been following the steps as i make it and just got to the part that says set timer to 50 min. Thanks for reading ABK. During the natural pressure release time, the meat continues to cook with the residual heat in the pot, the pressure is slowly released and the juices stay in the meat instead of escaping out of the pan (or pot). Thats because it tastes so similar to the original. xo SO, Ive been searching for a good recipe for sweet pork that didnt have cola in the ingredient list. Im going to have to slice and it absorbed no flavor. The pork slow cooks all day, and then at dinnertime, you have an amazing dish to serve to your family. $2.49 is about what I paid 10 minutes ago. How can i SUBSTITUTE the pork for chicken? Just had to say thank you again! In a blender or food processor, blend the remaining 8 ounces Coca-Cola, diced green chilies, enchilada sauce and brown sugar. Hi Deb, Im sorry to hear that. thanks and let us know if you try the beef! 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! The sauce will darken and thicken to a thin glaze. Could you put soda in the instant pot instead of water? They have pics on their website so you can see it there. . Please let us know how it goes! Thanks for this amazing recipe! Ok and lastly can you post a pics of the old paso sauce packet you used, I cant seem to find it at the local grocery store Thanks a lot!!!! Hi there! If the chicken is frozen cook for 13 minutes and then check it should be easy to shred. Serve on top of tortilla chips, tortillas, or a bed of rice. 1 cup rootbeer, coke or Dr Pepper. Wedge the bundle next to an end of the pork. Thanks for the recipe! Shred pork. . Si. Weve perfected the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe! Don't forget to add toppings to that as well (chopped onion, lime wedges, chopped lettuce, avocado, black beans, etc. Fresh cooked tortillas We love to place a tortilla on a plate, then top it with black beans, rice and the sweetpork, just like Caf Rio does. Maybe we still call it butt because butt is more fun to say than shoulder? I do not live near any Kroger stores. Ugh! I used this recipe to make about 40 pounds of the sweet pork for a graduation party and it was a hit. The pork cooks for a long time in the slow cooker which makes the meat tender and easy to shred. That extra 1 to 2 hours after shredding the pork and pouring in the remaining ingredients is just meant to heat it all up together. Thanks for posting the recipe. (It does not need to cover roast) Sprinkle evenly with garlic salt, salt and pepper. Thanks again! I hope you all enjoy. Served ot with spanish yellow rice and black beans. Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes Delicious sweet pulled pork perfect for your favorite Mexican food dish. Here are the tips and secrets, all in one place for you to sift through and decided if you want to incorporate any into your recipe. No need to increase sauce amount. xo This hot thw spot, so easy and incredibly yummy! Put pork, can of Coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot and cook on high for about 3-4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Whether its from scratch or not, its a recipe. The Dr pepper moistens the pork incredibly. It takes minut, Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie Copyc, Finished off the day with Pan Cream Cheese Sugar C, Come see us today (Monday only) from 3-6:00 at @ru, Favorite appetizer? It is on their must-eat list when they come back to visit every single time. We are still working on it, but we still havent found quite the right replacement. Hi Faith! Turned out fabulous. Thanks for reading ABK, Interesting fact- the name Boston butt originates from 18th century New England when pork was packed in barrels (which were also known as butts) to store and ship meat. Here is a link to my favorite one, I actually own three of them! Its personal preference if you want to add them to the sauce. Thanks what flavor is the el paso liquid ? We ate on it for 2 days!! Oh good! God! I'm a creator, a card maker, and a day maker! 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? Seriously! Its that good! 50 min and I let it npr for 1hr until I was ready to finish dinner. The IP tends to release a higher volume of liquid from ingredient in the pot, which can dilute sauces. i made this yesterday! This pork is SO flavorful! Its a hit at any gathering! Then the recipe says 45 to cook and 45 NPR. Only thing I think we were missing was a little heat, will use hot chiles and enchilada sauce next time. Add coke, water, garlic salt, onion salt, and chili powder. I love the pork dont get me wrong, but I have a ton of frozen chicken I need to use and Ive been craving the sweet pork so Im hoping I can still get the flavor and use up the chicken (we are moving in a few weeks so Im trying to use up our food)! Cannot wait to use leftovers in tacos and a salad. I have not tried this recipe using chicken, but if I were to try it, I would use the same amount of chicken as pork (3 lbs) but cook it for about 6 hours. I love your variation and thanks for sharing, Joana! Surprise! With this recipe, you can now have the amazing taste of Cafe Rio Pork at home all you need is a few simple ingredients and a crock pot. Si, My butcher wouldnt cut the bone out of the shoulder for me, should I put it in the insta pot with the bone and pull the bone off after or cut it off the bone before, Step 7 needs to be fixed to say naturally not manually., KK, THANK YOU for pointing that out! Hi Allison, if youre using a 4 lb roast, I would set the pressure time for 70-80 minutes. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. There are a lot of Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio Copycat) Recipes out there. Marinade pork for at least 2 hours or overnight in can of coke and 1/4 C brown sugar. This recipe is the most spot on i have ever found. Thank you so much! 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. 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. In fact you can make the quesadilla at home too with our Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Quesadilla recipeyoure welcome! Their sweet pulled pork was the absolute sizzle and now that Ive found this recipe I can have it whenever I want. I am planning a large event and want to make sure I have enough. Hello March! Wonder what the Coke does? Thanks for asking! Ive made this once before and my husband and I absolutely loved it! How would you suggest I heat it up once at camp? Do you think canned enchilada sauce would work instead of the cooking sauce? Marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight. LOVED this cafe rio pork recipe and got multiple compliments on it- I always tell everyone you are my recipe hero. Rub with garlic salt and pour 2 cups of coke and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6. Si. well be making it all the time for my family hope to find more good recipes with you. In a small bowl, mix about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker. Add enchilada sauce, garlic, green chilies, and brown sugar to the crock pot with the reintroduced meat. I pretty much make all the recipes for this meal for family parties and everyone loves it!! 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. All the recipes are for a slow cooker and the coke is added to the pork about 6 hours after starting, then another two hours of cooking time. Cut off the meat and shred it. xo Thanks for checking in on it, Stephanie! This was absolutely perfect! So, its actually not the butt at all, but the shoulder. Still used 2 cups of water, kept the time the same. {Plus, I sorta have an aversion to cooking with soda pop.}. Making this recipe in the Instant Pot is so easy and delicious! Si. 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. If there is excess liquid drain some off. It is removed after cooking and can be made with either fresh or dried herbs, root veggies etc. -Only use pork butt or shoulder. 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! Sounds delicious. If you would like to thicken the sauce a bit, whisk one tablespoon of cornstarch into a cup of the liquid removed from pan after the meat was cooked and add back to the Instant Pot with meat and enchilada sauce. My secrets (and recipes) for getting dinner on the table FAST! Try our Restaurant Style Salsa on top too! We also used coke, the red enchilada sauce that we made, onions and carrots, sugar and butter. 1 packet sauce (no longer made) . Hope this helps! Thanks for sharing a keeper. After eating more than my share of Cafe Rio meals, I came up with this oven or slow cooker recipeback in 2011. Shake until meat is coated. ), Hi Tanya! My family said it tasted just like cafe rio. Ive tried a couple other times to make this and this was by far closest to Cafe Rio. Dont like the one she posted? I have cooked frozen chicken breasts successfully in the IP, but chicken is a much smaller cut of than a pork roast I suggest letting it thaw and cooking afterward. How many pounds of meat do you recommend, and should I alter the cooking time? Move along. I cant believe they discontinued that packet on us!! I was definitely skeptical about adding that much sugar but it came out about perfect. 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. 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. Cook the pork in a slow cooker for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Also, when you write oregano it is the ground oregano, not the leaves, right? You are awesome Im glad I read this! Im excited to give this a try! Let us know! Its delicious! It always turns out tender and moist. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Soooo good. Add the pork to a gallon-sized ziplock bag and add cup brown sugar and 2 cups Coca-Cola. Discard any large pieces of fat and then shred. 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. Its a little scary making a meal for a group when youve never tried the recipe before! Makes for amazing salads, burritos, tacos and quesadillas! If you turn the crock pot on high and heat it for another 30 to 45 minutes it should be good to go! Cook again. And I will link up to the other cola-free Sweet Pork recipe as soon as I get permission! So I didnt cook it too long when that happened I actually need to cook it longer and it will get more tender? Serve pork in burritos, salads and tacos! This new IP recipe takes about two hours start to finish, with most of the time spent in the Instant Pot, cooking the meat! Hope this helps and thanks for asking! Thanks for asking! I couldve eaten the meat alone with a fork and left all the toppings!!! Thanks for reading ABK, Im so glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for sharing, I love Cafe Rio! (Old El Paso brand is gluten free, I like medium spiciness but any will work). Stir them together until the sugar is dissolved. Maybe 5 minutes longer? The link for my homemade sauce is on this post under the last paragraph "Tips and Secrets for Perfect Cafe Rio Sweet Pork". All of those pics should be pinnable. Cilantro Lime Rice 3 lbs. Thanks for your time and talent! Misti. Its THAT good! It is great as a salad, burrito, or nachos. Place meat in pot when hot and brown on both sides. yay!) Put pork and marinade liquid into a lined slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Remove meat and shred. Hello All, I'm looking to smoke a Pork Butt for sweet pulled pork using the Caf Rio Pulled Pork recipe using Coke or Dr Pepper as the flavor. Theres no need to marinate the pork, like other recipes. It takes about 5 minutes to make.-As stated in the post, I did not marinate the pork in the sauce before cooking. Every single time we eat at Caf Rio, he orders the sweet pork salad. 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 am a homebody and especially love a night to myself to putter in the kitchen with a glass of wine. I followed the recipe to a T, also making the ABK homemade menudo dry rub and the ABK Homemade Enchilada Sauce for the simmering meat. Its up to you. Place the pork loin in a crock pot and turn on to high heat. 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. Enjoy. Oh no! Place all other ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. Si. So glad you like! Hi Elise, you could try cooking it for 45 minutes if you only have 3 lbs of meat. Maybe they will give me a hint. Thats one of the secrets to this Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe.