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Full of delicious sweetness, this Cafe Rio Sweet Pork recipe goes perfectly in salads, tacos, burritos and more. Our favorite way to enjoy it is on top of a salad.
What is Cafe Rio?
Cafe Rio is a Utah based restaurant which has now spread into other states. But sadly it has not come to Oregon yet. Each time I visit Utah, a visit to Cafe Rio is required at least once. One of my favorite dishes to get there is their sweet pork. I love it in a burrito or on a salad. Thanks to today’s recipe, I can make the delicious sweet pork at home in my crock pot.
There are lots of different sweet pork recipes out there in the blogosphere and I have experimented with a lot of them. This one is by far my favorite and is almost identical to the sweet pork from Cafe Rio.
Sweet Pork Ingredients
- Pork. I used pork carnitas but you could use any boneless pork roast or shoulder.
- Enchilada Sauce
- Green Chilies
- Brown Sugar
- Garlic
- Coke. Don’t use diet. Can also use Root Beer or Dr. Pepper.
How to make Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
- Marinate pork for at least two hours in a mixture of coke and brown sugar in the refrigerator.
- Place pork and marinade into the crockpot.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours or until pork shreds easily.
- Remove pork and shred.
- Return pork to slow cooker.
- Add in remaining brown sugar, enchilada sauce, garlic and green chilies. Stir to combine.
- Cook for an additional 30-60 minutes.
How to Serve Sweet Pork
My favorite way to enjoy it is in a Cafe Rio Pork Salad. You can also use it in a quesadilla, a burrito or enchiladas .
What to Serve with Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
Can I Make this in the Instant Pot
It works great in the Instant Pot too and you can find my Instant Pot Cafe Rio Pork recipe here.
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Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless pork carnitas, shoulder etc
- 12 oz Coke 1 can
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 10 oz. enchilada sauce can
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 4 oz diced green chilies small can
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Marinade pork for at least 2 hours or overnight in can of coke and 1/4 C brown sugar.
- Pour pork and liquid into crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Remove meat and shred. Discard liquid
- Put meat back in crock pot and add enchilada sauce, garlic, green chilies and brown sugar.
- Cook for 30-60 more minutes. If there is excess liquid drain some off.
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Nutrition Facts:
Amber Scott says
So good! My while family loves this recipe and I make it often. The only change I make is instead of adding 3/4 more brown sugar at the end I add 1/4 more and it seems to be plenty.
Lisa says
Everyone I make this for loves it. I use Henry Weinhard root beer to avoid the HFCS, and the Instant Pot so I don’t have to marinate it (2.5 hrs for 3 lbs and 4 hrs for 6 lbs). Thank you!
nancy Holdaway says
Can you use something other than Coke? I really don’t like to use it.
Leigh Anne says
You can try root beer