A few soda-related joys in life: Icy Coke with grilled cheese after a day at the beach; a can of Dr. Pepper to wash down my slice at Salโs Pizzeria; Orange soda โ the nasty, neon kindโ with grilled hot dogs at my elementary school end-of-the-year picnics circa 1978.
My kids have no such romantic association with soda. Last weekend, when Andy grabbed a giant bottle of generic cola off the shelf, you wouldโve thought weโd tossed a few bricks of cocaine into the shopping cart.
โDad! What are you doing?โ Abby shouted. โThatโs SODA!โ
โYeah, I know,โ he said. โAnd itโs uh.maze.ing.โ
He knows the deal.
Itโs not like our kids donโt drink soda or even that we have officially prohibited it in the house. They drink it on vacation or at the beach or with lunch at the hot dog stand or Shake Shack. (Chasing down a burger with water just doesnโt cut it somehow.) Thanks to movies like Fed Up, books like Chew on This, and mayors like Bloomberg, we never had to explain that it wasnโt exactly the healthiest idea to chase down a meal with a 12-ounce drink that contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. You could say the conversation was in the air. (Or in the case of Fed Up, screened in an actual 7th-grade classroom.)
โIโm not going to drink it,โ Andy told the girls. (Phoebe was now piling on). โIโm going to cook with it.โ
Needless to say, this explanation didnโt do a lot to quell the riot in aisle four. And by the time he glugged almost half the bottle into a hot Dutch Oven over a pork loin in pursuit of (decidedly non-authentic) carnitas-like taco shreds, the girls were thoroughly disgusted. With him. With us. With the Coca-Cola Company. With Atlanta. Until, of course, we poured them a tall glass over ice. With the mercury dipping into the single digits, this was not lunch at the beach, but the girls (like the rest of the world, hence the problem) were powerless against sodaโs siren call.
And the tacos, of course. I was tired of the basic tomato-based braise. I was in the mood for a more sweet-and-spicy filling, which is why Andy seized on the Coke plan. Not like he was the first. And not like this has roots in any Mexican culinary tradition whatsoever. Coke, with its distinctly caramel-y irreplaceable flavor profile has long been used as a shortcut ingredient by chefs and cookbook writers in braises. Itโs the key ingredient in my sisterโs Hanukkah brisket every year. And when paired with some heat (hot sauce) and salt (soy sauce) for an all-afternoon pork braise, itโs a contender to show up on our dinner table a couple times a year, too. If the kids allow it, of course.
The pour. You want the braising liquid to be about half way up the pork.
Coke-Braised Pork
2 to 2 1/2 pounds pork loin
2 tablespoons peanut oil (olive oil is fine if you donโt have peanut)
2-3 cups Coke (or enough to go half-way up the pork; see level in bottle above, thatโs how much what was left over)
1 tablespoon hot sauce or Sriracha
2 tablespoons soy sauce
6-8 tortillas
toppings: avocado slices, shredded cabbage, cotija cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, salsa
Preheat oven to 325ยฐF. Over medium-high heat, brown pork in peanut oil in a Dutch Oven on all sides. (Donโt skimp on this part. You want a nice brown crust.) Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and place the pot in the oven with lid slightly askew. Turn every 30 minutes or so, and remove after about three hours. Remove pork from liquid and shred on a cutting board using two forks. Place pork in a bowl or platter as you go. Toss with a little bit of the braising liquid โ just a little, itโs very sweet. (See: 10 teaspoons sugar above!)
Heat tortillas directly on burners (or in a cast-iron pan on high heat) for about 20 seconds a side until charred. Keep them warm under foil as you go.
Garnish with desired toppings and serve.
Freeze extra pork for easy weeknight dinners.
Chefโs privilege.
I can remember, back in the 80โs, sitting beside my best friend and her saying โyou know, coke actually is IT. The add is true!โ I donโt drink it now though. I wonder would that recipe work in a pot in a regular oven? On a low heat for about two hours?
It sounds yummy! But Iโm curious about how it looks when the dish doneโฆ
Although I know coke is not healthy but like the kids, I really like it >.< Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Fantastic! I used to make a cola-braised pot roast for dinner, and the leftover liquid made the most amazing gravy ever. Time to dust that recipe off and give it a go again.
Oh how funny! My two boys are the exact same way if they see me or their father with a soda.
can you do this in crockpot instead of the oven?
mmmโฆ.I would love to make tacos with this one day and a burrito bowl the next.
How do I modify if I donโt have a Dutch oven? Is that do-able?
Also thinking this could be done in a crock potโany tips?
OH YES. this is happening as soon as I get the roast. and the soda ๐
fav soda memory โ orange Fanta at our favorite Chinese food restaurant, when I was a little girl growing up in Hawaii ๐
Hereโs an alternative, so delicious, so easyโฆ
Carnitas
Adapted, just barely, from The Homesick Texan Cookbook
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
Corn tortillas, for serving plus
Avocado slices, chopped cilantro and fixings of your choice (we love pickled jalapenos or onions, lime wedges and a bit of slaw)
Place the pork in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and enough water to just barely cover the meat. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for two hours. Donโt touch the meat.
After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high and while occasionally stirring and turning the pieces, continue to cook for about 45 minutes, or until all of the liquid has evaporated, leaving only the rendered pork fat. Let it sizzle in this fat long enough to brown at the edges, turning pieces gently (theyโll be eager to fall apart), only as needed.
When pork has browned on both sides, itโs ready. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve on warmed tortillas with fixings.
Pickled Onions โ thinly sliced red onions
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water (sometimes I just omit water)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Itโs funny how some things just become okay and necessary ingredients for the sake of a dish! Orange crush is my favorite trip down memory lane.
Iโve always been so fascinated by this idea! Seems great!
That last picture reminds me of the scene in โElfโ when Buddy chugs a 2 liter of Coke:
You sure like sugar.
Is there sugar in soda?
(nods)
Then yes!!!
To those of you wondering about the crockpot โ Iโm sure you can do this. Youโd have to brown the pork first on the stovetop though. Then proceed as directed maybe on low for the 6-hour setting? Veteran slow-cookers should weigh in here, but I kind of feel like you canโt really go wrong as long as you start with browning.
Our twist: Next time you want to horrify your children in the supermarket, throw Dr. Pepper into the cart, and substitute it for the Coke. Dr. Pepper makes for very happy carnitas as well ๐
Cocaine in the cart โ I almost chocked on my water, ha!
These look amazing โ love the photo!
Yes, this can be perfectly made in a crockpot. I dont even brown the meat, why add something extra to wash. And instead of hot sauce, i use canned chipotle peppers in adobo, do not use the whole tiny can, its pretty spicy. This adds smokiness, extra flavor and spice to anything.
I made this in my slow cooker tonight, and it was amazing. My 5 year old prefers coke braised pork tacos to my usual tomato based recipe, and it turned out so well. I made a few modifications:
-Used pork shoulder, as thatโs what I had, and itโs a better choice for the slow cooker.
-After browning the meat, I added the liquids to the pot and reduced them somewhat, before adding the liquids and the meat to the slow cooker.
We donโt have a $200 dutch oven, so I modify all of your braises for the slow cooker, and it usually works out quite well. I tried your dinner party ragu last week, with the same liquid-reducing modification as above, and it was amazing, too.
My 6am self has been very kind to my dinnertime self this week!
Tina, how long did you cook it in the crockpot?
Cooking with CokeโฆI dont know
Tiffany, I had it on low for about 10 hours. This would destroy a pork loin but works so well for a pork shoulder. It absolutely fell apart after this amount of time, the outside was caramel dark and the inside was silky and unctuous. My whole family couldnโt stop picking at it while we got the rest of dinner on the table.
I used my smaller slow cooker, in which a pork shoulder fits rather snugly, without touching the sides of the insert, so one can of coke was perfect, after reducing it on the stove. My husband flipped the pork half way through the cooking time, which isnโt strictly necessary but ensures you get caramelization on both sides.
HELLO!!!
I make this in the crock pot. just drain off the soda. shred and add a little bit of bbq sauce.
serve with cole slaw and toasted burger buns.
BTW I love my crockpot, reading all the comments on here about how people hate it makes me sad
The meat doesnโt have to be browned.
Donโt be sad @Erica! Youโve figured it out. Iโm still in the learning process here. In my limited experience, I have found that most of the slow-cooked meat Iโve made comes out tastier when I have a chance to brown it. But I realize the whole point of a slow-cooker is that no-brainer ease โso thatโs what Iโm struggling with. Thanks for weighing in with instructions for other crock-pot lovers.
If I donโt brown meat before it goes in the slow cooker, I find it has a lot less flavour and texture in the final product. So -I- think itโs worth it. Also I can start to develop the sauce in the browning pot, scraping up all the fonds bits and reducing the liquid, because you need a lot less liquid in a slow cooker.
My daughterโs RaddishBox arrived yesterday, and this monthโs theme for that is the 5 flavours, and we got to talk about how the coke braised beef had all of those flavours โ sweet from coke, salty from soy sauce, spicy from chili paste, bitter from the sprinkling of over browned bits, umami from the lovely silky meat.. teachable moment!
Jenny, I love my crock pot too but one has to realize itโs limitations and adjust recipes (and expectations) accordingly. For taco meat and other wetter/mushier foods, itโs marvellous. For turning super cheap cuts of meat into food youโd marry, itโs marvellous.For beans, soups, all-day simmered sauces, itโs marvellous. But it does not brown, it does not crisp, it does not concentrate flavours โ I donโt actually mind a bit of extra work (browning meat, reducing sauce before or after cooking, adding ingredients at different stages) because in the end, itโs still less effort than a stovetop meal, and itโs still my 6am self taking the load off of my 7pm selfโฆ Iโve adapted a number of your Dutch oven recipes quite successfully, I think, but itโs never just a dump-and-go scenario. I have recipes like that, just dump everything in and walk away, but they are pretty basic family fare, nothing to blog about. ๐ Each has itโs place. I love my slow cooker for big batch cooking of sauces, stews or braises โ a extra pot is no big deal when Iโm making dinner for three different nights in one go, stocking the freezer with ingredients or whole meals. There are some very good slow cooker cookbooks out there, and lots of substandard ones โ I really like Andrew Schlossโs Art of the Slow Cooker, also Not your Motherโs Slow Cookerโฆ Judith Finlaysonโs Vegetarian Slow Cooker is also useful, for beans and greens and such.
Your Korean short ribs, your pork shoulder ragu โ both are regulars at my table, via the slow cooker. Roast chicken to shred and use in other meals (because of food allergies we canโt buy rotisserie chickens). Chicken, veggie or turkey stock simmers overnight while you sleep. Pulled pork for tacos (tomato/spicy or coke braised). Your tomato sauce , with or without grandmaโs meatballs (browned on stovetop or in the oven then plunked into the sauce to cook). All kinds of pasta sauces, in fact, and I have a fantastic recipe for slow cooker butter chicken, wherein you simmer the sauce all day, puree it, and dump the chicken pieces in for the last hour and finish with cream.
A colleague taught me to use whole spices in the slow cooker, and it makes a huge difference. You really need to over-season, if you want the flavours to be great at the end. Liquid doesnโt evaporate, so thereโs lots of dilution, I guess. Please stick with it, as Iโm sure youโll find a role for the device in your kitchen. It canโt do everything, but it is worth using for some things ๐
Uuh, I think, I can never go back from the Homesick Texanโs Carnitas either but I see the beauty in cooking with coke or root beer etc. and will certainly give it a try: it is a spiced brine with sugar.
Absolutely, 100% agree with only drinking sodas or juice on special occasions (luckily I grew up in the 1970s in Germany, where sodas where not only very expensive and my parents did not allow me a coke at all. Even the brilliantly marketed Kindercola (childrenโs coke) or any other sugary drink was only poured in small glasses on holidays, outings, birthday parties and the like. Man, am I grateful & I should tell my Mum.
I am very interested in food, nutrition and all related subjects โ how could I not, I love cooking & eating โ and have followed the scientific studies and public debates. Being regularly in Britain, I was already quite shocked by what triggered Jamieโs (British) School dinners programme, gosh, ten years ago: children not knowing an onion from a leek or an asparagus spear and how could they eat what they donโt know, simple? What kind of food products they got hooked up on and fed in schools as well as at home, terrifying. It surely is not a question of money or even education but of attitude, education and the ability to question.
How can we leave small children alone in choosing the food they eat & make the right decisions every day for themselves when we are not giving them the tools to make an informed decision or even offering a proper choice. We do not let them choose their clothes most of the times or vote or drive or drink because we feel they are too young to act responsibly. I am gobsmacked.
Thank you for bringing up Fed Up, I did not know it. What horrified me the most about Fed Up, is the absolute truth that we would go to war if a foreign country would do this to us or our children. Now substitute country with power, a power that only has their own interest and profits at heart. It highlights all over how important it is to think & cook for yourself. I admire your blog and books exactly for that: giving people, who know how to cook as well as people who donโt or struggle with it, ideas and impulses.
the cola pictured is from Whole Foods. Itโs sugary, but not poison.