Filed Under: Child, Dinner, Family Gathering, Pork, Pregnancy, Under 10 Mins

Cola-Braised Pulled Pork Carnitas

Suffering from fajita fatigue? Switch it up a bit and let the slow cooker do all the heavy lifting. The cola adds a nice caramelly flavour while the cinnamon and cumin add a unique essence. Serve on a soft tortilla or stuffed into a bun.

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September 29th, 2009

By LeeAnne Wright

"My children thought it was fun to add cola to a supper dish. That's something they don't get very often, so it was quite the novel idea for them. Plus, they got to drink a little of the cola leftovers! I love entertaining, so this is a great recipe. I love letting the slow cooker do the work." Kim Thiessen, mom of Caleb, 8, Owen, 6, Benjamin, 3, and Mattea, 1, Winnipeg
Servings
6
Prep Time
Prep time: 10 minutes, In the slow cooker: 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cups cola (not diet)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tspcumin
  • 2 tspchili powder
  • 2 tspdried oregano leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 lbsboneless pork shoulder
Directions

  1. Add everything but the pork to the slow cooker and stir to mix.

  2. Cut pork in half horizontally to lie flat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pork to slow cooker and set it to low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.

  3. When done, carefully remove pork from cooker and keep warm.

  4. Separate the grease from the cooking liquid. Reduce liquid in a pot over high heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.

  5. Using two forks, pull the meat apart into shreds. Mix in some of the thickened cooking liquid until just moistened, then season with salt and pepper.

  6. Serve on a warm soft taco with salsa, avocado slices, chopped coriander and a squirt of lime.

Nutrients Per Serving

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING (MEAT ONLY): 365 calories, 18 g fat, 63 mg calcium, 1,292 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrates, 0 g fibre, 39 g protein. Excellent source of niacin, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, riboflavin and thiamin; good source of iron and magnesium.

Cola-Braised Pulled Pork Carnitas
Photography by Edward Pond