This post may contain affiliate links. read more:If you love this copycat sweet pork recipe, youre bound to love our BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe too! How would you suggest I heat it up once at camp? Perfect for burritos, salads and tacos! OHHH, that can be tricky. mwah! Keep warm until serving. Im going to try this recipe tonight but I mistakenly got a bone-in shoulder butt pork roast. Can I sub beef for this or do you have the cafe rio shredded beef recipe? It is great as a salad, burrito, or nachos. Yay! Made some mistakes about draining the juices but it was pretty fool proof turns out. Sprinkle the garlic salt and salt and pepper over the meat and cook on high for 6 hours. Place all other ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. I love that! This recipe is clearly a little different because it uses Coke, but trust me its the way its prepared that is key. Have you made this recipe yet? Its THAT good! Thank you! Not only that this pork sounds deeelicious, I absolutely LOVE that serving bowl! How do you serve this pork? Si. xo Total time: 495 minutes Cook time: 480 minutes Prep time: 15 minutes Yields: 10 servings Cuisine: Mexican/Spanish Number of ingredients: 8 Ingredients: 2 pounds pork ((we use boneless pork ribs)) 3. Si. Add the pork to a gallon-sized ziplock bag and add cup brown sugar and 2 cups Coca-Cola. xo Thank you for bringing that to my attention! The recipe for the spice rub was a bonus, flavoring the pork beautifully. xo Place the seasoned pork roast into the slow cooker. Thanks for asking! This copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe is one of the most popular recipes on our website. Thanks for reading ABK. If you friends from Guatemala loved it then its a winner! Hi Anna, its actually a sauce pouch, so its liquid but not in a can. Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Sweet and succulent pork, perfect for your go-to Mexican dish. Hi Sara, the cook time will be the same, but to be safe I would pressure cook it for 60 minutes. Perfect! Rub the seasoning mixture all over the pork and place in a 9x13" pan, fat pad facing up. Any other tips are appreciated! thanks and let us know if you try the beef! Marinate the pork by placing it in a large ziploc bag. But turns out fabulous. How to make Cafe Rio Sweet Pork in a slow cooker: Place the pork in the pot of your slow cooker. A bit disappointed but its still yummy. Spread some garlic salt, salt, and pepper around. 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. Si. We have a whole section. I havent tried this with frozen pork yet. 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. Thanks for posting the recipe. Taking some of the liquid out if there is too much. 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. Please check back and let us know how long it took you to cook your 7 lb roast. Discard the liquid from the slow cooker. Make sure the lid is set to the Sealing position. I have updated the total time to include the extra cook time and the marinating time. Thanks for asking and for reading ABK! Thanks. But I maybe missed this, but when do you put the brown sugar in? Mothers Day is coming soon(hint, hint) Thank you so much for compiling this recipe and all your other recipes. Im so excited to make this. How would it taste to make this completely through, and then freeze it? Blend until smooth. Si. Seriously! My husband is coming home from a trip tomorrow and I think this will be a perfect meal to make to make us both happy. ! Jared, We love, love, love this recipe! So I moved to Texas a little over a year ago and to my despair there isnt a Cafe Rio for 500 miles. This one is by far my favorite and is almost identical to the sweet pork from Cafe Rio. Want to make it authentic? Don't drink the crock pot liquid. And then release for 45 min. Youll have to try ours and see how it compares in taste! Step 1: Place pork in a zip lock bag. Your email address will not be published. Apply nonstick cooking spray to the inside of the slow cooker. Hope this helps! Hi Lindsay, I havent used an instant pot yet, so Im not sure how long you would cook this recipe in it. xo, Heat just until sauce boils and the meat is heated through, then turn the setting to keep warm mode. Scoop out the pork from the crock pot and discard the cooking liquid. I was just freaking out wondering where my sweet pork recipe went! I love it! Where did you get yours and what part of the grocery store is it in? Theres no need to marinate the pork, like other recipes. xo, The IP cooks at such a high temperature and pressure for a small amount of time, while the slow cooker is the complete opposite. . Also, did not take 8 hours in our crock pot, more like 6 total. Being critical is mean, but this is not what Id expect on a food blog. Im so excited to try this. Step 2: Add pork to slow cooker and discard marinade. Xo 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. I love making meals in the crock pot and this is no exception. Thanks for the insider tip! Share below my top 3 ar, Make our Valentine M&M Chocolate Chip C. A Bountiful Kitchen 2023. A big fat huge YES because this Cafe Rio Sweet Pork recipe is phenomenal, and I dont throw that word around too much. Its a hit at any gathering! Cook, covered, for 6 to 7 hours on low heat. Its that good! It often turned out dry tasting no matter how little the cook time. Not sure if tripling it will fit in one crock pot, so I would just use two separate crock pots/ slow cookers. Instructions. Thanks again! Just finished eating this for dinner and I raced to my computer to say: Oh. Heres my question in someones reply: I bought a 9lb pork shoulder. 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. You are awesome Im glad I read this! Thats because it tastes so similar to the original. Seal. Cade and Carrian have three children and love to spend time together whether its vacationing or snuggled up on the couch for a good movie. Set the manual/pressure cook button for 60 minutes. Take the pork out of the crock pot once it's finished cooking and place it on a cutting board. Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or until the meat shreds easily) or on low for 8 hours. What brand of enchilada sauce do you prefer? That is an awesome idea! Bring to a boil and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Do you serve this as a pulled pork sandwich on a bun or on a tortilla? 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. I always have used the old recipe and I used the frontera red Chile enchilada sauce packet and still love how it turns out. Each time I visit Utah, a visit to Cafe Rio is required at least once. An even coating of garlic powder, salt, and pepper should be spread across the pork roast. thanks for reading ABK, However, in my experience coke zero and light brown sugar work really well in this recipe. Thanks so much for the yummy recipe! Thanks for sharing, Enjoy. Hope this helps! Easy recipes for quick and delicious homemade meals! Add the shredded pork back to the slow cooker. Thats the only reason, its just gooey. Cant wait to make it. I hope this makes sense, thank you for asking! Go ahead and make this recipe as written. thanks for reading ABK The pork cooks for a long time in the slow cooker which makes the meat tender and easy to shred. Si, Does this spice mix make the amount one would need to make this recipe, or does it make more? Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. Si. He just loves it. Go goo goo for gooey with that one! Get free recipes sent straight to your inbox! Notes Freezing: this cooked pork freezes amazing well. Pour pork and liquid into crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. I love it in a burrito or on a salad. We had our friends from Guatemala over and they RAVED, exclaiming it tasted extremely authentic. If you dont have cheesecloth, dont stress! Ive never tried a recipe from you that Ive disliked. Don't forget to add toppings to that as well (chopped onion, lime wedges, chopped lettuce, avocado, black beans, etc. Place the pork loin in a crock pot and turn on to high heat. Can you please post or send me the old recipe? The sauce will darken and thicken to a thin glaze. Also, the sauce is actually called roasted garlic and chile or something like that. Sometimes making a slow cooker sweet pork just fits into your schedule better, I totally get that! Shred pork with two forks, and remove any fat. It is safer not to risk a reaction. Hi Elise, you could try cooking it for 45 minutes if you only have 3 lbs of meat. Lauren, When meat is browned on both sides, Add water around sides of meat. I love using the IP to speed up what used to take hours to cook in a slow cooker or oven. We've perfected the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe! If using Boston butt, or pork butt, count on about 1/2 of the total pounds before cooking being discarded (after cooking). Hi Megan, thank you for pointing that out, the cook time should be about and hour and a half. Im a total homebody. Pour half of the seasoning mixture over the roast and rub it into the meat. One caution, not all cuts of pork work well in this recipe! Cover crock pot with lid and cook another 1 to 2 hours on low heat. Si. 1 cup rootbeer, coke or Dr Pepper. How much of the mix do I add for this recipe if it makes more than I need? Try this Creamy Cilantro Dressing to pour over the top. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Have you ever seen a chef create a bundle of herbs and place it in a pot or with a roast to cook then it gets discarded? Or would you recommend using your older recipe? Thanks! We dont buy caffeinated drinks so I was hoping it would taste just as great with rootbeer. Cover and cook on high 3 hours. Recognizing the Sunshine and Living Happy. Pour the sauce all over the pork and toss to coat. The only problem is the other six people who live with me hated it. Take the pork out of the slow cooker and place it on the chopping board. xo It might be overcooked a little. -Simmer pork in a pan with cut up yellow onions, serrano peppers and chopped carrots. Theyre smoked jalapeos, but the adobo sauce they come canned in is the magical part. Place the pork, cup brown sugar and one can of Coke in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. My family LOVES your Caf Rio Chicken. xo This recipe looks delicious! Hi! The pork is tender and juicy, with the perfect amount of sweetness. The meat cooks for a long time in the crock pot in its own juices which allows it to absorb a lot of flavor. Thanks for asking! This updated recipe allows cooking of the sweet pork in a fraction of the original 5-12 hour time. The aromatics totally make a difference, but you throw them out after its done cooking. After eating more than my share of Cafe Rio meals, I came up with this oven or slow cooker recipeback in 2011. Its a good sweet pork recipe but its definitely not the cafe rio one. I would cut it into thirds and definitely do it in the oven. Add the 2 tablespoons of reserved spices, red enchilada sauce, brown sugar, green chiles and green salsa/enchilada sauce and stir/toss to combine. Use it to top a salad, a burrito, or a taco. Should I triple the amount of soda while cooking? I have made this recipe several times (we love it) and suddenly I cant find the Old El Paso sauce at the grocery store weve always gotten it at. When we boiled it down (no pun intended) I found they used a cut of meat OTHER THAN the cuts I recommend. This Cafe Rio Sweet Pork recipe is full of delicious sweet flavor. How to make Caf Rio sweet pork in 15 minutes! The slow cooker makes this recipe so easy to make. Thicken your sauce Bring your sauce to a slow boil and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. My family loves it! {Plus, I sorta have an aversion to cooking with soda pop.}. Toss into your preferred salad or burrito! Si. Let us know! I pretty much make all the recipes for this meal for family parties and everyone loves it!! Thanks again! Add the full can of coke, brown sugar and green salsa. The pork is marinated and slow-cooked to perfection in some surprising ingredients! I made this for my daughter and I for a twist on regular tacos. They have pics on their website so you can see it there. I am SO excited to try this recipe. 50 min and I let it npr for 1hr until I was ready to finish dinner. Copyright 2013-2019 Sunshine In My Pocket. Yes, I made it last night for our Relief Society activity. It is removed after cooking and can be made with either fresh or dried herbs, root veggies etc. It takes about 5 minutes to make.-As stated in the post, I did not marinate the pork in the sauce before cooking. Thanks! I knew there was a reason we get along. As far as pork butt/shoulder goes, if its not shred-able, just keep cooking. Turn to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Thank you for sharing!! Shred as normal, preparing the sauce separate and toss to combine. Ive had readers tell me they didnt get the desired finished product when making Cafe Rio Sweet Pork. . I would wait to put the sauce on until you are ready to serve it. Thanks! So ive been following the steps as i make it and just got to the part that says set timer to 50 min. Pour 8 ounces of Coca-Cola ( I used a measuring cup) and water around pork. Thank you . xo, I couldnt find the old elpaso sauce packets so I ended up using a 10oz can of red enchilada sauce and adding an entire small head of crushed garlic to it. Its really quite fun. xo Hope this helps! Si. Toss with the shredded meat and cook an additional 30 minutes.