This sweet shredded pork tastes even BETTER than Cafe Rio, I promise! Use this pork to make giant burritos smothered with Cilantro-Tomatillo Dressing or an amazing pork taco salad. Or throw it in some enchiladas. You can’t go wrong! It’s so easy to make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot. Originally published November 27, 2017.
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How was the weekend? Are you sick of turkey leftovers yet? I made this Turkey Barley Soup yesterday and plan to eat it for every meal until it’s gone. It’s so good.
We spent the whole weekend decorating the house for Christmas! It was so fun. We made Gingersnaps and turned on Christmas music. I decorated the tree while Eric untangled lights, Truman only broke 3 ornaments, and Valentine only ate one Christmas ornament hook. (Just kidding, I got it out of her mouth in time.) She is a sneaky one. A few weeks ago she got into the craft bin and ate a bunch of googly eyes without me knowing. I found out the next day when I changed her diaper and it was STARING BACK AT ME. I’m pretty sure this is TMI, especially for a food blog, but I was so shocked for a minute and then dying laughing. Everyone that I’ve told this story to has asked me if I took a picture. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NO GROSS!!)
Anyway. Sorry about that. Back to the food.
So do you guys have an Instant Pot yet?? I have an electric pressure cooker from another brand that works basically the same, but I’m thinking of getting an Instant Pot because of all the other features it has (yogurt maker, rice cooker, etc.)
Basically, with an electric pressure cooker, you can get slow-cooked foods in a fraction of the time. For example, this Cafe Rio pork recipe takes 3-5 hours on high in a slow cooker, and 8-10 hours on low. In a pressure cooker, it’s done in about an hour.
One time at Christmas I was making this Barbacoa Beef for my whole extended family (25+ people) and I set up 2 crock pots with the beef inside. We went out shopping all day, and then came home to one crock pot full of delicious beef, and one with raw meat because I had turned it on but forgotten to plug it in. So my mom busted out her pressure cooker (not an electric one, we did it on the stove) and the beef was done in under an hour. Pressure cookers are really nice to have on hand for last minute things, and electric ones are SO easy to use.
I’ve had my pressure cooker for a while now but I am just starting to get into using it. My sister Laura has been talking about her Instant Pot for YEARS. She uses it all the time and loves it. It’s all the rage right now and there are tons of new recipes and cookbooks coming out that teach you how to use it. It would also make a great mom gift for Christmas. (Mom? Do you want one??)
I’m definitely going to be posting more Instant Pot recipes on The Food Charlatan! Don’t worry, I’ll probably always include the slow cooker instructions too.
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe
So if you don’t live in Utah you may have never heard of Cafe Rio. It’s a Mexican restaurant that is kind of like Costa Vida or Chipotle, except they are famous for their INCREDIBLE sweet pork. You can put it on anything: a salad, in a burrito, enchiladas, whatever. (That’s the beauty of Mexican food.)
Ingredients for Cafe Rio pork
The pork has chili flavor but also a lot of sugar. It is made with Coke of all things. It has a very unique flavor, it’s definitely not your typical pulled pork recipe. The other unexpected ingredient is Adobo Sauce. Have you heard of it? It’s used to make some types of Mexican mole sauce. It has a very deep, almost bitter flavor that is balanced out perfectly by the sugar in this recipe. Unfortunately, you can’t find it everywhere, but it is available on Amazon here. We live in California so it is easy to find at the grocery store on the Mexican foods aisle. If you have a Latin market near you, they will definitely have it.
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- pork butt
- Kosher salt
- pepper
- adobo sauce
- Coca-Cola
- sugar
- garlic
- cumin
- dry mustard powder
- chili powder
- mayonnaise
- packaged buttermilk ranch dressing
- Serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- tomatillos
- cilantro
- lettuce
- rice
- black beans
- sour cream
- avocados or guacamole
- cotija cheese
- lime
How to make Cafe Rio sweet pork
This recipe is so nice to have on hand for busy December days. There’s always so much going on during Christmas that sometimes I just forget to make dinner. You can make this last minute (in the Instant Pot) or plan ahead with the slow cooker, and come home to hot food ready to go. It’s also good for dinner parties or large events, like a family reunion. Everyone loves a good burrito bar (there are so many possible toppings!). I hope you get to try this one out! Don’t forget to plug it in.
This recipe calls for adobo sauce, which is very concentrated, more of a paste than a sauce. The packaging says you are supposed to mix it with chicken broth to make a sauce from it, which makes sense. But for this recipe we are just dumping the whole thing in the pot and mixing it up with some Coke. So weird. So, so good.
If you use an Instapot, put the meat in the bottom of the pot and then top it with the adobo sauce mix. This will keep the sauce from burning but still give you all the sweet and spicy flavor. Recipe photo
The other special part about today’s recipe is the Cilantro-Tomatillo Ranch. It is NOT optional. If you make this recipe without the ranch, you are not experiencing Cafe Rio pork. It’s a mixture of buttermilk ranch, tomatillos, and cilantro and it is SOOO amazing. I eat the stuff with a spoon. Even if you are making burritos or something that’s not a salad, top the pork with the ranch. It’s an AMAZING combo.
Pro tip: If you place the sauce on the bottom under the meat, it will burn. We’ve tried various methods, and this one has proven to be the most effective. Therefore, make sure to put the sauce on top of the meat to avoid burning.
How to store this pork
To keep your pork delicious and safe, start by letting it cool down to room temperature. Once it’s cool, pop it into airtight containers or resealable bags, squeezing out as much air as possible. Don’t forget to label and date them! In the fridge, your tasty pork will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
How to freeze it
If you want to save some for later, divide it into meal-sized portions and freeze in freezer-safe bags or containers (don’t forget to label and date these too). In the freezer, it’ll be good for up to 2-3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, heat refrigerated pork to at least 165°F using the microwave, stovetop, or oven. For frozen pork, thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating, or if you’re in a hurry, you can reheat it straight from frozen (just expect it to take a bit longer).
More slow cooker recipes you’ll love
- Lasagna Soup >> all the benefits of lasagna, minus the work
- Honey Garlic Chicken >> try this in the slow cooker or instant pot
- Chicken Tikka Masala >> soooooo good and sooooo easy
- Grandma Georgia’s CrockPot Chicken and Dumplings >> perfect for cozy winter nights at home
- Old Fashioned Beef Stroganoff Recipe (Crock Pot) >> fall-apart tender pot roast, cooked to perfection
- Sweet Honey Mustard Chicken from Aunt Bee´s Recipes
- Slow Cooker Tater Tot Cowboy Casserole Recipe from Six Sisters´ Stuff
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Cafe Rio Sweet Shredded Pork for Burritos
Ingredients
For the pork
- 3-4 pound pork butt
- salt and pepper
- 1 (8.25-oz) jar Adobo Sauce
- 1 (12-oz) can Coke, (1 and 1/2 cups) (NOT diet! No coke zero!)
- 1 cup sugar*
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
For the Cilantro-Tomatillo Ranch
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 (.4-oz) package buttermilk ranch dressing, (put it in dry)
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 3 small tomatillos, chopped
- juice from 1 lime
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
Serve with
- shredded lettuce
- hot rice
- black beans, warmed
- sour cream
- avocados or guacamole
- Cotija cheese
Instructions
Slow Cooker instructions:
- Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, combine Adobo sauce, the can of coke, sugar, garlic, cumin, mustard powder, and chili powder. Use a whisk or a wooden spoon to try to break up the Adobo sauce. It’s stubborn but you don’t need to stress about it. Some lumps are okay.
- Pour the sauce over the top of the pork.
- Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3-5 hours. OR cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove to a platter and shred the pork.
Instant Pot instructions:
- In the Instant Pot, whisk together the can of coke, sugar, garlic, cumin, mustard powder, and chili powder. Whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Use a sharp serrated knife to cut your pork roast into 4 large chunks. Season each one with salt and pepper.
- Place the pork roast chunks in the Instant Pot. Turn them over to coat both sides in the sauce.
- Scrape the entire jar of Adobo sauce on top of the pork. Do NOT add it to the liquid at the bottom of the pot. The Adobo sauce needs to sit on top of the pork, otherwise the mixture will be too thick, and your instant pot won’t come to pressure.
- Seal the lid on top.
- Pressure cook on manual setting for 1 hour.**
- At this point you can either release the lid naturally or follow manual instructions to do a quick release. Be careful! You don’t want to get a steam burn.
- Scrape the cooked Adobo sauce into the liquid. Remove meat to a platter and shred the pork. Whisk the adobo sauce into the liquid until smooth. If it seems oily or thin, turn the Instant pot onto the sauté setting and sauté on low for 5 minutes so that it comes together. You can add the meat back in while it is sautéing. (Or just add the meat back in if it doesn’t need the sauté.)
For the ranch:
- Add all the ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. If it is too runny, add a couple extra tablespoons of mayo and blend again.
- Serve the pork with shredded lettuce, hot rice, black beans***, sour cream, avocados or guacamole, and cotija cheese or queso fresco. If you can’t find that kind of cheese, shredded cheddar or jack cheese will taste good too!
- Serve with tortillas to make burritos, or serve with lots of lettuce to make salads.
Notes
Source: my brother Eric. Thanks Eric!!
Your recipes always look so delicious! I love how you explain everything it makes me want to try it right away. I love cooking too, and your recipes inspire me to keep creating . Thank you for sharing!
Maria, I know that exact feeling!! Some recipes just take hold of you and make you run straight for the kitchen, right?? It’s what makes cooking and baking so much fun. I love hearing this, thank you so much for taking the time to comment!