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Cafe Rio Sweet Shredded Pork for Burritos
4.8 from 84 votes

Cafe Rio Sweet Shredded Pork for Burritos

This recipe makes sweet shredded pork using a pork butt slow-cooked or pressure-cooked in a sauce of adobo, cola, sugar, and spices. The result is tender, flavorful pork perfect for burritos, accompanied by a creamy cilantro-tomatillo ranch sauce. The pork's sweetness is balanced with spices like cumin and chili powder, and the method allows for convenient cooking in either a slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 503 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

For the pork
  • 3-4 pound pork butt
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • 1 (8.25-oz) jar adobo sauce
  • 1 (12-oz) can cola 1 and 1/2 cups) (NOT diet! No coke zero!, Coke brand
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 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 ranch dressing put it in dry, buttermilk
  • 1 Serrano pepper seeded and roughly chopped
  • 3 small tomatillos chopped
  • lime juice from 1
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
Serve with
  • lettuce shredded
  • rice hot
  • black beans warmed
  • sour cream
  • avocados or guacamole
  • cotija cheese

Instructions

Slow Cooker instructions:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
  2. 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.
  3. Pour the sauce over the top of the pork.
  4. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3-5 hours. OR cook on low for 8-10 hours.
  5. Remove to a platter and shred the pork.
Instant Pot instructions:
  1. 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.
  2. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut your pork roast into 4 large chunks. Season each one with salt and pepper.
  3. Place the pork roast chunks in the Instant Pot. Turn them over to coat both sides in the sauce.
  4. 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. 
  5. Seal the lid on top.
  6. Pressure cook on manual setting for 1 hour.**
  7. 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.
  8. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. Serve with tortillas to make burritos, or serve with lots of lettuce to make salads.

Notes

  • Use 1 cup sugar for a balanced sweetness; increase to 1 and 1/2 cups if you prefer a sweeter pork.
  • If the pork doesn't shred easily after cooking, return it to cook longer (about 10 more minutes).
  • Pressure cook pork approximately 15 minutes per pound to ensure tenderness.
  • Heat canned black beans with garlic and cilantro for a quick, flavorful side.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 503kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 27g (54%) Fat 30g (46%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 11g (65%) Monounsaturated Fat 11g (55%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 91mg (30%) Potassium 563mg (12%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 25g (50%) Vitamin A 150IU (3%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 60mg (6%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 503

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 503kcal 25%
Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Protein 27g 54%
Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 11g 65%
Monounsaturated Fat 11g 55%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 91mg 30%
Potassium 563mg 12%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 25g 50%
Vitamin A 150IU 3%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 60mg 6%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.