Slow Cooker Cherry Coke Pulled Pork
User Reviews
5
Slow Cooker Cherry Coke Pulled Pork
Description
Slow Cooker Cherry Coke Pulled Pork uses a pork butt or shoulder rubbed evenly with a spice mixture including brown sugar, garlic, onion powders, salt, pepper, and optional liquid smoke. The pork cooks slowly with Cherry Coca Cola poured over it along with barbecue sauce, creating a rich, moist environment that tenderizes the meat well. Cooking with the fat cap facing up allows the fat to melt and baste the pork during the slow cook, resulting in juicy pulled meat that pulls apart with little resistance.
The glaze made from Cherry Coca Cola and barbecue sauce adds balanced sweetness and a slight tang, enhancing the meat's savory flavors. The texture is tender and moist, perfect for shredding for sandwiches or plates served with sides.
After cooking, the pork shreds best when mixed with its cooking juices, which contain concentrated flavors and some fat to keep the meat juicy. If desired, excess fat can be trimmed by chilling the cooking liquid to harden the fat and removing it before mixing.
This recipe is suitable for making ahead and reheating and is forgiving in cooking time since checking fork tenderness guides doneness best.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 4 to 5 pound pork butt bone-in or boneless, or pork shoulder
- 12 ounces Cherry Coca Cola
- 1 cup barbecue sauce or your favorite, Sweet Baby Ray's
Instructions
- To a small bowl, add the brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, liquid smoke, pepper, and stir to combine.
- Place the pork in a large 6 to 7-quart slow cooker with the fat cap up. Tip - This acts as a natural basting device and keeps the pork super moist and flavorful.
- Evenly press the spice rub mixture evenly over all sides of the pork using clean hands.
- Evenly pour the Sweet Baby Ray's over the pork.
- Evenly and slowly stream the Cherry Coca Cola over the top.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 5 to 6 hours on HIGH or for 8 to 10 hours on LOW. Tips - Start checking for doneness about 1 hour earlier than the recommended cooking time. As mentioned in the blog post, there are a wide range of internal temperatures listed online for when pork is done, but the best clue for doneness is that when you insert a fork into the pork, that it inserts with very little resistance and you can see the pork is ready to easily just pull or fall apart. You can also insert a digital thermometer. I do this first, check to see that it's about 170F, and from there, go by the visual clues of it looking and feeling like it's ready to easily shred.
- Allow the pork to rest on a cutting board for about 15 minutes.
- Reserve the cooking juices and liquid that's in the bottom of the slow cooker. Tips - There will be about 1 to 2 cups, but if there is a lot more, you can potentially discard some of it (I don't) but reserve at least 1 to 2 cups (or to taste) because you will swirl the shredded pork around in it.**
- Shred the pork with 2 forks, or just pull it apart with your fingers.
- Place the shredded pork back into the slow cooker and stir it around so it absorbs the juices before serving as desired in sliders, sandwiches, tacos, etc. Alternatively, you can add additional straight barbecue sauce, as desired - either more as a drizzle/garnish, or stir the shredded pork around in some barbecue sauce.
- Leftover pulled pork will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave. Tip - Check out my Pulled Pork Sliders and my Pulled Pork Tacos recipes for great ways to use your pulled pork. In those recipes I used "plain" Slow Cooker Pulled Pork but this Cherry Cola Pulled Pork will also be great.
Notes
- You can choose pork butt or shoulder; pork butt with the fat cap is preferred to keep the meat moist during cooking.
- Keep the cooking juices after slow cooking and mix them with the shredded pork to maintain juiciness and flavor.
- If concerned about excess fat, chill the cooking liquids to solidify and remove some fat before mixing with the pork.
- Start checking for doneness an hour before the suggested time; pork is ready when a fork inserts easily and meat pulls apart with little resistance.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 739 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 739kcal | 37% |
| Carbohydrates | 22g | 7% |
| Protein | 56g | 112% |
| Fat | 46g | 71% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 24g | 141% |
| Cholesterol | 207mg | 69% |
| Sodium | 1091mg | 45% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 18g | 36% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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