How to Cook a Pork Roast With Coca-Cola
Cola makes an unusual marinade or cooking liquid for pork roasts and other meats. The sugar and caramel flavorings in it provide subtle sweetness to a pork roast, especially if you allow the sauce to become thick and reduced.
Cola makes an unusual marinade or cooking liquid for pork roasts and other meats. The sugar and caramel flavorings in it provide subtle sweetness to a pork roast, especially if you allow the sauce to become thick and reduced. Use a boneless loin roast, Boston butt roast or a shoulder roast, all of which become juicy and tender with long, slow cooking.
Step 1
Heat some oil in a skillet or oven-proof pan. Remove the wrappings from the pork roast and place the roast in the skillet, browning it on all sides. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker or leave it in the oven-proof pan to oven-braise it.
Step 2
Salt and pepper the roast liberally and pour 1 can of cola over it. Add vegetables, such as onions, carrots and celery or sliced apples, depending on your preferences. You can also add additional seasonings, such as rosemary or thyme or a package of dry onion soup mix.
Step 3
Cover and cook the roast in the slow cooker on the low setting for six to eight hours, or cover and braise it in an oven heated to 275 F for three to four hours. When done, the pork will be fork tender. A meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the meat should read 145 F.
Step 4
Remove the lid and turn the heat to high during the last 30 minutes of slow cooking. If oven-braising, remove the lid and return the pan to the oven for 30 minutes, but do not turn up the heat. This step helps thicken the sweet sauce made by the cola and also intensifies flavors. In the oven, it browns the meat slightly.
Tip
Browning a pork roast before cooking it isn't absolutely necessary, but it takes just a few minutes and adds extra flavor. Browning a pork roast also helps seal in the juices so the meat stays moist.
For even more flavor, marinade the pork roast in the cola for up to 24 hours before cooking it. Keep the marinating roast refrigerated at 40 F. Blot the pork roast dry, but reserve the liquid. Brown the pork roast before transferring it and the cola to the slow cooker or pan. Cooking will destroy any bacteria lurking in the marinade.