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Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork

A delicious and easy slow cooker barbacoa pork recipe, combining sweet and spicy flavors from brown sugar, cola, chipotle chilies, green chilies, and various spices. Perfect served over cilantro lime rice or with black beans.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 10
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 120

Ingredients
  

Pork & Marinade
  • 2.5 pounds pork loin roast trimmed
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • garlic powder for seasoning pork
  • 0.75 cups Cola soda divided (Olipop, Poppi, and Slice Cola have less sugar)
  • 0.25 cups brown sugar unpacked, for marinade
Sauce Ingredients
  • 0.25 cups water
  • 6 ounces sliced green chilies can
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce can
  • 1 whole chipotle chile in adobo sauce from a can, or 1 tablespoon
  • 0.125 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 0.125 teaspoon cumin
  • 0.125 teaspoon chipotle chili powder to taste
  • kosher salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 0.33 cups brown sugar unpacked
  • 1 cup Cola soda remaining

Method
 

Preparation Steps
  1. Season pork with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and place it in the crock pot.
  2. Add 0.75 cup of cola and 0.25 cup of brown sugar. Marinate refrigerated for a few hours or overnight, turning the meat at least once while marinating.
  3. Remove crock from refrigerator, add 0.25 cup water, and cook on high for about 4 hours or low for 8 hours (or until it shreds easily).
Finishing Steps
  1. Remove pork from the crock pot and discard all the liquid left in the pot. Shred the pork with two forks.
  2. In the crock pot, combine the remaining 1 cup cola, 6 ounces sliced green chilies, 8 ounces tomato sauce, 1 whole chipotle chile, 0.125 teaspoon garlic powder, 0.125 teaspoon cumin, 0.125 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, and the remaining 0.33 cup brown sugar.
  3. Put the shredded pork back in the crock pot and combine with the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, cover, and cook on high for 1.5 hours more.

Notes

This slow-cooked pork is incredibly versatile. Serve it over cilantro lime rice, in tacos or burritos, or as a main dish with a side of black beans.