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Sweet Pork (Copycat Cafe Rio Pork Recipe)
Cafe Rio Sweet Pulled Pork like you've never had it before - AKA the real, juicy, saucy, sweet and spicy deal! Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is on of the most tantalizing delicious Mexican meats on the planet - and now you can make it in the comfort of your own home and in the ease of your own slow cooker! This melt-in-your-mouth sweet pork is wonderfully versatile and the perfect make-ahead meat for tacos, salads, burritos, tostadas enchiladas, etc. It's also fabulous for crowds and entertaining!
👥 12 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 8h 10m⏳ Prep: 10 min🔥 Cook: 8h👤 Jen📖 carlsbadcravings
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- slow cooker
- skillet
- pan
- pot
- strainer
- cutting board
- bowl
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Mix all of the Mixed Spices together in a resealable container. Set aside. Lightly grease slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2
Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Using tongs or 2 forks, sear pork on all sides until browned.
vegetable oil1 tablespoon
3
Transfer pork to slow cooker. Ladle a spoonful of the pan juices over the meat so the spices will stick. Separate out 1 1/2 tablespoons spices to use after the pork is cooked. Rub all remaining spices evenly over all sides of pork (it will seem like a lot but use all of it).
4
Add all Slow Cooker Phase 1 Ingredients to the pork. Cook on LOW for ⏱️ 6-8 hours or until pork is tender enough to shred. Shred pork into larger sections in crock pot and continue to cook on LOW for ⏱️ 30 minutes.
5
Transfer all of the slow cooker contents to a strainer to drain off excess liquid from pork. Transfer pork to cutting board and shred into smaller pieces and discard any excess fat.
6
Add pork back to slow cooker (along with any accumulated green chiles, etc.) then stir in all of Phase 2 ingredients starting with just 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cook another ⏱️ 15-30 minutes on LOW or until heated through OR just keep on the warm setting if you aren’t serving immediately. Taste and add additional brown sugar for sweeter, hot sauce for spicier or more enchilada sauce for saucier.
7
Serve in tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, etc. with Cilantro Lime Dressing or Tomatillo Avocado Ranch along with Cilantro Lime Rice.
Cilantro Lime Rice (
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