Last week was nonstop. I was driving my crew—five boys plus a few extras—around town in our big purple van, juggling drop-offs and pick-ups and wondering how we would make every commitment. In the chaos we even tried out the strange broom-balancing trend that everyone was talking about during the solar flares. Weird and oddly fun.
Despite the insanity, we managed to attend everything on the schedule and added a family gathering on Saturday for good measure. The highlight was the evening’s battle of the bands where my fourteen-year-old played bass and my eight-year-old took the drums. We sat in a loud auditorium packed with amps, drums and enthusiastic crowds, including several young kids and my mom, who was enthusiastically head-banging. It was also the same night as the time change, which added a layer of exhaustion to the experience. I won’t pretend to love daylight saving time—stealing an hour from the day never helps on a busy week.
With solar flares, extra kids, late-night music and a packed calendar, I leaned heavily on my freezer food bank. Pulled pork was the obvious go-to. One of my most popular recipes is my Cuban Pulled Pork, which tastes amazing and makes enough to feed a crowd or fill the freezer. For a long time I stuck with that recipe exclusively because it was so good, but expanding my pork shoulder repertoire only meant more delicious options—not less love for the Cuban version.
Pork shoulder is a busy cook’s best friend. It’s an economical, forgiving cut that needs very little hands-on time. For this Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork, the method is similar to my Cuban recipe: cook the roast in the slow cooker overnight, cool it so the fat congeals and can be removed, shred the meat, reduce the cooking juices and toss everything together. Instead of Cuban spices, this version uses cola, onions and chipotles in adobo for a slightly smoky, tangy sweetness. After shredding and saucing the pork, press portions into a super-hot skillet until the edges are crisp and caramelized—turning the shredded pork into crispy, succulent carnitas.
These carnitas are irresistible: slightly spicy, smoky and sweet, with crisp edges and juicy interiors. They work everywhere—tostadas, tacos, pizza—or piled over hot rice for Carnitas Rice Bowls, which is how we serve them here. Top the rice and crispy pork with salsa, cheese, avocado, sour cream, diced onion, cilantro and lime wedges for a quick, satisfying meal that pleases all ages.
Like my Cuban Pulled Pork, this cola-pulled pork yields plenty for a large family or several meals worth to keep in the freezer. With pre-cooked pork on hand, weeknight dinners are simplified and ready in minutes.
Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork and Carnitas Rice Bowls
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For the Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork:
- 3 large onions
- 6-9 pound bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt
- 2 small cans of chipotles in adobo
- 2 12 ounce bottles or cans of your preferred cola
- For Each Serving of Carnitas Rice Bowls:
- ½-3/4 cup slow-cooker cola pulled pork
- 1 teaspoon canola, peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 to 1 ½ cups hot cooked rice
Optional, but oh-so-tasty:
- salsa
- shredded pepper jack or Cheddar cheese
- Smoked Paprika and Chipotle Sauce
- sour cream
- sliced or diced avocado
- finely diced red onion
- chopped cilantro or parsley
- lime wedges
Instructions
Make the Slow-Cooker Cola Pulled Pork:
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Trim stem and root ends from the onions, halve them and remove the peels. Arrange the onion halves in the base of the slow cooker. Place the pork roast on top, fat side up. Pour the canned chipotles with their sauce over the pork, then add the cola. Cover and cook on LOW for 8–9 hours.
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Cool the slow-cooker insert completely until the fat solidifies on top. Skim and discard the fat. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and strain the remaining juices through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing to extract liquid. Bring the strained juices to a boil over medium-high and reduce until about one-quarter of the original volume.
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Shred the cooled pork with your hands or forks, removing excess fat. For smaller pieces, chop the shredded pork a couple of times with a large knife. Place the pork in a large bowl, pour the reduced pan juices over it and toss until evenly coated.
To Freeze for Later:
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Portion the pulled pork into zipper-top bags for individual meals, remove excess air, flatten the bags and freeze for up to 8 months.
To Serve from Fresh or Thawed:
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Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat and add the oil. Pile the pulled pork in the center and press it down with a spatula. Fry until the edges are brown and crisp, then flip and brown the other side.
To Assemble the Carnitas Rice Bowls:
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Spoon hot cooked rice into a bowl, top with the crispy pork and add any desired toppings such as salsa, cheese, avocado, onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use if needed.
did you make this recipe?
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