Coca-Cola Braised Pork Sholder

After talking to a friend about her Coca-Cola Beef Ribs, I decided that I'd try something similar. We were having friends over, and I love to try new recipe's on our guests. This one was a huge hit with both our friends as well as the boys. Oh- and the leftover pulled pork sandwiches were almost equally delicious!

This recipe requires you to reduce the liquid, cook and reduce again. My husband (who's talents lie in cleaning the pots, not making them dirty) asked while eating this meal "Why on earth would you take so much time to boil off all the liquid? Why can't you just use it like it is? He got to taste the answer - I took the sauce (which you'll see is delicious), added water back into it, and handed him a spoon to taste. It tasted like weak soup, and had barely the same flavor. So this was my answer-

I do it, cause it just tastes better.

Coca-Cola Braised Pork Shoulder

Serves 6, with leftovers
Executive chef Ben de Vries from Luella in SF, makes a very similar dish. I've taken his recipe and modified it slightly.

INGREDIENTS
Pork shoulder
4 - 5 lbs boneless pork shoulder
sea salt
pepper
1/8 cup olive oil
3 cans of Coca-Cola room temperature (don't use diet coke)
3 tbs of chicken bouillon (I suggest using "Better than Bouillon")*  


Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil on high in a dutch oven, or a high sided oven-safe pan.When hot, add the seasoned pork shoulder (fat side down to start), and then sear until entire shoulder is golden brown on all sides. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

Add 1 can of Coca-Cola to dutch oven and de-glaze the pan, begin to reduce. Bring to a boil. Add 3 Tbs of chicken bouillon, use a good bouillon not the cubes otherwise it will be really salty and lacking flavor.Add the 2 other cans of Coke, by adding one, letting it reduce and then adding the other, letting it reduce.


Preheat the oven to 450° When there's about 2 cups of liquid in the pan, return meat to pan (fat side down) and bring to a boil for about 10 mins. Flip the meat over in the pan so that the fat side is up, cover and bake for about an hour and half, or until the meat falls apart easily. Remove from oven, and remove the meat from the dutch oven, set aside covered.
Return pan to stove, and reduce until sauce is think and syrupy.  



White bean puree
2 cans of white beans rinsed
2 tbs Olive oil
2 tbs water
Sear salt and ground pepper


Drain the beans and puree in a food processor until smooth, adding enough olive oil and water until the beans have a mashed potato-like consistency; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into a microwave safe bowl, cover and warm for 2 mins.



Pickled red onions
1 large red onion (about 12 oz), sliced lengthwise about 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar


Combine the onions, vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool. Adjust flavor with more vinegar or sugar as desired, then refrigerate until chilled. (The onions can be made up to a week ahead.)

To serve: Spoon warm white bean puree onto a plate; top with pork and drizzle with sauce. Drain the onions and garnish the pork.

LEFTOVERS:
Pulled pork sandwiches
Pork from night before
whole wheat bread
spicy brown mustard
pickled red onions
white aged cheddar cheese


Heat leftover pork in a medium skillet with any leftover sauce, pull chunks apart as the pork begins to warm up and slightly fry. Toast whole grain bread, and assemble sandwich with cheddar cheese on the bottom slice of bread, add warmed pulled pork to cheese side of bread, top with cheese, pickled onions, mustard and the other bread.

... it's soo good!