The Secret To Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pulled Pork Is A Can Of This Classic Soda

There are several ways to cook a pork roast for pulled pork, including smoking, slow-roasting, or even grilling. But the easiest method is probably placing it in a slow-cooker where you add the ingredients and let the appliance do all the work for you. Some would argue, though, that this cooking method doesn't give you as much flavor as, say, smoking does. But, it turns out, just one ingredient added to your pork shoulder in the slow cooker can turn out wonderfully tender and moist results. Just pour some root beer over your pork, turn your cooker on, and call it done.

The sugar, acid, and carbonation in root beer work together to break down some of the tougher meat fibers in pork, essentially tenderizing the meat. The sweet and spicy vanilla and sassafras flavors (the latter of which actually isn't in root beer anymore) complement the flavor of pork but remain subtle enough not to overpower. In fact, you can mix the pork with any sweet or vinegar-based barbecue sauce once it's shredded, and it will taste great. And, because the pork is cooking in liquid, the meat will retain plenty of moisture. When the meat is done cooking, drain away the cooking liquid. Serve your sauced pulled pork on sandwich rolls with crunchy slaw, pickles, or pickled hot peppers if you like a little spice.

You don't need to limit your soda-spiked pulled pork to just root beer. Cola and cherry cola, Dr. Pepper, or any dark, boldly flavored soda should give you the same tender results, with slightly different residual flavors. Dr. Pepper and cherry cola will impart a slight dark cherry flavor, while plain cola will give you more of a caramel taste. Another great option is sparkling apple cider, which brings together the classic pairing of pork and apples in an unconventional way.

We all know how well pulled pork leftovers transition into different dishes, so be sure to make extra of your root beer-infused, slow-cooked pork. One tasty idea is to make pulled pork egg rolls. Take an egg roll wrapper and fill it with pulled pork, slaw, and some grated cheese. Roll it up and fry until golden, then serve with barbecue sauce on the side. Instead of pulled pork nachos, try pulled pork tostadas. On a fried, flat corn tortilla shell, pile on some pork, slaw, Monterey Jack cheese, avocados, and Mexican crema, an ingredient that the most authentic Mexican restaurants will serve instead of sour cream.

If you've never had pulled pork in an omelet, it might be time to give it a try. Plus, it allows you to indulge in this barbecue favorite for breakfast. And for a twist on classic Cuban sandwiches, which are typically made with slices of roast pork, try making them with pulled root beer pork. The other ingredients, like ham, mustard, Swiss cheese, and pickles, will enhance the flavor beautifully.