Costa Vida Sweet Pork Recipe
This Costa Vida Sweet Pork recipe tastes just like the restaurant but made easy in the slow cooker. I've tested this recipe several time out on family and friends to crack the special recipe for the sweet pork at both Costa Vida and Cafe Rio restaurants. With just 6 simple ingredients and 15 minutes prep time, you can have a delicious taco takeout night at home.
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 201kcal
Ingredients
- 7-9 pound bone-in pork shoulder butt roast
- 2 cups water
- 20 ounces root beer or diet root beer
- 15 ounces red enchilada sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar or brown sugar substitute
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper.
- To the Crockpot, add water and the pork. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 5-6 or until pork easily shreds with a fork.
- Once it’s done, transfer the pork to a cutting board to cool. Carefully pour the broth from the Crockpot into a container to cool and store for another dinner.
- Separate the pork from the fat and bone and tear into medium pieces. Discard the bone and fat.
- In a medium bowl or directly in the Crockpot, whisk together root beer, enchilada sauce, molasses, salt, pepper, cumin, brown sugar or Swerve, and garlic powder.
- Combine the sauce and pork in the Crockpot. Cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Use the sweet pork as desired. See notes for delicious recipe ideas.
Video
Notes
Tips for Recipe Success
- Excess Pork Pro Tip: With only 2 folks in our home, we reserve some of the plain cooked pork for other dishes like my Not Your College Ramen and barbecue pulled pork sandwiches.
- Enchiladas (as shown in video): Lightly cover the bottom of a baking dish with enchilada sauce. Fill each 6-inch tortilla with ¼-1/2 cup shredded pork and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place enchiladas in the baking dish. Cover with a thin layer of enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Bake at 400°F 8-10 minutes.
- Sweetness Adjustment Options: You can start with a cup of brown sugar then add more to taste, if desired. You can also use brown sugar substitute instead of brown sugar and diet soda versus regular.
- Choose the Right Cut: Opt for pork shoulder or pork butt. Boneless pork ribs can work as well. Pork tenderloin or pork loin doesn't have the fat content to yield as tender of a result.
- Trim Excess Fat: While pork shoulder and pork butt have good marbling, trim any excess fat while leaving a thin layer for flavor. This helps prevent the dish from becoming overly greasy.
- Slow-Cooking is Key: Slow-cook the marinated pork until it's fork-tender. This can take 6-8 hours on low heat in a slow cooker. The low and slow method allows the flavors to meld, and the meat to become tender.
- Adjust Seasonings to Taste: Taste the marinade with the pork, and adjust the seasonings as needed. Some seasoning additions you might consider are chili powder, paprika, chili peppers in adobo sauce, and chicken broth instead of water,
- Soda Options: Root beer can be substituted with Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Dr Pepper, or Diet Dr. Pepper.
Nutrition
Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg
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