Simple Pork Adobo gets a sweet, savory, tangy twist with Mexican Coca Cola, tender Pork Shoulder, and a sauce worth chasing around the plate with your last spoonful of Rice. This is Dad's Filipino inspired version, built around easy ingredients and two ways to get the Pork tender.
Wild Fork sponsored the accompanying recipe video, and their Boneless Country Style Pork Shoulder Ribs make this an easy place to start. Add Frozen Crushed Garlic and Cilantro Lime Rice, and dinner starts looking pretty good. There is no overnight marinade here. We are building flavor in the pan, cooking the Pork until tender, and giving the sauce the attention it deserves.
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Simple Pork Adobo with Mexican Coke
Equipment
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Paper Towels (For Drying)
- 1 Stainless Steel Skillet
- 1 Lid
- 1 Pressure Cooker (Optional)
Ingredients
Pork and Sauce
- 2.5 LB Wild Fork Boneless Country-Style Pork Shoulder Ribs Cut into roughly 1 inch chunks
- About 2 tablespoon Neutral Cooking Oil
- 1.25 C Mexican Coca-Cola
- ⅔ C Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce
- ⅔ C Unseasoned Rice Vinegar
- 3 Cubes Wild Fork Frozen Crushed Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- As Needed Water For the Stovetop method only
- Up To 3 tablespoon Additional Rice Vinegar Optional; add to taste
To Serve
- Wild Fork Frozen Cilantro-Lime Rice To serve; prepare according to package directions
Instructions
Prep and Brown
- Cut the Pork into roughly 1 inch chunks and pat dry with Paper Towels. Leave unseasoned before searing.2.5 LB Wild Fork Boneless Country-Style Pork Shoulder Ribs
- Heat a Stainless Steel Skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add Oil shortly before the Pork and sear in uncrowded batches until golden brown. Remove the Pork.2.5 LB Wild Fork Boneless Country-Style Pork Shoulder Ribs, About 2 TBSP Neutral Cooking Oil
- Check the pan. Deglaze nicely browned fond with a splash of the measured Coke. If Oil or fond is burnt, discard it and wipe the pan clean instead.1.25 C Mexican Coca-Cola
- Add the remaining Coke, Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Frozen Crushed Garlic, and Whole Black Peppercorns. Return the Pork to the sauce.2.5 LB Wild Fork Boneless Country-Style Pork Shoulder Ribs, 1.25 C Mexican Coca-Cola, ⅔ C Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce, ⅔ C Unseasoned Rice Vinegar, 3 Cubes Wild Fork Frozen Crushed Garlic, 1 TSP Whole Black Peppercorns
Choose One Cooking Method
- Stovetop: Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with the Lid slightly ajar and cook approximately 1 to 2 hours, until fork tender. Check periodically and add a splash of Water only if needed to prevent the sauce drying out.2.5 LB Wild Fork Boneless Country-Style Pork Shoulder Ribs, As Needed Water
- Pressure Cooker: Transfer the browned Pork and all sauce ingredients to a Pressure Cooker. Cook on HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. Allow about 7 minutes of natural release, then release the remaining pressure according to the cooker instructions. Check tenderness. Time to reach pressure is additional.2.5 LB Wild Fork Boneless Country-Style Pork Shoulder Ribs, 1.25 C Mexican Coca-Cola, ⅔ C Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce, ⅔ C Unseasoned Rice Vinegar, 3 Cubes Wild Fork Frozen Crushed Garlic, 1 TSP Whole Black Peppercorns
Finish and Serve
- Remove the tender Pork. Transfer the sauce to a wide Skillet, or uncover the Stovetop pan, and boil to reduce until slightly thicker and still spoonable.
- Taste the sauce. If desired, add Additional Rice Vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time for more tang, up to 3 TBSP. Return the Pork to the sauce.2.5 LB Wild Fork Boneless Country-Style Pork Shoulder Ribs, Up To 3 TBSP Additional Rice Vinegar
- Prepare Cilantro-Lime Rice according to package directions. Spoon the Pork and sauce over the Rice and serve.Wild Fork Frozen Cilantro-Lime Rice
Video
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!Why Mexican Coke Works in Simple Pork Adobo
Mexican Coca Cola brings sweetness to a sauce that also has Less Sodium Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Garlic, and Whole Black Peppercorns. The goal is a balance of sweet, salty, and tangy. You should be able to taste those parts together without one taking over the whole plate. Think dinner, with a soda involved.
This version uses Mexican Coke sweetened with Cane Sugar. Meanwhile, Unseasoned Rice Vinegar gives the sauce a milder vinegar character than the Philippine Cane Vinegar Dad usually uses. Those choices are part of this particular spin on adobo. You still get the Soy Sauce, Garlic, and Vinegar combination, with a little extra personality from the Coke.
The Pork Matters More Than the Name on the Package
For this recipe, use Boneless Country Style Pork Shoulder Ribs. Despite the name, these are strips of Pork Shoulder. Cut them into roughly 1 inch chunks so the pieces are easy to brown and serve over Rice. The name says ribs; the cutting board says we have work to do.
Before the Pork goes into the pan, dry the surface well with Paper Towels. A dry exterior helps you build that golden crust. Also, leave the Pork unseasoned before searing. There is no added Salt, Ground Pepper, or Garlic Powder on the meat in this recipe. The braising sauce brings the seasoning.
How to Build Flavor in Simple Pork Adobo
A Stainless Steel Skillet or High Sided Pan gives you room to brown the Pork and build the sauce. Heat it over medium to medium high heat, then add about 2 tablespoon Neutral Cooking Oil shortly before adding the meat. Work in uncrowded batches. Give the Pork room to make contact with the hot pan instead of packing every piece into one round.
After browning, take a look at what is left behind. Nicely browned bits can be loosened with a splash of the measured Coke. However, burnt Oil or blackened bits are a different story. Pour those out and wipe the pan clean before making the sauce. Good browning adds flavor; a scorched pan is not a seasoning shortcut.
Choose Your Route to Tender Pork
The Stovetop method is a gentle simmer with the Lid slightly ajar. Plan on approximately 1 to 2 hours, and let tenderness decide when the Pork is ready. Check the liquid during the cook and add a splash of Water if necessary. You want a braise that keeps going, rather than a pan that quietly cooks itself dry.
For the Pressure Cooker route, transfer the browned Pork and all the sauce ingredients to the cooker. Cook on HIGH pressure for 20 minutes, then allow about 7 minutes of natural release before releasing the remaining pressure. That is the cooking and release timing used here. Time for the cooker to reach pressure is additional, so keep that in mind when planning dinner.
The Sauce Is Where You Finish the Job
Tender Pork is only part of the payoff. Once it is cooked, remove it while you boil and reduce the sauce in a wide Skillet. This lets you concentrate the liquid without continuing to cook the already tender meat through the whole reduction. Look for a sauce that is richer and slightly thicker, while still easy to spoon over Rice.
Then taste it. If the sweetness needs more tang alongside it, add extra Rice Vinegar a tablespoon at a time. Dad added 3 extra tablespoon to reach the balance he wanted. You may like the starting balance, so taste before adding the full optional amount. Once it tastes right to you, return the Pork to the sauce and get ready to serve.
What to Serve with It
Cilantro Lime Rice makes an easy base for the Pork and all that sauce. Prepare it according to the package directions, then spoon the Pork and sauce generously over the top. The Rice is part of the eating experience here, so give it something good to soak up.
If you want something to snack on while dinner cooks, Wild Fork's Korean Kimchi Pork Potstickers and Chicken and Vegetable Potstickers are the two options featured alongside this dish. They are separate from the adobo recipe. Keep the main plate focused on tender Pork, flavorful Rice, and that sweet, salty, tangy sauce. That combination has plenty going for it already.
Ingredient and Equipment Links:
Wild Fork sponsored the accompanying recipe video.
- Boneless Country Style Pork Shoulder Ribs
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Frozen Crushed Garlic
- Korean Kimchi Pork Potstickers
- Chicken and Vegetable Potstickers
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