Mexican Pot Roast

This is an easy and versatile recipe for a pork roast. Use any cut you like; my favorite is boneless pork shoulder. The spice mixture is adequate for about a 3 lb. roast. Increase or decrease the amount used, as you wish. I have made this for lots of family meals and lots of guests and it is one of those that everyone enjoys.

In the fall, I like to serve it with roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash and brown rice, but any roasted root veg is great with it as well as black beans or other legumes. Leftovers go well on a tortilla with grilled onions and bell peppers. I've also used the leftovers for green chile and pork enchiladas.

Ingredients:

3 lb (approximate) pork roast

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 3 cloves garlic, minced and added to pot with onions

1/4 tsp. ground red (cayenne) pepper. Omit or adjust, depending on spice level you prefer

3 tsp. ground cumin

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup regular cola (I know!)

Mix all the powdered spices together and rub into the pork.

Place onion and fresh garlic (if using) into the pot. Place meat on top of onions.

Pour the chicken broth and cola in crock pot and cover.

Cook 6 hours on medium heat. Remove when meat is tender and place on a platter to rest.

Juices can be strained and thickened for a sauce if desired. Simply boil them down in a pot on the stove top or made a slurry using 2 tablespoons each corn starch and water and stir into juices to thicken over medium heat in a saucepan.

Slice and serve or shred and use in tacos or barbecue sandwiches with plenty of sauce. If you plan to shred you can cook it until it falls apart. I like to slice it the first night and use the leftovers in tacos or BBQ sandwiches another night.