There aren’t many times you hear of a food recipe being inspired by a drink, especially one of this nature. What is this drink I speak of? The Southern classic combination of Coca-Cola and peanuts.
According to The National Peanut Board the drink was created sometime around the 1920’s when packaged shelled peanuts began showing up at filling stations where Coca-Cola was already being sold.
So how did I come up with the idea to put all of this together? Again in the South we are known for loving pork and we are also known to braise pork in cola or glaze or hams with it.
So this was a no-brainer for me. The peanuts came into play from the Southern cocktail mentioned above and from my love of Thai cuisine which often combine pork and peanuts.
More Wild Game and Fish Recipes
COLA BRAISED WILD BOAR TOASTED PEANUT GREMOLATA
Ingredients
For the Cola Braised Wild Pork
- 3 pounds boneless pork (shanks work great as well)
- A mixture of 2 parts Coca-Cola and 1 part water (example, 2 cups cola for every 1 cup of water).
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme,
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (any high smoke point cooking oil will work)
For the Toasted Peanut Gremolata
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup high quality peanut oil (if you can't find, use olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup toasted peanuts
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
STEP ONE: Start the pork
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degree F. In a deep sided skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Sear the pork on each side until nice and brown. Add enough of the 2 to 1 ratio cola/water mixture to cover the pork 3/4 of the way. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours or until for tender. Meanwhile start on the potatoes.
STEP THREE: Make the Toasted Peanut Gremolata
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse around 10 times. You don’t want a puree, you’re looking for a chunky mixture. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and mix to combine. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop all of the ingredients with a knife and mix together in a bowl.
STEP FOUR: Make the Glaze
- After your pork is tender remove it from the pan. Strain 2 cups of cooking liquid into a pot.
- Bring the strained liquid to a slow simmer and reduce by half. You’re looking for the consistency of maple syrup here. This should take around 20-30 minutes.
NOTES
- Brown the meat well first. Season the boar with salt and pepper, then sear it on all sides before adding the cola mixture so the roast starts with more depth.
- Cover only partway. Add enough of the 2-to-1 cola-and-water mixture to come about three-quarters of the way up the meat. That keeps it moist without washing out the flavor.
- Cook until fork-tender. Start checking around 1 1/2 hours and keep going until the shoulder gives easily when pierced.
- Keep the gremolata chunky. Pulse it just enough to chop everything together. Do not puree it.
- Reduce the cooking liquid fully. Strain out 2 cups of the braising liquid and simmer it until it reduces by half and looks about as thick as maple syrup.
- Use shanks if needed. Wild boar shanks work with the same method if that is what you have.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
