The Unexpected Liquid That's Perfect For Braising Pork

Whether you enjoy it piping hot or iced, coffee is more than a beverage; it's an incredibly versatile ingredient. Coffee tastes amazing when used to flavor baked goods or as an elevated topping on ice cream. You can even use coffee to keep your fridge smelling fresh. Here's another use for coffee you may not have thought of: to braise pork.

Food Republic spoke to Scott Baptie, Sunday Times bestselling recipe book author, to learn more about this. He says the deep, roasted flavor of the coffee helps bring out the rich, savory taste of the pork "while adding just a hint of bitterness to balance the fat." If braising your meat with coffee sounds completely random, it's not. Baptie says, "The natural acidity in coffee also helps break down tough fibers of the meat, which can make it even more tender and delicious."

The trick to mastering braising with coffee is knowing the correct flavor profile. When using coffee as a braise, Baptie notes that "it's best to pair it with smoky, sweet, or earthy ingredients like molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, or cumin."

You'll also want to cook your pork low and slow. A steady low temperature and moist environment help break down the meat's collagen and connective tissues, converting them to gelatin and making the pork much more tender. Additionally, Baptie says, "Using a slow cooker or crockpot to cook the pork in a mixture of coffee, stock, and aromatics like garlic and onion also allows the flavors to blend really well."

Slow-cooked, coffee-braised pork tastes fantastic when paired with your favorite veggies and a side of creamy mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, or a classic macaroni and cheese recipe. It's also wonderful atop a steaming bowl of jasmine rice with a side of Vietnamese-style pickled veggies or kimchi. You can enjoy coffee-braised pork as a taco filling, a pulled pork sandwich, or even pulled pork nachos. Either way, you'll enjoy deliciously tender pork with a rich flavor thanks to that genius coffee braising.