Cacoila Sandwich (Portuguese Pulled Pork)

This Cacoila Sandwich consists of slow-cooked pork butt marinated in a dry rub. It’s cooked in a white wine and orange juice until fork tender. This Portuguese pulled pork sandwich is one of my favorites.

Note: Original images were replaced, and step-by-step photos were added on October 19, 2022.

Hi everyone! What I am sharing with you today is one of my top ten favorite foods. Cacoila sandwich was my introduction to Portuguese cuisine. I was addicted to this delectable amalgamation of slow-roasted pork and spices the very first time I had it. It reminds me of the pulled pork sandwiches I had as a child in Vietnam. 

I had my first Cacoila sandwich in college and fell in love. It’s a simple sandwich consisting of Cacoila, a Portuguese pulled pork, in a roll or bun. It’s simple, but the flavor is incredible! If you try this, you will understand why this savory, aromatic, salty, tender, juicy, slow-cooked pork ranks as one of my personal favorite dishes.

My recipe is an adaptation of one I found by Richard Methia. I have made it a couple of times before, making adjustments along the way. As with any other slow-cooked meat, the optimal cut to use for cacoila is one with a lot of marbling and fat. I use a boneless pork butt, as Richard recommended. 

One notable deviation from his recipe is the marinating process. I marinaded the pork in a dry rub overnight—the original recipe did not. Another adaption I made was lowering the oven temperature to 250° F instead of the recommended 325° F. I find that I get tender and more consistent results cooking meat at a lower temperature.

In the past, the only time I could enjoy these sandwiches was when I visited my favorite Portuguese take-out restaurant 90 miles away. I would only have it a couple of times a year. Now that I have very closely replicated the recipe, I should be able to enjoy cacoila whenever I want! 

Recipe Highlights:

• Trim some excess fat off pork. Cut pork into about 1.5-inch chunks.
• Combine dry rub ingredients.
• Place pork chunks into a large zip-lock bag. Add dry rub. Massage to work rub into pork.
• Then refrigerate overnight.

• Preheat oven to 250° F.
• Combine wine, orange juice, red wine vinegar, and salt in a bowl.
• Place pork into a Dutch oven. 
• Add the liquid mixture and a bay leaf.
• Bake for 3 1/2 hours or until fork tender.
• Remove pork and shred using two forks. 
• Skim fat off the dripping/marinade. Return the pork back to the Dutch oven.
• Serve on Portuguese rolls or bulky rolls.
• See the recipe card for more details and slow cooker instructions.

View the how-to video or save for later with this Pinterest Pin.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• This enameled cast iron Dutch oven is perfect for slow-cooking the pork. I love taking it straight from the oven to the table.
• A slow cooker can also be used. This is a 4-quart capacity and is programmable.
• These jumbo-size storage bags are convenient for marinating, and cleanup is a non-issue!
• This fat separator makes skimming fat easy. It comes in handy when you don’t want to skim fat the old-fashioned way.

UPDATE: I provided a link to Richard Methia’s site when this post was originally published. Unfortunately, the link no longer exists, and I have since removed it. But I want to thank Richard for inspiring this recipe.

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Cacoila Sandwich (Portuguese Pulled Pork)

Author: Thao | In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Slow Cooked, Oven Baked/Roasted Cuisine:Portuguese Courses:Main Dish Recipe Keys: High Protein O Oven Baked/Roasted

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time:3 hours 30 minutesRest time:8 hours Total time:11 hours 45 minutesServings:6 Serving

Description

This Cacoila Sandwich consists of slow-cooked pork butt marinated in a dry rub. It’s cooked in a white wine and orange juice until fork tender. This Portuguese pulled pork sandwich is one of my favorites.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. boneless pork butt
• 1 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. salt, divided
• 1 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp. thyme or oregano (either one works well)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 cup white wine (I use Casal Garcia Vinho Verde)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 bulky rolls or buns

Instructions

1. Trim some excess fat off pork. Don’t take too much off—it is needed for flavoring. Cut into 1.5-inch cubes. Combine all the dry rub ingredients (use only 1 1/2 tsp. salt) in a small bowl. Place pork into a jumbo zip-lock bag. Add dry rub and massage into pork. Refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
3. Combine wine, orange juice, red wine vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Place pork into a Dutch oven. Pour liquid into the Dutch oven. Tuck in a bay leaf. Cover and bake for about 3.5 hours or until fork tender.
4. Remove pork from oven. Shred using two forks. Skim the layer of fat off the pork dripping/marinade. Return the pork to the Dutch oven.
5. To cook in a crockpot: instead of placing everything in a Dutch oven, place it in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6- 8 hours or until fork tender.
6. Serve sub rolls or bulky rolls.

Keywords:Slow Cooked Pork, Pulled Pork, Slow Roasted, Cacoila Sandwich, Portuguese pulled pork

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