Soaks and Cokes

There’s a wonderful tradition in the both the American Midwest and the South , where pulled pork sandwiches and Coca Cola are paired up.It’s called soaks and Cokes. You can have these two by themselves or with chips or cole slaw on the side. All in all they make for a great lunch, dinner or even snack.

Pulled pork is pretty easy to make. It’s just basically slow cooked pork shoulder or roast , well marinated and heated for sixteen hours . The fat is then drained off for a less greasier meat. A bottle of store bought barbecue sauce is added and usually an onion for more flavor. You can do the same with chicken in about twenty to thirty minutes. The barbecue sauce is then added and the whole thing is cooked up. Yet a true soak is made with pork for a more distinctive flavor and texture.

What kind of bread should you use? A true soak should have a soft hamburger bun so it can soak up the sauce hence the name. You can also use white bread however this can get too soggy and maybe too messy. Don’t use crusty rolls like the Kaiser roll or French bread. The bread shouldn’t be too chewy. Another no no is no toasting or buttering the roll. This interferes with the taste and the texture. Add a nice cold icy Coke and you’re done.

There’s nothing like a Coke and a soak for a good meal. Enjoy the two together and how they complement each other. There’s nothing like them for flavor and fun!