Prune Juice Chicken.....or pork

We all know that Dr. Pepper is really carbonated prune juice, right? Well, originally it may have been a little something like that, but over the years it's changed a bit. It's still my vice, though; I am a Dr. Pepper addict. If you've never cooked with it, you're missing out. It's especially good with pork or chicken, as white meats tend to soak up more of the sweet flavor and some pretty color.

This is a super easy dish, but it's not super quick. It's best in a slow cooker or roasted in a dutch oven in the oven or over a campfire. I've cooked it on the stovetop, too, but it tends to cook too quickly and just isn't the same.

There are so many variations and so many ways to serve them. If you use a pork roast, it can be shredded and used for pulled pork sandwiches with some BBQ sauce (my preference is Sweet Baby Ray's Raspberry Chipotle). If you use pork chops or chicken pieces (either thighs or breasts), you can top them with some BBQ sauce and dish them up with some potato salad and/or cole slaw, baked beans and biscuits. Any way you do it, the tasty and juicy meat just falls apart.

Dr. Pepper Chicken or Pork
Pork-butt (shoulder roast) or thick chops or loin roast
Chicken-boneless, skinless breasts or thighs or breasts (bone-in)
Dr. Pepper (depending on how much meat you are making, I'd use a 2-liter bottle so you make sure you have enough)
Pepper

Place meat in bottom of the pot, crock, or dutch oven, folding thin edges under to make uniform thickness. Season with pepper (don't really need salt, as the soda has enough), then cover with Dr. Pepper. Simmer low and slow until the juices are clear and the meat falls apart. The meat will soak up all the color. If you shred a pork roast after cooking, drain the fat off the leftover liquid then add some of the liquid back in with the meat to keep it moist.