My southern aunt showed me this genius trick for the most tender barbecue you will ever eat. You only need 3 ingredients for this sticky sweet melt in your mouth dinner.

This slow cooker 3-ingredient cherry cola pulled pork is straight out of my Southern aunt’s playbook—a clever, almost suspiciously simple trick for getting fall-apart tender barbecue with almost no effort. The secret is using cherry cola to gently braise a well-marbled pork shoulder all day, then finishing it with your favorite thick, smoky-sweet barbecue sauce. The cola’s sugar and acidity help break down the meat while adding that sticky, glossy finish you see in old-school Southern church suppers and backyard cookouts. It’s the kind of recipe you make when you want maximum comfort and flavor with minimal shopping and prep.

Pile the cherry cola pulled pork onto soft brioche or potato buns with a spoonful of extra sauce and some crunchy coleslaw on top. It’s also excellent over creamy mashed potatoes, cheese grits, or a baked sweet potato to soak up all the juices. Add simple sides like pickles, cornbread, and a vinegar-based slaw or green beans to balance the sweetness. For a casual gathering, keep it in the slow cooker on warm and let everyone build their own sandwiches or loaded bowls.

Servings: 8

4 to 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), excess fat trimmed

Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and trim any very thick, hard pieces of exterior fat, leaving a moderate layer for flavor and moisture.

Place the pork shoulder into the slow cooker, fat side up, so the melting fat can baste the meat as it cooks.

Pour the cherry cola evenly over the pork, lifting the meat slightly with a fork or tongs so the liquid runs underneath and around it. The pork should be mostly surrounded by liquid but not fully submerged.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is extremely tender and shreds easily with a fork. It should almost fall apart when you try to lift it.

Once the pork is tender, use tongs to transfer it to a large bowl, leaving the cooking liquid in the slow cooker. Use two forks to shred the pork into bite-size strands, discarding any large pockets of fat.

Carefully ladle off and discard most of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker, leaving about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the richly flavored juices in the bottom.

Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and sprinkle it over the remaining juices so everything is lightly moistened.

Pour the barbecue sauce over the shredded pork and gently toss with tongs or two forks until every strand is coated in a glossy, sticky layer of sauce. Add a little more sauce if you prefer it extra saucy.

Cover and cook the sauced pulled pork on LOW for another 20 to 30 minutes, just until it’s steaming hot and the sauce has thickened slightly and clings to the meat.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed by adding a touch more barbecue sauce for sweetness and smokiness. Serve the cherry cola pulled pork straight from the slow cooker while hot and meltingly tender.

For a slightly less sweet version, use a cherry-flavored sparkling water mixed with 2 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar instead of full-strength cherry cola; you’ll keep the tenderizing effect with a gentler sweetness. If you prefer a bit of heat, choose a spicy barbecue sauce or stir in a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce when you add the barbecue sauce to the shredded pork. You can also swap pork shoulder for a similarly sized pork butt with the bone in; just remove the bone when shredding. Leftovers freeze very well—cool completely, portion into freezer bags, and reheat gently with a splash of water or extra barbecue sauce. For serving, this pulled pork is just as good tucked into tortillas for quick tacos, spooned over nachos with cheese and pickled jalapeños, or layered into a baked potato bar for an easy crowd-pleasing dinner.