It's not the carbonation, it's the flavor(& sweetness). Coke has citrus & vanilla, among other things, I believe.

One of my daughters won her middle school science fair an experiment for "What the Dew can Do To You". She immersed strips of pig stomach in various soft drinks (Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sprite, etc.) and distilled water. All remained intact except for the Coke sample, which was nearly dissolved. I do not remember the scientific reason but it reinforced my practice of marinating less tender cuts of venison in Coca Cola.

Note: Pig stomach is closest in composition to that of the human stomach. It's available fresh at the butcher stalls at our farmers' markets because it is often stuffed with potatoes, onions, and sausage and baked.

Possibly the citric acid content in many sodas acts as a tenderizer? I know it's awfully bad for tooth enamel...

It's the sugar that breaks down the connective tissue that makes the brisket recipe work, and may be what helped the stew as well. Plus the flavor, of course. I use caffeine free when I make the brisket because it's less bitter (I've made other "time approved" recipes, but what everyone loves is the Coke and Heinz chili sauce one, and I aim to please...). Part of the origin of that recipe is that in the early 20th C., most packaged foods weren't kosher, but coke was. Anything that was kosher and could add some zing was tried in one way or another. Many recipes for tougher cuts have a large sugar component. It works with other sodas, but Ruthanna's daughter's experiment may point us to why people generally use Coke. :) Anyway, what's good for braising a brisket is sure to be good for a stew. :)

I often use ginger ale or seven up in cooking, for the flavorings. I am trying to stick to sugar sweetened soda beverages, and only have them as a treat. I do a gingerale marinated pork loin roast a la Emeril Lagasse, that is very good.

Folks, many thanks to all of you for the interesting inputs......

plllog,

I never expect the recipe has something to do with Kosher...learn something new every day.

Ruthanna,

Result from your daughter's science project is interesting...marinating tough cut in Coke sounds great, do you add entire can to other ingredients?

I recall that decades ago, people would put raw bacon into a glass of Coca Cola and watch it disintegrate. That's probably what's wrong with my stomach now. LOL

I'm going to give cooking with it a try!

I always have a bottle of Coke in my shower...I rinse my hair with it as it makes hair appear smoother, shinier, and brings out the curls.

I have heard of slow cooking a beef roast in root beer.

Pork shoulder slow cooked in a crock pot or dutch oven with a can of root beer and a sliced onion...best, and easiest pulled pork ever!