If you think about American cuisine, one of the first things that comes to mind is a burger with a Coca-Cola on the side. Whether at a fast-food chain or a backyard barbecue, the combo always seems to work well together. But there's a surprising way to make it even better.

According to Taste of Home, instead of enjoying the burger and coke separately, you can mix the soda directly into the burger meat before cooking it. This may seem shocking, but as with pulled-pork, another dish that can benefit from this trick, the results speak for themselves.

The soda is basically a way to add sugar to the recipe in a way that creates a distinct caramelization that you can’t get from regular granulated sugar. And because the sugar is in the soda is not as concentrated, it's easier to achieve a sweet and savory balance.