Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

If you enjoy Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salads as much as my family, you need to try this recipe.  It tastes just like Cafe Rio salads.  However, it is not a recipe you can make in 30 minutes or less so be prepared to spend some time.  If you have the time, it is worth the effort.

SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 cup brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 cup water

1 can diced green chilies

1 can (14 ounces) enchilada sauce (Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)

1 cup brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade.  Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 cup brown sugar.  Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry).  Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot.  Shred pork.

If a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste).  If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours.

2nd Sweet Pork Recipe (Choose the one you like best)
Night Before:
3 1/2 to 4 pounds Pork Roast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Mix together and rub on pork roast.  Put in crock-pot on low.  Cook all night.

Next morning, add:
1 can Coke or Dr. Pepper
1 cu chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped

Keep cooking all day in crock pot on ow.

About an hour before serving, shred roast and add1 cup brown sugar

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 cup uncooked rice

1 teaspoon butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 ounces) chicken broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a sauce pan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 teaspoon time juice, chicken broth and water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.  Remove from heat.  In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro.  Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

1 can (14 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1-1/3 cup tomato juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it.  Add beans, tomato juice, and salt.  Continually stir until heated through.  Just before serving stir in the cilantro.  (I added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili power,  it was excellent!)

PICA DE GALLO

5 Roma tomatoes (firm not soft)

1/2 large or 1 small onion

3 jalapeno peppers

1 bunch cilantro

lime juice

salt

These quantities are approximate; you might need to increase or decrease the numbers, depending on the size of the vegetables you find.

Begin by cutting the ends off the jalapenos and chopping them into a small dice.  Put them in a bow, seeds and all.  Dice the tomatoes and add them to the bowl.  Stir together.  Dice the onions and add them to the mixture and stir.  Chop up a nice-size bunch of cilantro.  You can cut off the long stems before you start, but there-s no need to peel the leaves from the stems.  Chop until it is relatively fine,but not minced.  Put into the bowl with the other ingredients.  Squeeze half of a small lime into the bow.  Add salt to taste.  Stir together.

GUACAMOLE

3 ripe avocados

Pico de Gallo  (see above recipe)

1/2 lime

Start with buttery-soft avocados.  Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits.  Scrape the meat onto a large plate using a fork.  Be sure to leave it relatively chunky.  Add salt to taste.  Put a generous helping of the Pico de Gallo you just made over the top.  Don't skim;\p; the guacamole should be chunky.  Fold together.  Squeeze half of a small lime over the top.  Fold together until it is all mixed.  You may want to add a little more Pico de Gallo if the guacamole isn't chunky enough for you.  (I also leave the pits in the guacamole so it doesn't turn brown.)

CILANTRO RANCH DRESSING

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch Mix (not Buttermilk)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup buttermilk

2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno (I left the seeds in, but if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender.

PUT THE SALAD TOGETHER AND ENJOY!

First of all, buy aluminum deep-dish pans.  Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then shredded lettuce, scoop of guacamole and Pico de Gallo.  Add some crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with cilantro ranch dressing.   Enjoy!