Cafe Rio Pork Salad

I found this on someone else's blog. I LOVE Cafe Rio, so I might try it out one day, I must say that it looks like ALOT of work!

Erica's Complete Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad (Copycat Recipe)
Jared and I LOVE Cafe Rio. We have tried and tried to duplicate the Cafe Rio pork salad.. and tonight.. we nailed it! It was DELICIOUS!! We have tried different sweet pork recipes but something seemed to be missing from each one.. so we combined a few and made our own! I promise, we are VERY VERY picky about our Cafe Rio pork and this tasted EXACTLY like it. We also played around with the rice, the beans, and the ranch. At dinner tonight, we felt like we were having Cafe Rio take-out. However, we liked our recipe even BETTER!!! Don't believe us? Try it out for yourself and you will see!It really is easier than it looks. It only took me about an hour to make (after the pork was in the crock pot). The rice and beans are SUPER easy, you definitely want the beans and rice to get the whole experience! Also, be generous with the cilantro! Try it and let me know what you think! I KNOW you won't be disappointed!!6 large Tortillas (click HERE)Shredded cheese, Mexican blendCafe Rio Rice (click HERE)Cafe Rio Black Beans (click HERE)Cafe Rio Sweet Pork (click HERE)Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)Diced tomato, onion, and cilantro (pico de gallo)Guacamole (click HERE)Sour creamTortilla Strips (click HERE)Cotija cheese, crumbled (or you can use Parmesan)Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch (click HERE)OR ***NEW*** Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (click HERE)Here is how we put it all together:

First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)(scroll down to see the rice, beans, pork, and ranch recipes all together...)SWEET PORK:2 pounds pork (we like to use boneless pork ribs)3 cans Coke (NOT diet)1/4 c. brown sugardash garlic salt1/4 c. water1 can sliced green chilies3/4 can RED enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)1 c. brown sugarPut the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of 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.In 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. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:1 c. uncooked rice1 tsp. butter or margarine2 cloves garlic, minced1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice1 can (15 oz) chicken broth1 cup water1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice2 tsp. sugar3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantroIn a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, 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:2 Tbsp. olive oil2 cloves garlic, minced1 tsp. ground cumin1 can black beans, rinsed and drained1 1/3 c. tomato juice1 1/2 tsp. salt2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantroIn 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. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")CILANTRO RANCH:1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)1 c. mayonnaise1 c. buttermilk2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro1 clove garlicjuice of 1 lime1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!
Posted by Jared & Erica at 3:07 PM
Labels: Copycat Recipes, Crock Pot, Main Dish, Mexican, Pork, Salad