Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

July 2015
Kellie Marzetta 

CAFE RIO'S SWEET PORK SALAD RECIPE

Serves 4-6

If you love the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad, try it at home! This recipe is easier than it looks. It tastes just like you ordered it from Cafe Rio.

45 min

Prep Time 

4 hr, 30

Cook Time

5 hr, 15

Total Time

Ingredients

• 6 large Tortillas 
• Shredded cheese, Mexican blend
• Cafe Rio Rice (recipe below)
• Cafe Rio Black Beans (recipe below)
• Cafe Rio Sweet Pork (recipe below)
• Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)
• Diced tomato, onion, and cilantro (pico de gallo)
• Guacamole (recipe below) 
• Sour cream
• Tortilla Strips 
• Cotija cheese, crumbled (or you can use Parmesan)
• Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch (recipe below)

Instructions

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). 
•  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 (or Cotija cheese if you want to be more authentic), and top with a few cilantro leaves. 
• Serve with the cilantro ranch and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads
• OUR VERSION OF CAFE RIO’S CILANTRO LIME RICE AND BLACK BEANS 

  Ingredients
  For the Rice:
  • 1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
  For the Black Beans:
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/3 c. tomato juice
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
  Instructions
  For the Rice:
  • In 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.
  For the Black Beans:
  • 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.
  • OUR VERSION OF CAFE RIO’S SWEET PORK
  • Ingredients 
  • • 2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
    • 3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
    • 1/4 c. brown sugar
    • dash garlic salt
    • 1/4 c. water
    • 1 can diced green chilies
    • 3/4 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
    • 1 c. brown sugar
    Instructions
    • Put 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) or on low for 8 hours. 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 crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!
    • THE BEST GUACAMOLE 

      Ingredients
      • 3 avocados
      • Red onion, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
      • 2 cloves garlic, minced
      • 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
      • 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or to taste)
      • 1 large ripe garden tomato (or 2 smaller tomatoes), diced
      • juice of 1 lime
      • 4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce
      • Kosher salt, to taste
      • Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
      Instructions
      • Pit avocados and mash in a bowl. If you like your guac kind of chunky (that's how we like it), coarsely chop with the side of a fork instead of using the fork to mash it straight down. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. That's it!
      • OUR VERSION OF CAFE RIO’S CILANTRO RANCH DRESSING

        Ingredients
        • 1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
        • 1 c. mayonnaise
        • 1 c. buttermilk
        • 2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
        • 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
        • 1 clove garlic
        • juice of 1 lime
        • 1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)
        Instructions
        • Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!