Cafe Rio Sweet Pulled Pork Salad or Tacos

Have y'all ever been to Cafe Rio and had their sweet pork salad? If you have, this recipe is pretty spot on, if you haven't well then it's your lucky day because this rocks as dinner. I got this recipe from an old friend from Portland. She has a recipe blog (click here) that I LOVE. I love these recipes and I just get hungry every time I think about them. I love all of the fresh flavors and combinations you get and it can be thrown together as a salad or as a taco. So here it is in all of the different levels. I am going to put the recipes in the order you would assemble your salad if you want to go that route.

Shredded Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. pork*

Marinade:

about 2 1/4 c. (or 1 1/2 cans) Pepsi (not diet, but we were good since I'm pregnant and bought caffeine free and it works just as well)

1/4 c. brown sugar

To cook the pork:

2/3 c. (or 1/2 can) Pepsi

garlic salt

1/4 c. water

Sauce:

2/3 c. (or 1/2 can) Pepsi

1 can diced green chiles

3/4 can enchilada sauce

3/4 c. brown sugar

*I read that you should NOT use a pork roast for this recipe. The pork should be a more fatty cut. We used boneless pork shoulder ribs, but I also heard that pork butt works well.

Directions:

Place pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag and add 2 1/4 c. Pepsi and 1/4 c. brown sugar. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight (I chose overnight). Remove pork from the bag and place in slow cooker. Discard the marinade. Pour water and 2/3 c. Pepsi over the pork. Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste. Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or on low for 8 hours) until pork can be easily shredded. Remove pork and shred (try doing this in your kitchen aid with the dough hook, make sure you don't over shred though). Empty excess liquid from the slow cooker and place shredded pork back in it. Prepare sauce by mixing 2/3 c. Pepsi, enchilada sauce, green chiles, and 3/4 c. brown sugar in a blender until sauce is smooth. If it seems too thick, add more Pepsi (mine was not too thick). Pour sauce over shredded pork and cook on low for 2 more hours.

Cilantro Lime Rice (Cafe Rio)

Ingredients:

2 c. uncooked rice - I used instant and it worked great :)

1/2 T. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. fresh lime juice

1 can chicken broth (14 oz)

1 T. fresh lime juice

3 T. fresh chopped cilantro

2 t. sugar

If needed: water

Add chicken broth, garlic, 1 t. lime juice, and butter. Boil and then add the rice. Once the rice is done cooking, combine the remaining lime juice with the cilantro and sugar. Pour over the cooked rice and fluff it to combine.

Black Beans (Cafe Rio)

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 1/3 c. tomato juice

1 1/2 t. salt

2 T. fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cumin and stir for a minute or two (until the garlic becomes aromatic). Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Stir frequently until heated through. Add cilantro just before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon to drain off excess tomato juice.

Creamy Tomatillo Sauce (Cafe Rio)

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (TRADITIONAL not buttermilk)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. buttermilk

2 tomatillos, husks removed, diced

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

juice from 1 lime

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix under sauce is smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 onion, diced 

1 1/2 T. fresh chopped cilantro

1/4 jalapeno, seeded, diced 

juice from 1/4 lime

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinch garlic powder

1 pinch cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and refrigerate until needed (at least three hours according to the recipe, but it was still good after 1 1/2). Feel free to taste and add spices as desired.

To assemble your salad you first put down a tortilla, sprinkle on some shredded chedder cheese, add your meat, add your rice and beans, add your romaine salad, add your Pinco de Gallo, Pour on your Dressing, and then sprinkle on your tortilla chip strips(i used Frito's) and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese. When it is all done, it looks like this...

A big thank you to Jennifer Peterson for putting this on her blog. I believe she got it from Favorite Family Recipe.