If you've ever stayed with us at Hancock Manor, you've probably been force-fed Cafe Rio. And it probably changed your life. For those of you not in-the-know, Cafe Rio is a local Tex-Mex(ish) chain. People who have lived in Texas say it's not Tex-Mex but I'm pretty sure that's what most people, including this Canuck, label it as. I digress. We are BIG fans of Cafe Rio and have been known to eat there once a week for several years. It's delicious. And obviously addictive. And it's been known to cause a vegan to eat meat! (gasp)
Now that we're on a more slender budget, eating out so frequently is part of our past. Eating in is so 2013 anyway. On Sunday I decided I had a hankering for Cafe Rio's pork salad, which is like manna from heaven. It's sweet pork over a bed of fluffy cilantro lime rice and your choice of black or pinto beans. Then it's topped with romaine, pico, guac, cotija, cilantro, and tortilla strips. But the cornerstone to this salad is the creamy tomatillo dressing. Once, they forgot to include the dressing in our to-go order and it made for a rough night. I think Big C put his fist through the wall and I might have called the Mayor and left a nasty voicemail.
So, on Sunday, I looked up recipes I had used before plus other recipes I had not, but were popular on the interwebs, and I decided to create my own, which are spin-offs and modifications of what's already out there. I'm not going to claim the salad tasted "just like Cafe Rio's" because it didn't. But I will say that Big C said his salad was better than Cafe Rio's. So there you go. Whatevs.
Cafe Rio Pork
Ingredients:
4 lb pork body part (I think most recipes call for a shoulder, butt or picnic something-or-other but I used a boneless tenderloin--not the long skinny kind...this one had both white and dark meat)
1.5 can of Coke DIVIDED (I used Dr. Pepper since I had it on hand. I will definitely use Coke next time as the DP flavoured it a little too much. Oh, and don't you DARE use Diet. That's crazy talk and I will never talk to you ever again)
1.5 c. brown sugar DIVIDED (meaning, read the recipe through before you venture down the wrong path)
1 c. salsa
10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce.
1/2 tsp each of cumin and garlic powder
Directions:
Put the pork in a smaller crockpot. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of Coke with the salsa and 3/4 c. brown sugar. Pour over pork. Cook on high for 3-5 hours. Because this pork was on the smaller side, I checked it at 4 hours and found it to be done. Shred .
In another small bowl, mix the remaining Coke and brown sugar with enchilada sauce, cumin and garlic powder. If you like it with a little heat, add some heat. I was feeding three kids 3 and under so I kept it on the mild side. Mix this sauce in with the shredded pork and place back in the crockpot on high for 15-30 minutes. Make sure you check it after 15 as you don't want to dry it out. You're simply trying to marry the sauce to the pork and keep it warm.
Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
3 tbsp. butter
1.5 cup of parboiled long grain rice (I use Uncle Ben's converted rice)
1 tsp. each of cumin and garlic powder
3 cups of chicken broth
1 lime, juiced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 c. green enchilada sauce (I doubt you'll find this ingredient in any other recipes for "Cafe Rio" rice. I only added this because I watched them add this to the rice when I was at Cafe Rio the last time)
Directions:
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion and saute until soft and beginning to brown slightly. Add spices and mix with onion. Cook for 1 minute to release flavour. Add rice and saute, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes until rice takes on a golden hue. Add the chicken broth and stir. Crank the heat up to high until it starts boiling. Place a lid on the pot, turn the temperature down to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not take the lid off. After 20 minutes, check to see if the broth has been absorbed. If not, put the lid back on and cook for another couple of minutes, or however long is needed. Fluff with a fork and add the enchilada sauce. Fluff again.
Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
Ingredients:
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch powdered salad dressing
1 c. buttermilk (I make my own by adding 1-2 tsp. of white vinegar to the milk, stirring, and letting it sit and get thick for about 5 minutes)
1 c. mayo
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tomatillo, peeled and quartered
1 jalapeno (I remove almost all of the seeds)
2-3 garlic cloves
Directions:
Place ingredients in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Store in fridge until ready to use. Allow at least one hour for flavours to mix and mingle and for the dressing to thicken up a bit. You're welcome.
Assembling the salad:
Place 1 large warm flour tortilla in a bowl. I actually buy Cafe Rio's tortillas because they are...there are no words to describe them. No words. But if you can't get them, just use your favourite flour tortilla. At Cafe Rio, they melt a little bit of cheddar cheese in the middle. Place warmed black or pinto beans on the bottom. Top with a couple of scoops of rice. Then throw that fabulous pork over top. Top with chopped romaine lettuce. Add a scoop of pico (I made the Pioneer Woman's pico), a scoop of guacamole (I was lazy and bought a local brand called Rico's), crispy corn tortilla strips, a couple sprigs of cilantro, and some cotija (I forgot to add this and it didn't make a difference to the deliciousness of the salad). Finally, dump that dressing all over the salad and dive in!
If any one of my 3 readers makes this, let me know what you think. I have tough-skin, so feel free to tell me it bites if it does. I'll just think you're a crazy person with poor taste.
And now for some photos of my Cafe Rio lovin' kids because I didn't take a photo of the salad. And yes, my daughter appears to have orange hair, but she does not...because I dye it blonde.


