cafe rio

I made this a long time ago one time when rachel/tyler came over for dinner. I'm making it tomorrow for aaron's parents. it is delicous. if only there were a cafe rio or costa vida out here...


Café Rio Sweet Pork Salads
1 recipe CR sweet pork (below)
1 recipe lime cilantro ranch (below)
1 head romaine lettuce
diced tomatoes
monterrey jack cheese (shredded)
beans, rice
tortilla chips or baked tortilla strips
guacamole


Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
3-5 lb Pork Loin Roast
1 1⁄2 cans Coke
1 c. turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
7oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce –provides a lot of heat - I didn't use
1 tsp dry ground mustard (heaping)
1 tsp cumin (heaping)
2 tsp minced garlic
chile powder

(I didn't do this because I was lazy... but the recipe said: Place the contents of the can of chilies in a bowl and cover with soda to get as much of the adobo sauce off the chilies. Remove the chilies and throw them away, or if you want the meat to be hotter, leave one or two chilies in. Add all ingredients except pork in a blender. Rinse can of adobo sauce with soda to get all the sauce out. Blend in blender until well mixed.) Place pork in crock pot and pour sauce (all other ingredients) over it. Cook for (4-6 on high or) 7-9 hours on low. Carefully turn roast over halfway through. Cook in sauce until it pulls apart/shreds easily. Take pork out and shred. Then add sauce to your liking.


Lime-Cilantro Ranch
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing mix (I used "simply organic" brand)
1 c. mayo
1 c. buttermilk (I use the powdered kind)
1⁄2 bunch cilantro
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
(2 tomatillos) - didn't have/didn't use... but I have them now!!
cholula sauce to taste (or 1⁄2 serrano peppers with seeds removed)

Blend in food processor or blender, store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Dressing continues to get hotter when it is stored in the fridge. It's best if you make this ahead of time to let the flavors meld together; will keep about 2weeks in fridge.