Cafe Rio at Home

My cousin Liesel let me in on the secret recipes for Cafe Rio goodness in the comfort of your own home. :) My five year old has reverted to his old picky self lately and won't go near anything with "little green things" in it. But my three year old ate this up.

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork Barbacoa

Pork Roast
*Cook pork in crock pot on low for 5-6 hours. Drain water and fat; then shred pork. Return to crock pot and add:
2 cups sugar (I think 1 is plenty.)
1 can Coke
1 pint fresh salsa (Bottled salsa works.)

*Cook an additional 2-3 hours. Serve in warm tortillas with cheese, beans (I like black), cilantro lime rice and tomatillo & cilantro dressing.  Or make as a salad with tortilla on bottom and lettuce and other toppings piled on top.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
*Heat oil, add rice stirring to coat; add broth and salt and bring to boil. Cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. (Mine was done in only about 10 minutes.) Then add:
Grated rind and juice from one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves (I used about 2 Tbsp dried cilantro.)

Tomatillo and Cilantro Dressing

1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cilantro leaves
3 tomatillos (remove husk cover, core and cut in half)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
*Put everything in blender and blend until smooth. If you refrigerate it for a while it will thicken.