Cilantro Lime Rice

This rice is so yummy with Cafe Rio style sweet pork tacos. I don't make it every time we have them, but I miss it when I don't. It's super easy, so if you have the ingredients, whip some up and enjoy on your tacos or as a side. 

1 cup white rice

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add rice. Cover and cook until done (about 14 minutes). Add in lime juice and cilantro. Stir to incorporate and fluff with fork. That's all there is to it! Enjoy :)

Cafe Rio inspired Green Sauce

I love this green sauce on Cafe Rio style sweet pork tacos. It's just the perfect finishing touch. I started with a recipe for Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing by Our Best Bites, but I've altered a few of the amounts and ingredients over time. This makes more than you need for a batch of the sweet pork, but I've learned that it actually freezes really well! Yay!! Then the next time you're craving sweet pork tacos, you don't have to make a new batch of sauce. :) 

1 pack (1 oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (honestly, I just use Aldi brand)
ignore directions on packet 
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup buttermilk or milk (I almost always use milk)
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro (or more!)
1/4 cup green salsa* (I often double this one!)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend it up really well. That's it. 

*I've used various types of green salsa. I've even made my own. Just look for one that has tomatillos as the main ingredient and isn't too hot (a little kick is fine). 

Cafe Rio Style Sweet Pork

We love Cafe Rio. There are a few restaurants we try to fit in every time we travel out west and Cafe Rio is definitely on that list. Their sweet pork tacos are especially delish when you add their yummy green sauce and some cilantro lime rice. I know it looks like a lot of work, but it's really not hard and we almost always have plenty of leftovers so I can freeze some for later or just enjoy sweet pork tacos for lunch the rest of the week. I found this recipe on a blog called The Recipe Society and it's a keeper for sure!

Put a 3-6 lb. pork roast in the crock pot and cover halfway up with water. Cook it overnight*. Discard water. Shred.

When the pork is shredded, combine:

12 ounces of salsa
1 can caffeine-free coke
2 cups brown sugar

Pour over the shredded pork in the crock pot and continue to cook for another 3-4 hours. 

Eat on a tortilla with cilantro lime rice (or just plain rice), black beans, cheese, lettuce, yummy green sauce, and/or whatever you like on your tacos. 

*The problem with cooking this overnight is that the pork is ready pretty early in the day. So sometimes I start the pork at 6 or 7am and cook it initially for 6-8 hours. Add on the extra 3-4 hours with the additional ingredients and you should be able to eat dinner by 6pm.