Salad- Cafe Rio Style

I know there are a million copy cat recipes out there for Cafe Rio Salads. I think I've tried them all. This is one of my favorites because it is so easy to prepare. The meat cooks in the crock pot and the rice and beans are all in one mix. The meat is sweet and spicy and it makes for a great combination with the crisp lettuce, cool dressing and crunchy tortilla strips. They also make delicious leftovers for burritos, tacos or nachos.

I know we're in the minority here but my husband and I prefer the chicken salads so sometimes I grill up some chicken instead using this recipe for Garlic Lemon Chicken . Either way, it's a delicious way to enjoy the taste of take out at home.

Cafe Rio Pork

Ruth Miller

1 boneless pork roast (I usually get a 3 lb roast)

1 pkg. Mc Cormick Grill Mates Southwest Marinade

1 1/2 c. water

1/2 c. vinegar

2 Tbsp. oil

1/4 -3/4 c. brown sugar (I use 1/2 c.)

Put roast in crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over roast. Cook on low for 4-6 hours (depending on your crock pot). After meat is cooked shred and put back in marinade.

To make the salad you also will need:

1 package Zatarain's New Orleans style Black Beans & Rice, prepared according to package directions.

Romaine Lettuce, chopped

Large Flour tortillas (I usually get the uncooked ones from Costco)
Fried tortilla corn strips

Cheddar Cheese

Dressing

Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Dressing

from Prudence Pennywise

1/2 cup mayonnaise or whole milk yogurt

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup tomatillo salsa, such as Herdez

1 fat clove garlic, minced2 teaspoons sugar

juice of one lime

1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems

Process all ingredients in the blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until thickened, about 1 hour