One thing I really miss from living out West is Cafe Rio. My favorite menu items there were the steak salad and pork barbacoa salad. Last night for dinner I made a copycat version of their pork barbacoa salad.
For the pork, add a pork roast (maybe 3 to 4 lbs, cut in half) to a crockpot, along with a can of Dr Pepper, some red pepper flakes, cumin, fresh minced garlic, minced onion, brown sugar and some tomatillo salsa (green "verde" salsa). Cook all day on low. Drain meat, discarding any grease and reserving some of the jus. Add meat back to crockpot and shred with a fork. Add some or all of the jus back to the crockpot to moisten the meat well, and mix in more brown sugar (maybe 1/2 cup or so depending on how sweet you like it), along with more tomatillo salsa and more seasonings if desired.
For the rice, cook white rice according to directions. Let cool slightly. I used brown rice and it tasted just fine to me. Toss rice with lime juice, freshly minced cilantro, and salt to taste. Someday I might try adding some lime zest also.
Assemble salad by melting some shredded cheese on a tortilla. Place tortilla in a medium bowl. Add rice and beans (I don't like beans so I always leave them out), top with pork, romaine lettuce, pico de gallo or salsa of your choice, a scoop of guacamole, cojita cheese, and fried corn tortilla strips (I use crushed nacho chips as it tastes the same and is easier than making the fried tortilla strips). Add lime wedge and a few sprigs of cilantro (I added more diced cilantro rather than the sprigs).
Serve with creamy tomatillo dressing of which there are many versions. Lately I don't measure anything and just make the ranch (either buttermilk or regular), add cilantro, diced jalapeno with some seeds, fresh minced garlic, dash of cayenne, dash of green Tabasco, 1-2 t of tomatillo salsa, and lime juice and blend well.
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