Pork, Potato and Plantain Toss with almond-cilantro pesto

When I saw this recipe in Clean Eating I thought it looked good, but I also knew it was definitely a hit or miss kind of recipe. It was either going to be really yummy or completely gross. And guess what? It was delicious! I absolutely loved it! The almond-cilantro pesto was SOOO good! So feel brave and give it a try :-).

Ingredients:
- 1 lb redskin potatoes, peeled and quartered (I never peel red potatoes)
- 1 1/4 lb yellow plantains, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick slices (I used 2 plantains)
- 1 1/2 t olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed
- 1 1/2 oz sliced raw unsalted almonds
- 1/2 t sea salt
- 3/4 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1/2-in thick medallions (I used loin chops)

Directions:
Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add plantains and cook for 5 more minutes, until potatoes and plantains are easily pierced with a knife.
Drain and let sit in colander for 1 minute to cool. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 t oil on med-low for 1 minute.
Add garlic and saute stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until softened and fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat.
Prepare pesto: In bowl of food processor, combine garlic, cilantro, almonds and salt. Process for 30 seconds, until cilantro and almonds are finely chopped.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1/2 t oil on medium for 1 minute. Add pork and cook, turning occasionally for 6 minutes, until opaque and cooked through. Transfer pork and pesto to potato-plantains bowl and toss to coat.

Makes four 1 1/2 cup servings...Calories 426, total fat 9g, carbs 67g, fiber 7g, sugars 23g, protein 24g, sodium 298mg, cholesterol 55mg

Cuban Style Pork

Can I just say that is one of my favorite food pictures?! I love it when a dish photographs so well, especially if it was tasty, because I know people are more likely to try it! This meal, which I saw on The Daily Dish, had been on menu for a few weeks and kept getting pushed off over and over again for one reason or another. I am so glad we finally made it though, Mike and I loved it! I bought a can of black beans with jalapenos and lime juice and the spiciness of those with the sweetness of the pork was a perfect combination!

Ingredients:
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, fat trimmed (I used pork loin chops)
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 orange, zest and juice, divided
- Juice of 2 limes, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup of water
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 lime, zested and cut into wedges, for garnish
- Optional: remaining orange zest, for garnish
- Optional: cilantro, for garnish

Method:
1. Use a fork to pierce the pork tenderloin (this will help in the marinating process), and then cut the tenderloin into two-inch chunks.
2. In a large ziploc bag or glass container, combine the pork chunks, onion, garlic, the juice and zest of half of the orange (set the other half aside for now), the lime juice, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and salt & pepper.
3. Once the bag or container is sealed, shake up the ingredients to mix them all together, and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. (Note: the longer you let the meat marinate, the more flavorful it will be).
4. In a large pot, heat the remaining tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.
5. Using tongs, transfer the pork (only!) to the pot. Leave the onions aside for now.
6. Cook the pork chunks for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until they turn golden brown.
7. Remove the browned pork from the pot and onto a plate.
8. Add the onions to the pot and cook for a few minutes, or until they start to lightly brown.
9. Then add the pork back into the pot and stir together with the onions.
10. Add 1/3 cup of water, the remaining juice of the orange, and another lime's juice to the pot and once it begins to bubble, cook the pork and onions covered for about 15 minutes.
11. Serve and garnish with orange and lime zest, lime wedges, and cilantro (optional).

Pork and Green Chile Stew - Crock Pot

You may have noticed I have not been posting as frequently here because it is my busy season with photography. Because of that we have been doing lots of old favorites, super simple stuff or take-out. I have still been trying to mix in a couple new things a week though, because I really do love to try new things, and I have been searching for healthy crock pot meals. Skinnytaste is always one of the first sites I visit and that is where I found this YUMMY stew. I absolutely loved the flavors! Definitely my favorite new recipe in a long time.

Ingredients:

2 lbs* boneless pork loin roast, lean, all fat trimmed off (I used the same amount pork loin chops)
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch)

3/4 cup diced onion
2 cans (4.25 oz each) whole green chiles, sliced into thick rounds (I used diced)
2 tbsp chopped jalapeño, or more to taste

10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies - Ro*Tel Mild
1/2 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste


Directions:
Cut pork into 2-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large non-stick skillet on high heat; when hot lightly spray the pan with oil and brown the pork over medium heat on all sides, about 3 - 4 minutes total. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour over pork and stir to cook 30 seconds, sprinkle remaining flour over pork and cook an additional 30 seconds.
Add browned pork to the crock pot, along with the remaining ingredients.
Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours (if using a Dutch oven, cook on low heat for 3-4 hours). When done, adjust season, salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Makes about 5 cups.

*Weight after all fat is trimmed.

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: little over 3/4 cup •  Points+: 6 pts Calories: 253 • Fat: 9 g • Carbs: 5.5 g • Fiber: 0.5 g • Protein: 33 g • Sugar: 1.5 g • Sodium: 836 mg (without salt)

Vietnamese Pork and Noodles with Ginger-Lime Sauce

This is another great recipe from the latest issue of Clean Eating. I love to make these kind of meals because they are perfect leftovers for lunches. I used gluten-free fettuccine noodles and added in some steamed broccoli...so good!

Ingredients:
8 oz. whole-wheat linguine (I used GF fettuccine)
2 t extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, cut in thin slices
1 lb. green cabbage, thinly sliced (I used a cole slaw mix bag and added some leftover purple cabbage I had in the fridge)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
2 oz. broccoli sprouts (these were all recalled at my grocery store, and I LOVE sprouts so I was really sad! I bet they add a lot)
1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 2 thick pork chops and cut in strips)
juice of 1 lime
2 t ground ginger
1/2 t sea salt
(I also added some dashes of curry powder)

Directions:
1. Bring large stockpot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions. Drain, return to pot and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp oil on medium for 1 minute. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add cabbage and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, until veggies soften. Add onion-cabbage mixture, carrots and broccoli sprouts to linguine and toss well.
3. Return skillet to medium heat. Add remaining 1 tsp oil and pork. Cook, stirring often, until largest piece is opaque in center (approx 7 min). Remove pork and add to linguine mixture; combine.
4. Return skillet to stove top and heat on medium -low. Add lime juice ginger, salt and 2 T water. Mix well to create a smooth sauce. Simmer for 1imnute, until thickened and slightly reduced. Add to linguine mixture and toss to coat. (I just put all the sauce ingredients right in with the rest of the stuff without mixing separately first and it turned out fine)


Serving size: 3 cups, Calories: 399, Total Fat: 6g, Sat Fat: 1g, Monounsat Fat: 2.5g, Polyunsat Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 59g, Fiber: 11g, Sugars: 8g, Protein: 33g, Sodium: 352 mg, Cholesterol: 74mg

Greek-Style Pork Chops

Not the best pictures (I'm ready for another time change so it doesn't get dark so early!), but it actually looked much better in person and it was really delicious!
This recipe came from Cooking Light is super low in calories, yet still full of flavor! The kids LOVED the pork and I LOVED the cucumber salad. We had leftover tzatziki sauce and just used that...perfect!

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops
* 3/4 cup plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1 1/2 cups diced plum tomatoes (about 2 medium)
* 1 cup diced seeded cucumber
* 1/2 cup diced red onion
* Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Combine 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, oregano, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and garlic in a zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag, and seal. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature, turning after 10 minutes. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, remaining 1 teaspoon oil, yogurt, 1 tablespoon dill, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk. Cover and chill. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Sprinkle tomato mixture with 1/8 teaspoon salt; toss to combine.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove pork from bag, and discard marinade. Sprinkle both sides of pork evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add pork to pan, and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove pork from pan, and let stand for 2 minutes. Place 3/4 cup tomato mixture on each of 4 plates, and top each serving with 1 pork chop and about 3 tablespoons yogurt mixture.

Oven Kalua Pork

I found this recipe on Delicious Dishes and made it with the intention of freezing half of the meat for a future meal...I love it when I can do that (it's so nice having meals on hand for busy weeks)! This pork was super easy to make and had a great, yummy flavor to it. I was wanting some sort of sauce with it though and would definitely figure out something next time for that. I think we will use the leftovers for pulled pork sandwiches! (and I'm sure you could do this in a crock pot if you wanted to leave it cooking for longer)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 small piece of fresh ginger root, crushed (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
1 clove garlic, minced
5 pound boneless pork roast
1 tsp. liquid wood smoke flavoring

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, salt, Worcestershire sauce, ginger and garlic. Mix well. Lay 3 sheets of aluminum foil out, one on top of another. Place roast in center of aluminum foil; rub with soy sauce mixture and sprinkle with liquid smoke. Fold all 3 sheets of aluminum foil over top of roast and secure tightly. Place wrapped meat in a baking pan. Roast at 375 for 5 hours. Shred the pork before serving.
** Recipe from the Lion House Entertaining Cookbook**

San Francisco Chops

 

We love any meal that is served on top of rice, so I was excited to try this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. The meat was so tender and I loved the subtle flavor. It was a hit with the whole family!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Hot Cooked Rice, for serving

Directions:
In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. (Mel says this is a MUST!) Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.
Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.

Chipotle Pork Chops with Spicy Side Salad

I was on the hunt for another pork chop recipe and thought this one from Tickle My Palate sounded awesome. It was SOOO good...a hit with the whole family! It wasn't hard to make and was a great combination of flavors. I made a wild rice mix to go with it and thought it was perfect. I ate the leftover side salad with chips like a salsa and it was delicious. Definitely give this one a try this summer!
Pork Chops marinade (I used 3 small ones) :
4 T olive oil (I'll just use 3T next time)
3T fresh lime juice
1T minced garlic
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chops with seeds and about a teaspoon adobo sauce
pepper to taste
(set aside some for side dish...I set aside almost 1/3 cup)

*Pour on meat. Ready to grill after marinated for an hour.

Spicy Side Salad:
1 ear grilled corn (I used 2)
1 can black beans drained
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes drained
1 diced avocado (use a big one, mine was small and I wished there was more)
marinade blend
chopped green onion
salt and pepper (to taste)
cilantro

Djion Pork Chops

I had a few more pork chops left from my last stock up and found this recipe to try on The Sister's Cafe, one of my favorite recipe blogs. They were easy and I liked the little tang in the gravy from the dijon mustard. My favorite part of the meal was the gravy over rice though :-). I also made some cauliflower poppers to go with them.

Ingredients:
4 1/2 inch thick butterfly pork chops
6-7 T. flour (I used cornstarch)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 c. butter
2 T. finely chopped green onion
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 c. cold water
2/3 c. dry white cooking wine
fresh chives to garnish

Directions:
Pound pork chops with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. (they said they had skipped this and I did too)
Combine 5 T. flour with pepper, seasoning salt, and poultry seasoning in shallow dish.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Dredge chops in flour mixture and then brown in melted butter on both sides. Remove chops from skillet and set aside.
Add green onion to skillet and cook until tender, about 1 minute.
Stir together wine and mustard. Add to skillet and stir to combine with meat juices.
Return chops to skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 8-10 minutes or until tender.
Remove chops to warm platter.
Combine water and 1 T. flour in a small bowl and mix well. Add to skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 1 minute.
Pour sauce over chops and garnish with chives before serving.

Cuban Pork Chops and Sofrito Mashed Potatoes

First, I haven't been getting dinner ready until about 6pm and it is already dark, which is making for some less than stellar pictures. I found this recipe on Favorite Family Recipes while searching for a new pork chop recipe to try. This offered a great change of flavors. I loved the combination of tangy meat and the yummy potatoes. I saved the rest of my rub mix too because I think it would be great on some grilled chicken to throw in a salad. There was a lot of prep work chopping in this one, but your hard work is rewarded :-).


Ingredients:
1 cup plus 1/4 cup orange juice, divided
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
1/4 cup vinegar
4 (1-inch-thick) pork chops
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 Tbsp. chicken broth
1 Roma tomato, chopped, for garnish
1/2 avocado, sliced, for garnish

Directions:
In a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, combine 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup lime juice, and vinegar. Add pork and let it sit and marinate for about 1 hour in refrigerator.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all dried spices. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and rub with the dry spice mixture.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Place the pork chops in the pan and sear on 1 side until brown. Flip over and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue to cook until garlic begins to brown. Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, and broth. Simmer until the liquid is slightly reduced and begins to thicken. The chops should be cooked through.

Remove the chops from pan and put on a warm plate. Continue to reduce juices in pan by half. Pour over the chops and serve immediately.

Garnish with tomatoes and avocado.


Sofrito Mashed Postates:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons salt
2 pounds potatoes (recommended: Yukon gold)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 ounces tomato sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons salt
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:
Fill a large pot with water, salt and potatoes and bring to boil. Cook until fork tender.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. When oil is hot add onions and peppers and saute for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown. Lower the heat and add tomato paste and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and let thicken.

Add tomato sauce and bring to simmer for 5 minutes. Then stir in butter and cream and set aside, covered to keep warm.

When potatoes are fork tender, drain water and mash slowly adding the sofrito mixture. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with cilantro.

Crock Pot Chops and Gravy

I am really wishing I stocked up on more pork chops when they were on sale. I had never really cooked with them much before but I have found so many great recipes in all different varieties of flavors. This recipe comes from Real Mom Kitchen and definitely satisfied my craving for good ol' home cookin'. The chops tear apart easily after being cooked in the slow cooker so it was like a roast...a tasty delicious roast, with lots of mushrooms on the side for me :-)!

Ingredients:
4 lean pork chops
4 T soy sauce
1/2 C sliced mushrooms (I added much more than this, maybe 1 1/2 c. and thought it was a good amount once they cooked down)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 can cream of mushroom soup (I used 98% FF)
1 medium onion, sliced or diced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp parsley (I used fresh and used 2 t)

Directions:
Place pork chops in crock pot. Lay onion slices over pork chops.
Mix the rest of ingredients in a bowl and pour over pork chops.
Cook on low in crock pot for 5-6 hours
I followed her tip below...
Note: After baking I remove the chops and strain the gravy. This way I have a smooth gravy and I reserve the onions (and mushrooms if you use them) for those who like them to put them on their chops.

Feta Pork Chop Skillet

Trying all these new recipes out has me getting brave enough to buy meat other than chicken and ground beef. I saw this recipe on The Sister's Cafe and thought it looked really good. I love adding new flavors to our menus and this one was a huge hit. Ella ate all her meat and even asked for more!

Ingredients:
1 t crushed dried rosemary
1 t dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch black pepper
1 T olive oil
4 pork chops (I used 3)
¼ c fresh lemon juice
2 oz (or more) crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes (I used 4 oz)
1-2 yellow summer squash or zucchini, remove seeds and slice (I have never removed seeds from them so I didn't...I used 3 zucchini and 2 squash because I love them, but I did have to take the meat out at the end so I had more room for them all to finish cooking)

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together rosemary, basil, garlic, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip pork chops in lemon juice, and spread both sides with herb mixture.
Place pork chops in skillet, drizzle with some of remaining lemon juice, and sear both sides, about 7 minutes per side.
After a few minutes, add sliced squash to edges of pan. Reduce heat to low.
Sprinkle feta on top of chops; cover skillet, and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes.
(We served over rice)

Alisa's Mexican Pulled Pork

This meat was SO good!!! Thanks to Alisa for making it for us and for sending me the recipe below so I can try it on my own sometime. I LOVED it!!!

Ingredients & Directions:
- 1 Pork Loin
*You can find these at HEB already marinated or you can buy just the plain ones
*This usually goes on sale every couple of months and can be easily stored raw in the freezer for quite a while
- Put the pork loin on your oven broiler tray and broil for 20-40 mins at 400 degrees until browned (The longer you cook it in the over the quicker it will cook in the crock pot, but the crock pot makes the meat tender).
- Slice into the meat in several places. Put browned meat into the crock pot and add tomato sauce until covered (if you like your meat extra saucy add more).
- Add onions, garlic, adobo seasoning (Goya makes a good one), chili powder, salsa, and cumin all according to your tastes. You could also just add a can of canned enchilada sauce or tomato sauce and a packet of taco seasoning.
- Let the meat cook for several hours (at least 4 or 5, but you can leave it in on low all day long) Stir and check fluid levels every couple of hours.
- Slice and tear with fork when tender. You know the meat is completely done when it shreds easily with a fork.
- Meat can be used for tacos, enchiladas, nachos or anything else Mexican. I usually make more than we need. I freeze half it and then keep the rest for various Mexican meals through out thought the week.

BBQ Spare Ribs (Freezer Meal)

I am admittedly not the biggest ribs fan - it seems like an awful lot of work to eat a small amount of meat...but that is the part of the beauty of the freezer meal swap...you get things you don't typically make and Mike was in heaven. The sauce had a great flavor and Ella requested that I make this again because she "LOVES this meat!"

Ingredients:
Boneless Pork Spareribs
1 c ketchup
2 c water
1/4 c worcestershire sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1 t salt
1 t celery salt
1 t chili powder
1/4 c brown sugar

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients and boil for 3 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. Place ribs in freezer bag and pour 2 cup of sauce over ribs. Lay
flat to freeze
3. To serve, thaw and bake at 350° for 1 hour (or 300°-325° for 2-3 hours)
. Baste ribs while baking.

Meema's Pork Chops

I was starving and quickly cut up my meat to start eating before I remembered I wanted to save this recipe, so this is Mike's man-sized portion :-). Mike's mom made these for us our second night home from the hospital and they were delicious...and easy to make too. Pork chops are a fun change in our house since I don't prepare them very often and the girls ate every bite!

(she doubled this and used a family size can of creamed soup)
Ingredients:
-4 thin cut pork chops
-Pappy's seasoning (it's an all-purpose barbecue seasoning but something similar would work just as well...this is where most of the flavor comes from so be sure it's something you like)
-1 can cream of chicken soup (and some water)

Directions:-Sprinkle both sides of meat slices generously with seasoning and brown in some oil.
-Pour cream of chicken over the top (add water until it is a gravy consistency) and let simmer until meat is cooked through.
-Serve over rice.

Taquitos

Tonight I made Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken and was planning on using it to make tacos, but then I decided to try making some home made taquitos instead...and they were delicious (although less healthy!)!

Ingredients:
-shredded chicken, beef or pork
-shredded cheese
-tortillas of choice (I used corn to be gluten free but I'm sure flour would be easier to work with)
-oil for frying!

Directions:
-Heat enough oil in pan to cover tortillas when rolled up.
-Place a small amount of cheese down center of tortilla, then top with some of your meat mixture (to make my corn tortillas easier to work with I place 3 in a paper towel, wrap them up and heat in microwave for 30 seconds).
-Tightly roll up tortilla and place 1 or 2 toothpicks in to hold in place.
-Place in hot oil until they turn golden brown.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad...Freefam Recipe

We just arrived home from visiting Mike's fam in San Antonio. One thing I always look forward to while there is their nearly perfect replica of the Cafe Rio Pork Salad. Through much trial and error they have altered the recipe many times trying to get it just right. I wasn't sure I should post it after all their hard work, but Chrissy posted it awhile back, so I'm assuming I'm safe :-). If you have never enjoyed the real thing you will still find the salad delicious and if you have, and miss it like I do, you will be in heaven!

Without further adieu...
For the Pork:
Buy the cheapest 4 lb pork roast you can find, cut in half and sprinkle with garlic salt, salt and pepper and fry it to brown it. Put it in a crock-pot (or regular baking pan) with 1 cup of brown sugar, 2 cup of Coca Cola (regular), and 1 cup of Salsa. Roast until the pork pulls apart easily and is tender.
(last successful ratios tired: 5 lb roast, 3 c Coke, 1 1/2 c brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups Salsa)

For the Dressing:(this stuff is SOOO good, I could drink it :-), well maybe not, but it is great to dip chips in too)
2 cups Mayo
2 cups of Sour Cream
10 sprigs of cilantro
3 tomatillos
2 green onions
2 clove garlic
2 jalapeno peppers
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 t salt
Blend all ingredients together...best to let them sit over night!

I used this Cilantro Lime Rice recipe and this Garlic Black Beans recipe the last time and thought it was even better!

To Assemble:
Flour Tortilla (using uncooked ones that you heat yourself is best)
Cheese
Black Beans
Rice
Pork
Lettuce
Dressing
Dallop of Guac and some chips on the side