Cafe Rio Gluten-Free Pork Salad Recipe with Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
No ranch packet, Coke or brown sugar .. Just good, healthy and simple ingredients. Make Cafe Rio at home.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 300 minutes
- Total Time: 345 minutes
- Yield: 14 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Clean Eating
Scale
Ingredients
For the sweet pork:
- 3 1/2 Lbs Pork Loin Roast
- 28 oz Diced Tomatoes
- 2 in Chipotle Chilis (from canned chipotle chilis adobo sauce any unused portion can be frozen) (for Clean Eating sub 2–3 diced jalapeños)
- 1 Tbl Coarse Real Salt *
- 1 Tbl Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup *
- 1/3 Cup Honey
- 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar *
For the Tomatillo Ranch Dressing:
- 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
- 3/4 Cup Mayo
- 2 Small Tomatillos (quartered)
- 1 Clove Garlic
- Juice of 1/2 a Lime
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro
- 1/2 Tbl Dill, fresh (packed)
- 2 Tbl Parsley, fresh (packed)
- 1/2 tsp Real Salt *
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/8 tsp Ground Mustard
For the Salad:
- 8 Large Tortillas (for the Clean Eating diet use whole wheat, spelt or einkorn) (for the gluten-free diet, use gluten-free, corn or omit)
- 4 Cup Cooked Rice, Cilantro lime rice would be a great option (for the Clean Eating diet use brown rice)
- 2–3 Cup Cooked Pinto beans or black beans
- 14 Cups Chopped Romaine Lettuce
- 1 Cup Pico de Gallo, to top (diced tomato, onion, cilantro)
- Cotija Cheese (crumbled, to top)
- Sour Cream, (to top)
- Guacamole, (to top)
- Tortilla chips or Tortilla Strips, to top (Corn tortillas sliced and fried in oil)
Instructions
To make the pork:
- If Pork Loin is very large, cut into two or three pieces.
- Place the pork loin in a crock pot and turn on to high heat. Place all other ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth.
- Pour over the pork in the crock pot and cook for 5-6 hours, or until tender and shreds easily with a fork. Shred and toss well in sauce. Keep warm until ready to serve.
To make the dressing:
- Place the buttermilk, mayo, tomatillos, garlic, and lime juice in a blender.
- Puree until very smooth. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and puree just until the herbs are finely chopped.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To assemble salads:
- Place a tortilla on a plate or in a bowl.
- Place desired amount of sweet pork on the tortilla.
- Top the pork with with a scoop of rice and beans. Top rice and beans with desired amount of lettuce. Garnish with a scoop of pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, a handful of tortilla strips and crumbled cotija cheese.
- Top with tomatillo ranch dressing.
Keywords: pork roast, tomatoes, buttermilk, cilantro, Cafe Rio Pork Salad
Find it online: https://www.mynaturalfamily.com/sweet-pork-cafe-rio-gluten-free/