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Cafe Rio Gluten-Free Pork Salad Recipe with Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Healthy Pulled Pork Salad

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

No ranch packet, Coke or brown sugar .. Just good, healthy and simple ingredients. Make Cafe Rio at home.

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:

  1. If Pork Loin is very large, cut into two or three pieces.
  2. 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.
  3. 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:

  1. Place the buttermilk, mayo, tomatillos, garlic, and lime juice in a blender.
  2. Puree until very smooth. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and puree just until the herbs are finely chopped.
  3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To assemble salads:

  1. Place a tortilla on a plate or in a bowl.
  2. Place desired amount of sweet pork on the tortilla.
  3. 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.
  4. Top with tomatillo ranch dressing.

Keywords: Good, Healthy, Simple

Find it online: https://www.mynaturalfamily.com/sweet-pork-cafe-rio-gluten-free/