Today’s recipe is one of my favorite ways to use Cafe Rio Sweet Pork.
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad is what I usually order when I get a chance to eat at Cafe Rio. Love, love, love it! Since I can’t my Cafe Rio fix whenever I want, making Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad is a good alternative!
The base of the salad is a flour tortilla. Cafe Rio makes them on site, right in front of you! My favorite tortillas to use are the ones you buy uncooked and then cook them up at home. Almost like fresh made! Cafe Rio also melts some cheese on the tortilla but I decided to save myself a few calories and left it off.
Cafe Rio serves their salads in an aluminum foil cake pan so I picked some up at the Dollar Store so it look more authentic!
Next comes a layer of black beans.
The next layer is Lime Cilantro Rice.
And then a layer of the sweet pork.
Then top it off with some lettuce and cheese. I like the cotija cheese but Monterey Jack would be good too. A sprig of cilantro on top makes a nice touch.
And then finally – top it off with Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing. It is a combination of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix, mayo, buttermilk, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, lime and jalapeno. Tomatillos can be found in the fresh produce section, in my store they are near the peppers (jalapeno, etc.) They look like a green tomato with a paper skin over them. Be sure and remove the papery skin before using
Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing ‘s delicious and creamy.
So next time you get a Cafe Rio craving – make it yourself at home. And if you won’t get a Cafe Rio craving because you’ve never had Cafe Rio before – make this salad!
Enjoy!
Leigh Anne
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- 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Mix Traditional
- 1 C mayonnaise
- 1 C buttermilk
- 2 to matillos remove husk, diced
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 jalapeno
- Put all ingredients together in the blender and blend.
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Hi Leigh Anne, we switched internet companies and I forgot to update my email with you. I got it back, just in time to get in on your Cafe Rio recipes. I can’t wait to try it!
So glad you’re back!
I made all of the recipes (pork, black beans, cilantro lime rice and dressing) for dinner Friday night and it was outstanding! We layered everything on a flour tortilla in the order you suggested with Monterey Jack cheese and then rolled them up burrito style. Great dinner, and lots of leftovers for the weekend. Thanks Leigh Ann.
Teri – how fun that you made all the recipes. So glad that you enjoyed them!
I made this for my family today. My husband was pretty skeptical as I was cooking. My oldest son, who lived in Provo 8 years, didn’t think I could come close to Cafe Rio. The others were impatient because they were super hungry (they think you should eat immediately after church no matter what time you meet that year). Everyone was bowled over and said I should make them whenever we have company. Thanks, LeAnne! (BTW, I am friends with your sister, Karen!)
I am so glad it was a hit with your family! Thanks for letting me know.
How much dressing does the tomatillo dressing yield? Thanks, Becca
approx. 2 cups
I am a former Utah resident living in Belgium, so finding fresh tomatillos is going to be impossible. I had a friend bring me canned, will it still call for 2?
I have never used canned tomatillos but I would think it would be the same amount. Enjoy!
Hi! How many people does making all the recipes for the salad recipe yield? We are wanting to make it for a large amount of people so we are wanting to know if we need to triple or quadruple it! Thanks!! 🙂