Costa Vida Sweet Pork Salad

SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade.
Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c.
of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water,
and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4
hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it
get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain
any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can
Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown
sugar.  If it looks too thick, add more Coke little
by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook
on lowfor 2 hours.!


CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic,
1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water.  Bring
to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes,
until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a
small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro.
Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in
olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it.
Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir
until heated through. Just before serving stir in
the cilantro.

CILANTRO RANCH

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix(not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno

Mix all ingredients together in the blender.

First of all, you can buy the aluminum deep-dish pans
(they had these at the grocery store...they look JUST
like the Cafe Rio tins).  Lay a tortilla in the bottom
of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven
at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted.
Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce
(leafy green lettuce, NOT ICE-BURG) and a little scoop of
diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). We made up some
guacamole and put some of that on the salad
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) We also added a little spoonful of
sour cream. Add some crushed tortilla chips, a shake of
Parmesan cheese,and top with a few cilantro leaves.
Serve with the cilantro ranch dressing.


We had this at a friends house a while ago and it was SO
good. Ever since then I have been cooking it a lot. It
tastes VERY similar to Costa Vida's sweet pork salad.
A MUST try! It takes a little bit of work, but
is SOOOO worth it.

Melanie