Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork

Dear Sweet Pork, oh how I love you. I loved you enough to eat you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the same day. Should I be admitting that? I had a salad with it, and I made a burrito with it. Then I made the same meal again the next week which we never do in our foodie home. That's how much I liked it. The second time I made it using homemade enchilada sauce which made it even more fabulous! I really adore Cafe Rio, but I don't live close enough to get any. Now I feel like I can bring Cafe Rio home anytime I want, and I have. : )

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork

Ingredients:
2 pounds pork (boneless pork rib meat works great)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce (or use homemade - half the recipe of the Quick Enchilada Sauce for the Sweet Pork)
1 c. brown sugar

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

2. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

3. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

4. Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

Recipe Source: Favorite Family Recipes

This is how we like to eat our Cafe Rio Sweet Pork:

In the tortilla:
Sweet Pork
Mexican Mix Cheese
Black Beans
Cilantro Rice

To the side:
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Lettuce

Linked to:  Hunk of Meat Mondays, Potluck Sunday

Spinach and Sausage Stuffed Shells

These spinach and sausage stuffed shells are superb, spectacular, succulent, sensational, and above all simple. Seriously... :) This is one of our personal creations. We love it. We've previously made it with ground beef, but let me tell you (and my hips and buns) that sausage is so much better. It's worth the extra calories to add the sausage. Plus, this is a fun red and white themed dish for the Chrismas holidays!

Spinach and Sausage Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (12 oz.) jumbo shells, uncooked

1 lb. sausage, browned

2 cups ricotta cheese

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 tsp. parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. garlic

1-2 oz. spinach chopped

3 cups spaghetti sauce

Directions:

Heat oven to 375. Cook shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a skillet. Drain grease. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together cheeses, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic and spinach. Then add the sausage. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, spread about 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce or enough to create a thin layer of sauce in bottom of dish. Fill each cooked shell with sausage/spinach mixture. Fill the shell so that it is full, but not bursting. Put each shell in the pan with the sauce. Once pan is full of shells, spread remaining spaghetti sauce over the shells. Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Side note: I always have about 10 extra cooked shells left when making this.

Caribbean Pork Loin with Pineapple-Raisin Relish

This is a deliciously moist and tastebud tantalizing dish. The relish is so good with the raisins, but if you don't like raisins it would still be really good without it. You've got to try this one. I find that pig is one of my favorite meats. This meal again reaffirmed the fact that I love my porky. This recipe comes one of the best cooks I know - my Momma! :)

Caribbean Pork Loin with Pineapple-Raisin Relish

Pork:

1 cup packed fresh oregano leaves (I used 2 Tablespoons dried.)

I cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 Tbsp. finely shredded lime peel

3 Tbsp. lime juice

2 teaspoons salt

4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 cup olive oil

1 4-lb. bone in loin center rib roast (I used a boneless center cut pork loin roast.)

Relish:

1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple

1 cup golden raisins

4 green onions

1/4 cup pineapple juice

3 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In food processor or blender, combine oregano, 1 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, the lime peel, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, 2 tsp. salt, the garlic and cumin. Cover and blend or process until chopped. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream until incorporated.

2. With sharp knife, score surface of pork with small slits. Place in roasting pan, bone side down. Pour herb mixture over roast. Roast, uncovered 1 1/4 - 2 hours or until thermometer inserted into center of roast reads 160 degrees, spooning herb mixture over meat two or three times during roasting. Lightly tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes.

3. For relish, in bowl combine pineapple, golden raisins, onions, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, 2 Tbsp. cilantro, and 1/4 tsp. salt.

Island Spice Pork Tenderloin

This recipe was fantantic! It sounds like the craziest combination of spices, but it turns out marvelously. We absolutely loved it. It turned out so juicy and tender also. I found this recipe at a blog called Annie's Eats. (I only made one pork tenderloin and halved the recipe.)

Island Spice Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

For the spice rub:

2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 pork tenderloins (about 2-2½ lbs. total)

2 tbsp. olive oil

For the glaze:

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tbsp. (2-3 cloves) finely minced garlic

1½ tsp. Tabasco sauce (I used Frank's Hot Sauce.)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir together with a fork to blend. Pat the mixture over the pork tenderloins.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tenderloins in the skillet and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total. Remove from the heat, leaving the pork in the skillet.

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl until blended. Spread the mixture evenly over the tops of the tenderloins.

Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast about 20 minutes (I put mine in a glass baking dish), until an instant-read themometer inserted in the center of each tenderloin registers 140˚ F. Loosely tent the skillet with foil and let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Honey Mustard Pork and Mango Kabobs with Coconut Cilantro Rice

My hubs and I got our first grill last summer. We have absolutely loved grilling. I'm always trying to find new recipes for the grill. I got this idea from some random store recipe and then created these pork and mango kabobs! These are fabulous! We loved them. This one is a keeper!

Honey Mustard Pork and Mango Kabobs

6 Wooden Skewers

2 Tbsp. honey mustard (I used French's honey mustard dipping sauce.)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 lb. pork cut into cubes (I just cut up boneless pork chops)

2 mangos (You want the mangos to be almost ripe, but still firm. If they're too ripe, they get mushy on the grill.)

1/4 cup honey

1. In a large bowl, mix honey mustard, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Coat cubed pork in this marinade and cover. Let it marinate at least 1 hour (preferably over night).

2. Cut mangos into cubes. Thread cubes of pork and mango onto skewers, alternating meat and fruit.

3. Set your grill at medium-high heat with the flame directly under the cooking area. When grill is ready, lay skewers on, close lid and cook about 10 minutes. Turn occasionally until pork is browned on all sides and cooked through.

4. Coat kabobs with honey and cook about 1 minutes longer.

So yummy! Here's the Coconut Cilantro Rice recipe we paired with it! It was perfect.

Cilantro Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (10 ounces) basmati (or jasmine) rice
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 Tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh jalapeno, including seeds
2 Tablespoons vegetable/Canola oil
2 cups water (I cooked the rice in part water, part coconut milk)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed fresh cilantro
3 scallions, chopped

Directions:

1. Wash rice in several changes of cold water in a bowl until water is almost clear. Soak rice in cold water 30 minutes, then drain well in a sieve. (I totally skipped this step).

2. Spread coconut in a skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden; watch carefully so it doesn't brown too much or burn. Cool completely.

3. Cook ginger and jalapeno in 1 Tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until chile is softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

4. Stir in water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

6. While rice cooks, pulse together coconut, cilantro, scallions, and remaining Tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped.

7. Add cilantro mixture to cooked rice and stir gently until combined well.

(found on Epicurious.com)

Grilled Pork Ribs

My honey just made us some of the most fabulous ribs. He really likes to grill and has been trying out some new recipes. This one definitely delighted my taste buds. I'm still thinking about the ribs and wishing we had leftovers. Too bad we gobbled up all the ribs in one sitting. So I asked my hubs to share with you his technique. Here he is...

Here are the steps I used to Barbeque Pork Ribs on my small two-burner gas grill. Every grill will probably cook differently, but the concepts are the same.

1) Remove the pork ribs from the package and remove the silvery membrane on the bone side of the ribs. Start at one of the corners and you can get under the membrane and start peeling it away. Once you've lift off part of the membrane, you can grip it with a paper towel so it doesn't slip out of your hands. Then wash the rack of ribs thoroughly with water and pat dry with paper towels.

2) Add a good "rub" to the ribs. This is what will really give the ribs a good flavor. Here's the rub I used:

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp mustard powder

2 tsp salt

3 tsp brown sugar

Mix all the ingredients up and spread it over both sides of the rack of ribs. Spread half of it on the meat side and literally "rub" it in and work it into the meat. Spread the other half on the bone side and do the same thing. Wrap the rack of ribs that have just been "rubbed" in saran wrap and place in the fridge for 24 hrs.

3) Make the "smoke bombs". Get some grilling wood chips (I use Hickory smoke flavor). The smoke produced from these will add some extra flavor to the ribs. Place about half a cup of damp wood chips in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap them up in such a way that there is only one layer of foil on one side. Then on that side, punch some holes in the foil (I use a fork). When I made these ribs, I made two "smoke bombs".

4) The key to grilling pork ribs is using "indirect" heat. With my smaller gas grill, the way I set it up is like this (see picture below). Place the "smoke bombs" on top of the lava rocks beneath the grilling rack in opposite corners. Then place a disposable aluminum pan and fill it about 1/2 to 3/4 full with water and place it on top of the grilling rack. This doesn't steam the ribs but does keep them from drying out. My grill has 2 layers of grilling racks (I think the top one is a warming rack, but that is what I'll use to grill the ribs). If your grill does not have this, you can just get an extra grilling rack and place it on top of the aluminum pan. Warm up the grill on MEDIUM heat for about 10 minutes. This will get the wood chips to start smoking. Right before you put the ribs on the grill, turn the grill down to LOW heat.

5) When the grill has warmed up sufficiently, take a folded paper towel soaked in vegetable oil and rub it over the grill rack. This will prevent the ribs from sticking to the rack. Place the pork ribs with the bones facing down on the top rack and baste the meat with apple cider. This will help tenderize the meat, keep them moist and add some flavor to the meat while grilling.

6) Check the ribs every 45 minutes and baste them with the apple cider each time. Avoid checking more frequently as everytime you open the grill, you loose the smoke and the heat. Also, do NOT turn the ribs. You will grill the ribs with the bones down the whole time.

7) It takes about 2.5 - 3 hours to cook the ribs. Time will vary according to the grill. You kind of have to experiment. There are number of ways to tell if the meat is done: the temperature of the meat is between 160-180 degrees, the meat flakes off the bone, and a tooth pick or fork will pass easily through the meat.

8) The last 1/2 hour is when you add your favorite barbeque sauce. Baste the meat side with your favorite barbeque sauce and let cook for 5 minutes. Then flip the ribs and baste the other side and let cook for 5 minutes. Repeat this until both sides have been basted three times (total of 30 minutes).

9) Your ribs are done! Enjoy!

Let me just reiterate that these ribs were delish!!! Thanks to my hot hubby for the great meal!

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

This was a delicious meal. I always use a small pork tenderloin and half everything. It is really an easy meal to prepare, and it's great to the tastebuds. I got this recipe from Favorite Family Recipes.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1 large pork tenderloin
2 (8oz) pkg, cream cheese

1 jar roasted red peppers

1 pkg bacon, cooked, crumbled

2 pkgs. dried pesto seasoning (like Knorr brand, can be found by the gravy/dressing mixes)
Spinach leaves (to taste)

olive oil

salt & pepper

paprika

If you are using the large tenderloin from Costco, cut it almost in half, then cut the halves almost in half again so that you kind of unfold it a few times and try to pound it out flat. (If you are using another kind of pork tenderloin, try to spread it out and get it nice and flat). Once the tenderloin is flat and has a good surface area, spread the cream cheese all over the top. Lay the roasted red peppers over the cream cheese then sprinkle on the crumbled bacon. Evenly sprinkle on the packages dried pesto seasoning and lay the spinach leaves all over the top. Roll the pork up and tie it shut with 3 or 4 things of kitchen twine. (I use dental floss because we have plenty of it hanging around.) Then rub olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper all over the pork and place in a greased baking dish (you might have to cut it in half for it to fit if it's a large pork tenderloin) or you can put it on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350-degrees about 60-90 minutes or until pork is cooked through (cook for less time for the small pork tenderloin). Once cooked, slice and serve!

Stir Fried Sweet and Sour Pork

This is a delicious Sweet and Sour recipe. I love it!

1-2 lbs. pork

Saute the pork in about 1 tablespoon of oil. Add seasoning salt to meat. Saute until no longer pink. Set aside.

Prepare:

3 carrots sliced diagonally

1 large whole red pepper cut in chunks

1 large onion cut in chunks

1 inch ginger root diced

Stir fry vegetables until crisp tender and add meat to the vegetables.

Mix in sauce pan:

Juice of one can of pineapple chunks

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4-1/3 cup of cider vinegar

2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce

A huge squeeze of ketchup out of the bottle

2-3 splashes of hot sauce

Cook until mixture thickens slightly. Put it all together: meat, vegetables, sauce, and add the pineapple chunks. Mix.

Serve over rice or cooked chinese noodles.

Pork Chop and Potato Bake

This is one of those easy, tried and true, whole family enjoys it type recipes. 

Ingredients:
6 Pork Chops
Vegetable oil
Seasoned salt
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 pkg. (24 oz.) frozen hashbrowns, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 cup French fried onions (depending on how much you like)

Directions:
Brown pork chops in lightly greased skillet. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and set aside. Combine soup, milk, sour cream, pepper, and 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt. Stir in thawed potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, and 1/2 of French fried onions. Spoon mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Arrange pork chops over potatoes. Bake covered at 350 for 40 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and French fried onions; bake uncovered 5 minutes longer.

Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Salsa

PORK CHOP MARINADE:

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1 CUP HONEY
½ CUP SOY SAUCE
1 CUP CIDER VINEGAR
3 CLOVES GARLIC
1 TABLESPOON SESAME SEED OIL

Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the pork chops overnight. Then grill. (This recipe is for about 6-8 pork chops.)

MANGO SALSA

2 RIPE MANGOS – CUT IN SMALL CUBES
½ MEDIUM RED ONION – CHOPPED
½ LARGE RED PEPPER – CHOPPED
½ CUP CHOPPEN CILANTRO
¼ JALAPENO CHOPPED (REMOVE SEEDS)
JUICE OF 1 LIME
Chill the salsa. Serve with grilled pork chops