I still remember my first Cafe Rio experience. When I was in high school, nearest Cafe Rio location was about 30 minutes away from our town. I hadn’t ever experienced it, or even heard of it for that matter, until I was out and about with a friend and her mother one day. We were starving (aka: I was starving. In high school, I was always starving.) and we stopped at a Cafe Rio. My friend and her mother had been there many times, but I was a newbie.
I had no idea what to get so I went with my gut and ordered a pretty typical favorite for me. A burrito. I’d like to think I could consider myself a burrito connoisseur and this burrito knocked it out of the park. So big. So beautifully smothered. So wonderfully stuffed with fire grilled steak, pinto beans, and cilantro lime rice goodness.
It was actually a couple of years before I ever ventured out to try the oh-so-famous sweet pork. I’m gonna be honest with you, I didn’t love it. Stop looking at me like that, this story has a happy ending. See, I married a man who adores Cafe Rio’s sweet pork. You know the sign they put up on their wall that says “I sold my soul for a pork salad”. Pretty sure it was my husband who said that. He’s practically famous. But since he has the sweet pork every. single. time. we go there, I eventually had to try it. Once, twice…..five times. Okay, it’s pretty good. I guess I kind of love it.
Told you there was a happy ending.
The epilogue? I had to learn to make this stuff at home. Que all-time-awesome-wife award. (wink.) Only problem? Now that I can make it at home, my husband wants this a llllllll the time! Good thing it’s so dang easy!! I have an infatuation with set-it-and-forget-it recipes and this one gets slipped right to the top of my list since it’s a copycat of our favorite Cafe Rio Sweet Pork! What’s not to love here? No really. What??
- 2 pounds pork (rib meat or loin)
- ¾ cup coke
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup coke
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ cup coke
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 10 ounces mild red enchilada sauce
- Step 1: Place pork in a zip lock bag. Add coke and brown sugar and seal bag. Chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Step 2: Add pork to slow cooker and discard marinade. Add coke, water, garlic salt, onion salt, and chili powder. Cover and cook on high 3 hours. Drain the slow cooker and shred pork with two forks.
- Step 3: Blend coke, brown sugar, chili powder, green chills, and enchilada sauce together in blender. Pour sauce into slow cooker. Cook 30 minutes longer. Serve with rice if desired.
If you liked this you’ll LOVE…
Creamy Tomatillo Ranch {Cafe Rio copycat}
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