Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salads

So during the semester things always gets a little rough in the food department...We try to be good but end up either eating out or reducing our diet to nothing but cereal and grilled cheese. This semester we've made a new goal. In an effort to save our semester eating habits we're going to try cooking big recipes over the weekend, but don't eat it! Save it for the week and eat it for dinners when needed. Nothing groundbreaking, I'm sure several other people already do this, but I think it will be good for us.

On the menu this week: Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salads. I've made all of the recipes below and they are each HUGE! We'll have plenty of leftovers to go around. All of these copy-cats are so close to the original so just thought I'd share! Enjoy!

Beans

Drain two cans black beans (I cooked my own in the pressure cooker then mixed everything else in...Either way.)
Small can tomato juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. cumin
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro

Mix all and warm!

Rice

Cook in rice cooker:
2 C rice
1/3 liquid is chicken broth
2/3 liquid is water
Zest of one lime
1 teas. minced garlic
1 Tbls. butter

Add after cooking rice:
Juice of zested lime
1 Tbls. sugar
Chopped cilantro

Dressing

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2-4 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy.)

Sweet Pork

3 lbs. Pork tenderloin
16 oz. can chunky salsa
2 cups brown sugar
16 oz. Coke (caffeine-free, OK. Diet, not OK)

Cover the meat halfway with water in a crock-pot and cook on high for 3-5 hours. Mix together salsa, brown sugar, and coke. Dump the water out of the crock pot and add the above mixture. Break up-shred the pork as much as you can. Cook for 2-3 more hours on high.

Sides (Optional)

Guac
Sour Cream
Pico de Gallo
Tortilla Strips
Cilantro
Lime

Thanks Melis (and internet) for the yummy recipes! Looks like a lot of work but actually came together pretty good. Bon Appetit!