Cafe Rio

My siblings are coming over on Sunday. I hope it's fun for them. I always worry that my house is the most boring. I do enjoy having them over, and while I'm not the best at entertaining, I do my best to make sure the food is superb.

Sunday is Cinco de Mayo, known in English as May 5. It's some kind of holiday where a lot of people in Mexican countries get drunk and do fireworks, much like our Independence Day.

We aren't getting drunk or doing fireworks, however, we are having Americanized Mexican food to celebrate the Mexicans in America! (lol) Cafe Rio pork, rice, beans and creamy tomatillo dressing. Tortillas and other toppings will be available, so everyone can make whatever type of dish they want.

I have a secret. Everyone knows Cafe Rio copycat recipes, right? Well, Favorite Family Recipes has the pork pretty close. My secret is that their dressing and rice are way off.

I've never tried their version of the beans.

I use this recipe for the Creamy Tomatillo dressing. For the hot sauce, I don't use the recommended Tobasco. Instead, I use Chili Lime Cholula, and I also add a touch of cayenne. This recipe gets much creamier than Favorite Family's. Last time I made this version, I brought home some dressing from Cafe Rio and tasted them side by side. I can proudly and confidently say they are identical.

Lime rice... I haven't found a recipe that I like. My mom's tastes really good, but it's super green. So, I make up my own version that is different every time I make it. At Cafe Rio, I've seen them fold in the medium enchilada sauce into the rice when they refill the pan, so there's somewhere to start. The basic idea is that I use the leftover salsa verde from what I used in the dressing, and I mix it with sugar and chicken stock. I'll toast my rice with butter, green onion, and garlic, and when it's toasty, I'll add the salsa verde liquids, and cook the rice in that. It's yummy! But I can't say it's like Cafe Rio's.

I don't get beans at Cafe Rio; they make my tostada mushy and take away from the flavors of the sweet pork, savory rice, and zesty, tangy dressing. But, my brothers like black beans, so I'll be making them for Sunday.

Oh, by the way, If you're wondering, I failed at being pescatarian. I missed steak too much. And I missed Cafe Rio pork too much.

Or you could say I got lazy and careless.

And I read in D&C about preaching to the Shakers who didn't eat meat, and they told them they shouldn't tell people not to eat meat. (D&C 49:18-19) So, I won't tell you not to eat meat. But I will tell you that I believe in eating meat sparingly, which means, I go without meat for days at a time. Pretty much the opposite of "Meatless Mondays."