Costa Vida Sweet Pork Salad

If you like this recipe for Costa Vida Sweet Pork Burritos, you'll love this salad! It tastes exactly like the salad at Costa Vida! So delicious!

Printable Recipe

Costa Vida Sweet Pork Salad
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
Sweet pork (recipe below)
Cilantro lime rice (recipe below)
Garlic black beans (recipe below)
2 tomatoes, chopped
Creamy tomatillo dressing (recipe below)
guacamole or avocados
crispy tortilla strips (recipe below)

Sweet Pork:

3 lbs boneless pork (ribs, chops, roast)

3 cans coke, divided

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, divided

dash garlic salt

1/4 cup water

1 can diced green chiles

3/4 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce

In a large ziploc bag, combine pork, a can and a half of coke, and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and place pork in crock pot. Add 1/2 can of coke, garlic salt, and 1/4 cup of water. Cook on high for about 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours. Remove meat from crock pot and shred. Drain liquid. 

In a food processor or blender, blend together remaining 1/2 can of coke, green chiles, enchilada sauce, and remaining 1 cup brown sugar. Place pork back in the crock pot. Cover with sauce. Cook on low heat for 2 hours.

Cilantro-Lime Rice:

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice

1 tsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

1 Tbsp lime juice

2 tsp sugar

3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp lime juice, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat. Combine remaining 1 Tbsp lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. Pour over rice and mix as you fluff rice. 

Garlic Black Beans:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup tomato juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

In a small saucepan, combine olive oil, garlic, and cumin. Cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add black beans, tomato juice, and salt. Cook until heated through. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing:
3 fresh tomatillos
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkg. ranch buttermilk dressing mix
1 cup fresh cilantro
4 green onions, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients in a blender; mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Tortilla Strips:
Slice 10 corn tortillas into narrow strips. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt. Spray with cooking spray. Place under broiler until crispy and brown.

To assemble salad, top lettuce with pork, rice, black beans, tomatoes, dressing, guacamole, and tortilla strips.

Serves 6-8

Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce (Slow Cooker)

This is another one of those super easy meals that you throw everything together in the crock pot and let it cook all day. Not only is it easy, it's totally packed with flavor! Delicious!

Printable Recipe

Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce
2 lb boneless pork loin, cut into 4 pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

Garnishes:
green onions
chopped peanuts

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork in the slow cooker and top with bell pepper. In a small bowl, mix together teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Pour over pork. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Remove pork and shred. Add peanut butter to sauce until it dissolves. Stir in shredded pork. Serve over rice and top with green onions and peanuts.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Prep Ahead and Dine In

Shredded Beef Tacos

We've been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. When we get home I really don't feel like making dinner. After being in the sun all day, I'm always starving but I never have the energy to cook. This recipe is perfect for days that like. I just throw everything in the crock pot in the morning and let it cook all day. When we get home, dinner is ready! These tacos are super easy to make and taste so delicious!

Printable Recipe

Shredded Beef Tacos
2 1/2 lb chuck roast
14 oz beef broth
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

tortillas
cheese
cilantro
salsa
guacamole
sour cream

Place roast in a slow cooker. Pour beef broth over roast and then squeeze lime juice over roast. Mix together spices and sprinkle over roast. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Remove roast, shred and return to slow cooker. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Remove beef with tongs to remove juices or drain with colander. Serve in tortillas with desired toppings.

*This beef would also be great in burritos, enchiladas, or nachos.

Recipe adapted from: Cooking Classy

Chile Colorado Burritos

We love Mexican food in our house. I take any chance I can get to make Mexican food. These burritos were so easy! Just throw a few ingredients in the crock pot and let it cook all day. So yummy!

Printable Recipe

Chile Colorado Burritos
2 lbs beef, cut into 2 inch cubes (stew meat, roast, top sirloin)
2 (10 oz) cans red enchilada sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 can refried beans, heated (optional)
burrito size flour tortillas
shredded cheese

Combine beef, enchilada sauce, and beef bouillon cubes in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours until meat is tender and shreds easily. Season with salt to taste.

Using a slotted spoon to drain off the liquid, place 1/2 cup of meat on each tortilla. Top with beans and cheese. Roll into burritos. Pour remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over burritos. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil for 2-4 minutes or microwave until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Food Pusher

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

This just might be my new favorite pork recipe. Not only was it super easy to make, but the pork was packed with flavor. It was especially delicious drizzled with the sweet balsamic glaze. You know it's a winner when the kids keep coming back for more! 

Printable Recipe

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
2 lbs boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of fat
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp soy sauce

In a small bowl, mix together the sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast. Place the pork in a slow cooker and pour the water over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Just before serving, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens. Remove pork from slow cooker, shred and place on a serving plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork.

Serves 6-8

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Slow Cooker San Francisco Chops

These pork chops were so good. They fell apart so easily and were so tender. I altered the recipe slightly from the original. I added more pork chops and I doubled the sauce so I would have enough to feed my family. Here is the adapted recipe below.

Printable Recipe

Slow Cooker San Francisco Chops

2 Tbsp olive oil
6-8 pork chops, about 1-inch thick (can use boneless or bone-in)
salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cold water
cooked rice for serving

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer pork chops to the slow cooker.

Add the garlic to the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until aromatic and golden, about 30 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over pork chops. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours until the meat is tender.

If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the pork chops. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water. Stir into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the pork chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to high heat and cook for 15-30 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Serves 6-8

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe