Cafe Rio. Chipotle. Barbacoa. Just typing those restaurant names made my mouth water! Everyone loves a burrito every once in a while, especially mission style burritos. They are huge, they are delicious, they are one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Since my husband and I have cut down our budget, we rarely get to eat out. Which is devastating to my husband's love for Cafe Rio. No joke, he once ate (actually this has probably happened more than once) Cafe Rio for lunch AND dinner. No, he didn't go eat there for lunch and have leftovers for dinner. He went TWICE in one day! He's told me that he would eat there every day and never get tired of it. I believe him.
Today I'm going to share with you my recipes for Carnitas and Cilantro Rice with Lime. I'm still working on the homemade tortillas, mine came out a little thicker than I would have preferred. So I will share those with you another time. There are several recipes out there for Cafe Rio copycats but I decided to go my own way and make something new. I hope you enjoy!
Nutritional Highlight: Pork Tenderloin. I use a pork tenderloin in this recipe because it is extremely low in fat. I'm sure you have heard this before as pork tenderloin has less fat, pound per pound, than chicken breast. This cut of pork is also full of vitamins like thiamin and niacin as well as lean protein all of which can help your body burn fat more efficiently.
$6.05 total / .60 per serving
2.5lbs Pork Tenderloin
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 Garlic Cloves, cut in half
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Coriander
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
Cilantro Rice with Lime (serves 4)
$1.67 total / .41 per serving
1 cup Long Grain White Rice
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Cilantro, packed
1 Garlic Clove
1 tsp Salt
Lime Juice to taste
In a small bowl, combine all spices. Trim any excess fat from the pork, leaving only a little bit. Rub the spice mixture into the pork tenderloin and then place in the crockpot fat side up. Pour chicken stock around the pork being careful not to wash away spice rub. Place some of the garlic clove halves in the stock and some on top of the pork. Cover and cook on low until the pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork, about 6 hours.
While the pork is almost finished, blend together the water, cilantro and garlic in a blender. Transfer mixture to a small saucepan, then add the rice and salt. Cook over medium high heat until it begins to simmer. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Add lime juice to taste and fluff with a fork.
While the rice is resting, start shredding the pork. I like to take the pork out of the crockpot and shred in a separate bowl, adding juices as necessary to moisten the meat. Your finished product should be moist but not swimming in juices.
Now the fun starts! You can assemble your burrito however you wish. My husband and I both like salsa verde so I whipped up some Creamy Salsa Verde. I also made a side of black beans. Toppings are limitless: pico de gallo, sour cream, fajita vegetables, cheese, guacamole, beans, lettuce, etc. Make it your own!
***This recipe makes extra Carnitas that I will show you what to do with next!***
Click here: White Chili with Carnitas
**Based cost per burrito on my recipes for carnitas, cilantro rice with lime, black beans, avocado salsa verde, sour cream and Trader Joe's $2.99 tortillas.
Nutritional Analysis:
Carnitas per 4oz serving: 186 calories, 3.8g fat, 0.4g carbohydrates, 33.5g protein and over 15% daily value of Vitamin B-6, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, Riboflavin, Selenium, Thiamin and Zinc
Cilantro Rice per 1/2c serving: 54 calories, 0.1g fat, 12.1g carbohydrates, 1.2g protein
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