Smothered Sweet Pork Burritos Recipe – Sticky Pulled Pork Wraps

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds pork roast (shoulder or butt)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 (15-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated (or a combination)
• 8–10 burrito-size flour tortillas (white or whole wheat)

Cilantro Rice

• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 cups water
• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (or 4 cubes)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups minute rice

Cafe Rio–Style Dressing

• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 small tomatillos, husks removed and halved
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1 jalapeño, seeded
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 clove garlic

Instructions

Pork

1. Trim large pockets of fat from the pork roast. Cut the roast into 2–3 large pieces and season all sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Brown the pork pieces on all sides, about 2–3 minutes total, then transfer to a 5–6 quart slow cooker.
3. Add the liquid smoke and 1/2 cup water to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4–5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
4. Remove pork and shred. In a large bowl, toss the shredded pork with brown sugar, 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
5. Stir in the rinsed black beans, cilantro rice, and chopped cilantro to combine.
6. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread about half of the remaining green enchilada sauce on the bottom.
7. Warm tortillas briefly. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture into each tortilla, sprinkle with a little cheese (reserve some cheese for the top), and roll burrito-style.
8. Place burritos seam-side down in the prepared dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the burritos and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
9. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15–20 minutes, until heated through and the top is bubbly and lightly golden. Serve immediately.

Cilantro Rice

1. In a food processor or blender, combine cilantro, green chiles, and garlic; blend until smooth.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the cilantro-green chile mixture, water, chicken bouillon, butter, salt, and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, and cook for 20–25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. The rice can be made ahead and refrigerated until assembly.

Dressing

1. Combine ranch dressing mix, buttermilk, mayonnaise, tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Drizzle over the cooked burritos if desired.

• If you prefer a higher pork-to-rice ratio, reduce the rice by about 1 cup. The recipe can yield 10–12 generously filled burritos; leaving some rice out will reduce the number of tortillas needed to 8–10.
• The dressing is a favorite addition—drizzling a creamy tomatillo-style ranch over the burritos elevates the flavor. The ingredients listed above make a tasty copycat version of that dressing.