My Favorite Mexican Meal

I like to make this build-you-own-burrito meal when guests come over, and it is always a success. There are several components to it, but none of them take too much time. I'll just tell you what I do; adapt it to your own tastes. There are a million different variations.

MEAT:
I really like the sweet pork at my favorite restaurant, Cafe Rio, so I always make it sweet. I use a pork roast, any size. The sauce is very simple: 1 part bottled salsa, 1 part brown sugar, combined. Make as much sauce as you will need. Place the roast in the crock pot, pour the sauce over it, and cook on high for 4 hours. Then shred with two forks, and coat the shredded meat in the cooking liquid. Let it soak in for a bit. (*If the meat is not easy to pull apart, it hasn't cooked long enough.)

BEANS:
I used canned black beans, but you can use pinto as well. Take 2 cans of black beans, drain and rinse them. Then put the beans into a pan with some flavorings like cumin, garlic, scallions, a little bit of chicken broth or water, and salt to taste. Mash them a little with a fork and let it cook to get a little saucy. That's it.

RICE:
Cook the rice with chicken broth (salted) instead of water to give it more flavor. When the rice is cooked and cooled a bit, add chopped cilantro and scallions. Lime juice if desired. Done.

PICO DE GALLO:
My favorite part of the meal, this is just a fresh homemade salsa that is even good plain with chips! Combine chopped tomato, scallion, cilantro, and a little lime juice. If you like heat, add jalapeno.

Pile all of the above on a large tortilla. I usually add chopped lettuce as well, and then some warmed canned green enchilada sauce. These alone will leave your tortilla overflowing. You could add any other Tex-Mex toppings you like, such as sour cream, avocado, or corn kernels.

It's no Cafe Rio, but it's the best we can do in Europe!