Chili Pork with Black Beans and Rice

This is especially good with brined pork!
1 cup rice, I like short grain brown rice for this
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1 onion diced
1 lb boneless pork rib meat, diced to 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp powdered cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 serano or jalapeño chili, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, sliced and fanned
Palmful cilantro, minced (optional)
2 Tbsp shelled sunflower seeds
1 lime, cut in eighths

Preheat oven to 350F. Drain the tomatoes and save the juice. Make up the juice to 2 cups with water. In a medium pot, sauté the rice in a bit of canola oil for about five minutes, stirring constantly, until the rice is fragrant, but not browned. Add the tomato water and salt, bring to a boil, reduce back to a simmer, stir and cover the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile sauté the onion in a large fry pan with a bit of olive oil for about 8-10 minutes. Set onion aside in a bowl. In same pan, brown the pork, adding a bit of oil as needed, until all sides a nicely browned. Add the garlic and chili pepper and cook another few minutes until fragrant.

When the rice is cooked, fluff with a fork and toss together with the onions, beans and the meat. Stir in the chili and cumin powders and tip half into a 13x9 inch casserole. Top mixture with half the cheese and then the remaining bean and rice mixture. Finally, top the casserole with the remaining cheese. Bake covered for 20 minutes and the uncovered for 10 minutes. Top casserole with sunflower seeds, avocado and cilantro. Serve with lime.