Pork Ribs in Ancho Chiles Adobo
Ancho (Ahn-cho) Chile (Capsicum Annum) means Wide Chile Pepper. This chile ranges from 3 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. An Ancho is the dried form of a Poblano Pepper and often is mislabeled as a Pasilla or Mulato Pepper. Anchos have sweet fruity flavor with hints of cherry, prune, and fig. Anchos, combined with the Pasilla and Guajillo, form the Holy Trinity of chiles used to prepare the traditional mole sauces. Scoville heat units are 1,000 to 3,000.
Ingredients:
Adobo:
12 ancho chiles, seeded and membranes removed
1 poblano chile, seeded and membranes removed
1/2 onion, chopped
2 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup corn oil
1 cup grated piloncillo, or firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 fresh or dried avocado leaves or bay leaves
3 lbs baby back pork ribs
2 cup Mexican beer, such as Tecate or Negra Modelo
6 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs epazote or flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp sea salt
1 tsp dried thyme, or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions:
To make the adobo, in a small bowl, combine the mulato or ancho chilies with hot water to cover and let stand for about 20 minutes to soften. Drain and reserve ½ cup of the soaking water.
Transfer the chilies to a blender, add the poblano Chile and the ½ cup reserved water, and process until smooth. Add the onion and tomatoes and process until smooth and paste like.
In a sauté pan, heat the corn oil over medium heat. Add the chili paste and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, or until it is uniformly dark. Add the piconcillo or brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, stir well, for about 1 minute, or until uniformly hot. Remove from the heat, transfer to a nonreactive bowl, add the avocado or bay leaves, stir gently, and let cool.
To prepare the ribs, cut the racks into groups of 2 to 5 ribs, to make easier to fit them into a pot. In a large stockpot, combine the ribs, beer, peppercorns, bay leaves, epazote or flat leaf parsley, salt, thyme, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to a steady simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is partially cooked and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife tip. Remove the ribs from the pot and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the cooking liquid. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Transfer the ribs to a roasting pan and brush on both sides with some of the adobo. Roast, basting every 10 minutes with the adobo and pan juices, for about 1 hour, or until cooked through and tender. Transfer to a platter, garnish with the cilantro, and serve immediately.
Serves 6.