Adobo Pork Ribs

I have such a great passion for Mexican cuisine and it's usage of fresh and delicious ingredients.  About a year ago while visiting Manhatten, I stumbled upon a Mexican Restaurant by the name of La Palapa in Greenwich Village.  The food was beyond amazing.  I enjoyed it so much I bought their cookbook they happened to sell in the restaurant, Antojitos.  Most of the recipes are very labor intensive but worth the time and effort.  The recipes aren't always the healthiest of options, however I like to make them for special occassions.

Recently, I cooked Adobo-rubbed pork ribs for a family birthday.  I have some photographs of the process which I will share with you in this slide show.



 

Pork Ribs in a Mulato Chile Adobo
Costillitas al Adobo de Chile Mulato
Serves 6

ADOBO
12 Mulato Chiles, seeded and membranes removed (I used pasilla peppers because I had trouble finding mulatos around here)
1 Poblano Chile, seeded and membranes removed
1/2 Onion, chopped
2 Plum Tomatoes
1/4 cup corn oil
1 cup Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/4 Sherry Vinegar
1 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 Bay Leaves, or Avocado Leaves

3 pounds Baby Back Pork Ribs
2 cups Mexican Beer, Negra Modelo or Tecate
6 Black Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
2 sprigs Epazote or Flat Leaf Parsley
2 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Dried Thyme, or 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme
1/2 cup Cilantro

To make the adobo, in a small bowl, combine the mulato chiles with hot water to cover and let stand for about 20 minutes to soften.  Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking water.

Transfer the mulato chiles to a blender, add the poblano chile and the 1/2 cup reserved water, and process until smooth.  Add the onion and tomatoes and process until smooth and pastelike.

In a saute pan, heat the corn oil over medium heat.  Add the chile paste and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, or until it is uniformly dark.  Add the brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, stir well, and heat, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, or until uniformly hot.  Remove from the heat, transfer to a nonreactive bowl, add the bay leaves, stir gently, and let cool.  (You will not need all of the adobo.  Store the remainder in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and use for slathering over meats for grilling or as a salsa.)

To prepare the ribs, cut the racks into groups of 3 to 5 ribs, to make it easier to fit them into a pot.  In a large stockpot, combine the ribs, beer, peppercorns, bay leaves, epazote, salt, thyme, and 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. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the ribs and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned.

Transfer to a roasting pan and brush on both sides with some of the adobo.  Roast, basting every 10 minutes with the pan juices, for about 1 hours, or until cooked through and tender.

Transfer to a platter, garnish with the cilantro, and serve right away.