Slow cooked ribs with Mexican chilli sauce
Slow-cooked tender pork ribs, with a Mexican chilli sauce that packs a punch.
Ingredients
For the slow cooked pork ribs
- 8 skinless pork belly ribs, on the bone
- 300ml/10fl oz white wine
- 150ml/5fl oz white wine vinegar
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú brown sugar
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú salt
- 1 head garlic
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 star anise
- 2 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp hot smoked paprika
- 3 dried adobo chillies
- 1 bunch fresh oregano or marjoram
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
For the smoky Mexican chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 dessert apples, such as Braeburn, peeled and diced
- 3 rehydrated chipotle peppers
- 3 dried ancho chillies
- 2 dried guajillo chillies
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp fresh black pepper
- 3 beef tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Method
To make the pork ribs, put all the pork ingredients into a deep saucepan on a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the pork, cover with water, stir, reduce the heat to low and cook slowly for 1–2 hours, until soft.
Meanwhile, to make the smoky Mexican chilli sauce, heat the olive oil in a separate pan on a medium heat. Fry the onion and apple together until softened. Add the rehydrated chipotle chillies, the dried chillies and all the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, stir and simmer for an hour. Add the vinegar and honey to taste, and season with salt. Blend to a smooth purée.
Preheat the grill to high. Remove the ribs from the pan and brush with the chilli sauce. Cut into 2cm/1in pieces and place under a hot grill for around 3 minutes.
Serve with a little more sauce spooned over the top, the jalapeños, coriander, soured cream and lime wedges.
