Pork Ribs in Salsa Roja
Costillas de Cerdo en Salsa Roja
One of the favorite chiles in central Mexico is the mild guajillo. They are used to perfection in this recipe for Aguascalientes style slow-simmered pork ribs in salsa roja.
Think of the sauce as a tangy chile based BBQ sauce. It tastes really familiar and a bit unique at the same time. Preparation is simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
How to Make Mexican Pork Ribs
In Spanish, the dish is called “costillas de cerdo en salsa roja” or “costillas de puerco en salsa roja.
Gather Your Ingredients for Pork Ribs in Salsa Roja
You will need 2.5 lbs. pork ribs, 6 guajillo chiles, 3 tomatoes, ½ head of garlic, ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ sugar and 2 to 3 tsps. salt.
Making the Pork Ribs Sauce
Remove the seeds and veins from the chiles.
Add the chiles, tomatoes, salt, vinegar, and 1 cup of water to your blender. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Strain the salsa to remove the pulp.
Your salsa is now ready to cook the ribs.
Cooking the Pork Ribs
Place your ribs in a large pot with just enough water to almost cover.
Add the garlic and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until all the water evaporates about 20 to 30 minutes.
After all the water has evaporated, remove the garlic. The ribs will continue cooking in the fat that was released while boiling.
Cook until nicely browned, stirring every couple of minutes.
Pour the salsa over the ribs.
Add the sugar and stir to cover the ribs.
Before cooking the salsa is a bright red. After cooking it turns a deep rich red.
Cook until the salsa has reduced by half stirring every 5 minutes. It’s starting to look really good!
Provecho! Enjoy your plate of Mexican ribs!
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 364kcal
Notes
Substitutions
You can substitute ancho chiles for the guajillo or use 3 anchos and 3 guajillos.
Bigger Batches
The recipe makes 4 medium-sized portions. If you are a bigger eater or are cooking for a larger crowd this recipe is easy to double or triple to suit your needs.