Chilli-glazed pork ribs with mole (Costillas adobados)

Mexican adobo is a traditional chilli sauce that is made throughout the country. It is one of the base sauces used daily in every kitchen. This is more of a complex sauce that borders on the famed moles of Oaxaca.

Three Mexican chillies make the basis for the sauce, guajillo, ancho and mulatto. Each is dark and intensely flavoured but not spicy. The profile is smokey, complex and very distinct. The ribs are marinated overnight, a must, and the meat is permeated with the chillies and spices and fall-off-the-bone tender. I like to serve these plain with a touch of pickled onions for acid to cut the complexity of the mole. You can also serve them as tacos or quesadillas.

I met Rick Bayless over 20 years ago before I was cooking seriously at his famed Frontera Grill restaurant in Chicago, still, the best margaritas I have ever had and was discovering the joys of Mexican cuisine. I was fortunate to have often dined at this and the upscale Topolobampo restaurant. I love the complex flavours; his books bring out the flavours in simple, no-fuss dishes. Rick also steps away from the thrashy Tex-Mex cuisine, which brings us traditional recipes alongside stories and history of beautiful culture and cuisine. I have a couple of his books and must admit that I do not cook from them often enough.

For more recipes from this lovely cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the mole:

3 ancho chillies

4 guajillo chillies

1 mulatto chilli (optional)

2 cups water

2 tablespoons oil

6 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican preferred

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon pepper

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

2 - 2/25 lb meaty pork ribs

1 teaspoon salt

Honey

For the pickled onions:

8-10 whole black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon oregano, Mexican if possible

2-3 whole cloves

10 black peppercorns

6 annatto seeds lightly crushed

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

To make the mole:

Dry roast the ancho, guajillo and mulatto chillies individually on a frying pan, pressing down till you see tiny wisps of smoke. Be careful not to burn the chillies but just roast themwell. Add them to 2 cups of water and soak for 45 minutes or overnight. When the chillies are soft, remove the seeds and stems, keeping both the soaking liquids and the chilli skins.

Add the chilli skins, soaking liquids, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, salt, cumin, vinegar and sugar in a blender. Blitz until you have a very smooth paste. The chillies take some time to break down, so be patient.

Heat the oil in a pot and add the mole. Fry until the mole is a thick paste with tiny bubbles of oil floating on the surface for about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Rub the pork ribs with salt and coat in the mole sauce. Marinate the ribs overnight. There is no shortcut; time is needed for the flavours to penetrate the meat.

Heat the oven to 375° F.

Add the meat to an oven-safe dish with all the mole marinade and cover tightly with foil. Make sure the meat side of the rib is on the bottom. Roast undisturbed for 2 hours. Remove and check the meat to see if it is very tender; it should be falling off the bone. If not, add a touch of water and roast for another hour. Set aside until needed.

To make the pickled onions:

Mix all the ingredients together in an airtight container. Pickle for at least 24 hours.

To serve:

Turn the bones over so that the meat side is facing upwards. Brush lightly with honey. Roast for 10 minutes until hot and the honey is sizzling.

Serve immediately with the pickled onions.