Pork Ribs In Salsa Roja Recipe

Prepare ribs

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs: slide a thin spatula under the membrane at one end, grab with a paper towel, and pull it away. Pat ribs dry with paper towels.

Season ribs

Rub the ribs on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Lightly rub vegetable oil over the surface to help browning and to help the sauce adhere later.

Sear (optional)

Heat a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Sear ribs for 2 minutes per side until lightly browned. This step adds flavor but is optional if short on time.

Toast chiles and vegetables

While ribs are prepping, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast guajillo and ancho chiles briefly (about 20–30 seconds per side) until they become fragrant but not burned. Toast quartered tomatoes and onion in the same skillet, turning occasionally, until charred spots appear, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and toast for 30–60 seconds until aromatic. Remove everything from the heat.

Soak chiles

Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of very hot (not boiling) water or hot broth. Let soak 20 minutes to soften. Reserve soaking liquid.

Blend adobo/salsa

Transfer softened chiles (discard stems), charred tomatoes, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, ground coriander, bay leaf, and 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid (or broth) to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, adding more soaking liquid as needed to reach a thick but pourable sauce (about 3/4 to 1 cup total liquid). Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing solids to extract flavor. Return smooth sauce to blender or bowl.

Adjust seasoning

Taste the sauce and add 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, adjusting to your preference. If too tangy, add a pinch of sugar (optional). If too thick, whisk in additional warm broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it coats the back of a spoon.

Combine ribs and sauce

Pour about half of the sauce into the bottom of the ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven (enough to coat and create a braising liquid). Nestle seared (or raw) ribs into the sauce, meaty side up, and pour remaining sauce over ribs so they are generously coated. Add additional broth to barely come up 1/3 of the way up the ribs if needed (do not submerge).

Braise low and slow

Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid or tightly with foil. Transfer to the preheated oven and braise at 300°F (150°C) for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until ribs are very tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone. Check once at 90 minutes and spoon sauce over ribs; add a splash more broth if sauce is reducing too quickly.

Finish under broiler (optional)

When ribs are fork-tender, remove the lid. Preheat broiler. Spoon pan sauce over ribs and place under the broiler 3–5 minutes to caramelize edges, watching closely to avoid burning. Alternatively, transfer ribs to a sheet pan, brush with additional sauce, and broil for same result.

Reduce remaining sauce

While broiling, pour the braising liquid through a sieve into a small saucepan. Simmer sauce over medium heat for 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or a splash of vinegar if it needs brightness.

Transfer ribs to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Cut between bones into individual portions. Spoon reduced salsa roja over ribs.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, serve with lime wedges and optional pickled red onion on the side. Serve with rice, warm tortillas, or roasted vegetables.