This delicious country-style pork ribs' recipe and photos were shared with me by Karen Calanchini, Food
Stylist and Photographer, of Redding, CA.
Karen says, "My
favorite way to cook in winter is to braise meats. Always comforting, always
fun, and very versatile as to ingredients. I like to use what I have available.
Instead of green peppers, you can use red, orange, various chile peppers, or a
combination of all. Red onions, or yellow onions, or even a combination produce
excellent results. With the seasonings, try Mexican, Cajun, Spanish, whatever
you desire, keeping in mind the type of meat you are using."
More great
Pork Recipes
and also
Pork Ribs/Sparerib
Tips.
Braised Country-Style Pork Ribs with Vegetables
Recipe Type:
Pork,
Onions,
Tomatoes,
Chile Peppers
Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time:
2 hr
Ingredients:
3 pounds country-style pork ribs, remove any visible fat*
Coarse
salt
and freshly-ground
black pepper
to taste
1/4 cup
olive oil
2 cups
onions, medium dice
1 cup medium-diced bell pepper
1 cup medium-diced celery
4 to 6 fresh
garlic cloves, fine dice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock (homemade preferred)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon dried
sage**
2 sprigs fresh
thyme
leaves
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Adobo Seasoning
1 tablespoon Ancho Chile Seasoning
5 to 8 young organic carrots, washed, left whole
5 to 6 small, whole
chile peppers
1/4 cup fresh
parsley leaves, chopped***
* Country-style pork ribs are cut from the sirloin or rib
end of the pork loin, which are the meatiest variety of ribs. These ribs are
sold either as slabs or in individual servings.
** Use
fresh chopped sage if you have it.
***
Fresh cilantro may be used in place of the parsley
Preparation:
Heat
olive oil in a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Brown the pork ribs
in batches (on both sides) to a nice golden brown.
Do not crowd the pork ribs in the pan.
Remove browned ribs to a plate and continue browning the remaining
ribs. When all the pork ribs
are browned; set aside on a plate until ready to use.
Add the
onions, bell peppers, and celery to the hot pot and sauté, scrapping up the
browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When vegetables have softened, add
garlic and sauté approximately 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the
flour to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon or heat resistant spatula to
combine the vegetables and flour. Cook and stir for approximately 2 minutes.
Add and stir in the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, browned pork ribs, sage, thyme, and bay
leaves. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, and
scrapping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
Season
with the Adobo Seasoning and Ancho Chile Seasoning. Add the carrots, and chile peppers on top of meat, and continue to cook for an additional 30
minutes, stirring and scrapping the bottom of pan a couple of times.
Meat should be
tender and beginning to fall away from the bones.
Taste and adjust seasonings, add additional salt and pepper, if needed; stir
and simmer for approximately an additional 5 minutes.
When
removing meat, use a large spatula or spoon, trying to keep the meat and
bone fairly intact, if you want to make a pretty presentation. Remove meat
and vegetables to individual plates, place the whole carrots and chile
peppers on top, and sprinkle with parsley.
Be sure to remove bay leaves from the dish, as you find them, and discard.
The
resulting juices from this recipe make a wonderful sauce for pasta, mashed
potatoes or rice.
Makes 4 servings.
