Rick Bayless Red Chile Glazed Country Ribs

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The marinade can be made a couple of weeks in advance. Marinade the ribs overnight or as long as 2 days.

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Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 3 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
  • 6 dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
  • 3/4 tea. mexican oregano
  • 1/2 tea. cinnamon
  • 1/8 tea. pepper
  • pinch cloves
  • pinch cumin
  • 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup beef broth or water, plus a little more if needed
  • 1/2 tea. salt
  • 1 tea. sugar
  • 3 lb.s pork country ribs
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. honey

Preparation

Step 1

MAKE CHILE MARINADE: Set ungreased skillet over medium heat, lay the unpeeled garlic and roast, turning occasionaly until blackened in spots and soft, about 15 minutes. Cool, then peel. Toast chilies a few at a time; open them flat on the hot suraface, press flat for a few seconds with a metal spatula (until they start to crackle, even send up a faint wisp of smoke), then flip and press down to toast other side. In a small bowl, cover the chilies with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring ffrequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water.

Place chilies and garlic in a food processor or blender along with oregano, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, cumin and vinegar. Measure in the broth or water, then blend into a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few seconds (if mixture just won't move through the blender blades, add a little more broth or water to get it going). Press the puree through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the salt and sugar.

MARINATE THE RIBS: Smear 1/2 the chile marinade over the ribs, cover and refrigerate for several hours (preferrable overnight). Combine remaining chile marinade with the honey, cover and refrigerate.

COOK RIBS: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer ribs and all the marinade to a baking dish large enough to hold in a single layer (13x9 works perfectly). Drizzle 1/4 cup water around them, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and baste with the liquid in the pan. Return to oven uncovered and bake until tender, amount 15 minutes or so. Carfully pour off fat and any remaining liquid.

GLAZE & SERVE RIBS: Raise temp of oven to 350 degrees. Brush ribs heavily with the marinade-honey mixture. Bake until the ribs are burnished cranberry color, about 15 minutes.

Advance prep: The marinade can be made a couple of weeks in advance. Marinate ribs overnight or as long as 2 days.

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