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Mexican-style Chilli Ribs
Mexican-style Chilli Ribs is a traditional South African recipe for a classic fusion braai (barbecue) dish of pork spare ribs in a Mexican-inspired chipotle flavoured barbecue sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic South Africa version of: Mexican-style Chilli Ribs.
prep time
15 minutes
cook time
135 minutes
Total Time:
150 minutes
Additional Time:
(+24 hours marinating)
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Chilli RecipesSauce RecipesSpice RecipesPork RecipesFusion RecipesSouth-africa Recipes
This recipe combines two of my favourite things: Mexican flavours and spare ribs yielding a dish that can be finished on a braai (Barbecue) or cooked under a grill (broiler).
Ingredients:
1 ½kg (3 1/3 lbs) pork spare rib - the meatier the better (3 per person)
For the dry rub:
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp dried oregano, or 2 tbsp fresh leaves, chopped
1 heaped tbsp dark soft brown sugar
1 lime, zested then cut into wedges, to serve
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
For the chipotle barbecue sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp tomato purée
3 tbsp dark soft brown sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp
chipotle paste
juice of 1 lime
Method:
Mix the dry rub ingredients with ½ tsp flaky sea salt, then massage into the meat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or ideally up to 1 day in the fridge.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan and use to soften the garlic for 1 min. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients, along with 2 tbsp water, bring to a simmer and cook a few seconds, until the sugar melts. Season to taste with salt then take off the heat and set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 160°C (140C fan/375F/gas 3). Put the ribs in a roasting tin in a single, fairly snug, layer. Pour in 100ml hot water, cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 2 hrs until the meat pulls easily from the bones. Drain off any fat. After this, the ribs can be cooled and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.
For the final stage of cooking, get the barbecue ready and wait until the coals are glowing white and grey. Cook the ribs for 4-5 mins on each side until dark golden and hot through – use tongs to turn them carefully. Brush with some of the chipotle sauce and give the ribs 1 min more to char here and there.
Serve on a platter with the remainder of the sauce for spooning, lime wedges, plus a big bowl of Smoky corn & avocado salsa (see the next recipe).
