BRAISED COUNTRY-STYLE PORK RIBS WITH CHIPOTLE

Braised Country-Style Pork Ribs With Chipotle image

Country-style ribs have enough rich porkiness to stand up to the strong flavors of Latin America, so, here, they are coated with an aromatic spice rub that gets some smoky heat from chipotle peppers, then braised in a combination of citrus juices and beer. To avoid burning the spices, the ribs are coated with spice rub only on the side that doesn't get browned. Though the pomegranate seeds are not essential, they do add a nice hit of tartness and texture.

Provided by John Willoughby

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in or 2 1/2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons dried ground chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup to 1 cup beer of your choice
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)

Steps:

Dry the ribs well, sprinkle all over with salt and allow to sit, refrigerated, for 1 to 2 1/2 hours.
In a small bowl, combine cumin, coriander, chipotle pepper, black pepper, cayenne and cinnamon, and mix well. Dry the ribs well again and rub this mixture onto one side and the edges of the ribs, pressing to make sure it adheres. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot until shimmering. In 2 batches, place the ribs in the pot, with the spice-rubbed side up, and brown the opposite side well, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove to a platter as browned.
Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they just start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more.
Move oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Return ribs to the pot and add the orange juice, lime juice and enough beer so that the liquid comes halfway up the sides of the ribs. Bring to a simmer, then cover, put in the oven, and cook until the ribs are very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the ribs from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside. Continue to reduce the liquid if it is too thin, then adjust seasoning.
Top each rib with a several tablespoons of sauce, sprinkle with cilantro and pomegranate seeds, if using, and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 781, UnsaturatedFat 20 grams, Carbohydrate 16 grams, Fat 48 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 68 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 1155 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams