When Rostizado opened a few months back in Edmonton it was immediately flooded with fans of Tres Carnales, the original venture behind Dani Braun, Chris Sills, and Edgar Guitterrez. I made my initial recipe request to Dani upon my first visit, but I knew the boys were busy so I didn’t press it. I let the real begging come out during my second, at which point Dani disappeared to the back room and came back with a Costillitas de puerco en salsa verde (pork ribs in tomatillo sauce) recipe.
I made a visit to Tienda Latina in south Edmonton to find fresh tomatillos and fresh tortillas (for those wanting to skip a few steps of the recipe they also sell bottles of salsa verde).
This recipe is full of flavour and delicious, but when I told Dani that picking the meat off the ribs was too much work (and next time I would use pork shoulder so it could pull apart), he told me I wasn’t doing it right. He said the trick is to take the tortilla in one hand, put the rib in, and close your hand; pull the bone out and the meat stays in the tortilla. Thanks for the tip Dani – I look forward to testing that out very soon.
If you haven’t hit up Rositzado yet, what are you doing? Roasted pork platters, gorditas with slow-braised pancita, a veggies roasted in pork fat all await you at one of Edmonton’s hottest new restaurants.
Pork Ribs in Salsa Verde
Recipe courtesy of Dani Braun of Tres Carnales/Rostizado
Ingredients:
1 1/2 kg locally sourced pork chops, cut into individual ribs (or 2-3 cm – the butcher can help with this)
1 tbsp salt
Salsa Verde
1 tbsp canola oil
6-8 tomatillas
3-4 jalapeño
1 small onion, peeled and slice in quarters
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves
salt to taste
1 cup water
Directions:
1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan cast-iron pot. Season meat with 1 tbsp of salt and place in the pan in small batches. Cook until brown but not burnt. Remove the meat from the pan remove from heat until the sauce is ready.
2. In a dry skillet or cast iron pan, grill green tomatillos, onions, and jalapeños over medium heat. Grill thoroughly, stirring occasionally until lightly charred and soft to touch.
3. Place garlic, cilantro, salt and grilled vegetables in the blender and mix until blended.
4. Return rib pan/pot to medium heat and add the sauce. Add one cup of water, stir to combine, and add ribs. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low and cook covered until the ribs are tender and soft, about 40 minutes.
5. Serve with refried beans, rice, and warm corn tortillas.
