Recipe: Pork Ribs in Salsa Verde

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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.

Tomatillas
Tomatillas

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
photo 3 (4)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
photo 5 (3)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.

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10th day of Christmas: 10 pork dishes at 10 YEG restaurants

100 Bar & Kitchen Charcuterie Plate

Do you have the pork munchies, but just don’t feel like cooking? Check out this list (alphabetical) of some Edmonton restaurants I enjoy that are serving up some fabulous pork dishes.

  1. 100 Bar and KitchenCharcuterie plate
    Chef Andrew Cowan has some serious passion for pork. The charcuterie board he serves up features a selection of in-house cured such as pork lomo (dry cured pork loin), pork terrine, andouille sausage, chorizo, capicollo, salami, and pork rillette using Irving Farm Fresh Berkshire pork. Top it off with brushed focaccia and house made preserves – this plate will give you some serious meat sweats.
  2. Cafe AmoreMaple Sausage Crostini
    I stick to the gluten free pasta dinners when I dine at Café Amore, but my roommate Marc says the homemade maple sausage crostini at Café Amore is killer.
  3. The CommonPork Belly Lettuce Wraps
    I was a huge fan of Chef Jesse Morrison-Gauthier’s sticky ribs with kale from his summer menu, and while I am sad it is no longer listed on the menu, he can satisfy your pork cravings with a serving of pork belly lettuce wraps.
  4. Culina MillcreekPork ‘Con Leche’
    I love when pork is so tender you don’t need a knife at dinner. ChefSteven Furgiuele has created a melt in your mouth pork dish cooked low and slow in milk & spices that is sure to warm your belly during December.
  5. The Next Act Pub The Pulled Pork Sandwich
    I went to the Next Act Pub with my friend Brian a few weeks back and he hammered through the pulled pork sandwich to rave reviews (while this gluten free girl hammered through the pulled pork poutine).
  6. XIX – NineteenIrving Farm Kakuni
    I love when I can walk from home to a restaurant, but Chef Andrew Fung certainly gives me a reason to drive to the south to visit Nineteen. I love his Irving Farms sake soy glazed pork belly served with a 63 degree egg, daikon, pickle beet and ponzu butter sauce appetizer.
  7. RGE RDNature’s Green Acres Pig Roast
    Chef Blair Lebsack serves up a locally sourced dish packed with pork featuring a pork loin, pork belly, pork confit amuse-bouche and bacon & squash cassoulet.
  8. Tres Carnales Taqueria Chorizo Quesadillas
    Craving Mexican? Tres Carnales has a menu with delicious things like carnitas – Alberta pork shoulder fried in its own fat! Hard to choose between tacos, quesadillas and the torta, but my roommate Marc says his go-to-dish is the chorizo quesadillas.
  9. Smokehouse BBQSmokehouse Bacon Bomb
    Bringing a bit of the south to the north with pork that is slow smoked over Okanagan wood for over 12 hours. It is hard to come here and not have pulled pork, but their signature Smokehouse Bacon Bomb is a house specialty for a reason (again this is roommate approved). A loaf of Italian spiced sausage meat wrapped in bacon then smoked with happiness.
  10. Zinc Restaurant – Frenched 10 oz loin chop
    In the Art Gallery of Alberta’s restaurant (and what I think is one of the most beautiful rooms to eat at in Edmonton) Chef David Omar is serving up satisfying loin chop with smoked apple, crimini mushroom bread pudding, cabbage slaw, and molasses jus.