New Mexican Chile-Marinated Pork Spareribs
Submitted by catmilton
New Mexican spareribs simmered tender, then marinated overnight in pureed dried red chiles, tequila, cider vinegar and brown sugar. Grilled hot for a smoky, deeply spiced char. Real Southwestern barbecue.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThese are not your sticky-sweet supermarket ribs. The marinade is built around dried New Mexico chiles, the same earthy red pods used in red chile sauce and posole. Pureed with tequila, cider vinegar and brown sugar, they coat the ribs in a brick-red glaze that tastes nothing like a bottled BBQ sauce.
The two-stage technique is the secret. The ribs simmer in plain water for 50 minutes first, which renders the fat and tenderizes the meat before any marinade gets near them. This pre-cook means you only need 6 minutes per side on the grill to finish them, so the sugars caramelize and char without the meat drying out or burning.
Marinate for at least 8 hours. Overnight is better. The acidic vinegar and tequila penetrate the meat deeply during that long soak, while the chile builds a flavor crust on the surface. Let the ribs come to room temperature for an hour before grilling so they cook evenly instead of staying cold in the center.
Pro Tips
- Seed the dried chiles but keep some membrane intact for proper heat. The seeds add bitter notes, the membranes add the burn.
- Reduce the reserved sauce for 3 minutes before serving as the directions specify. Raw marinade has touched raw pork and must be cooked.
- Grill over medium-high heat with the lid open. Closed grills steam the ribs and dull the char.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
In a large kettle combine the spareribs with water to cover, bring the water to a boil and simmer the ribs skimming the froth as necessary, for about 50 min.
Drain the ribs well and pat them dry.
While the ribs are simmering, in a blender purée the chiles, water, ketchup, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, tequila. oil, cumin and the allspice.
In a jelly roll pan or on a tray coat the ribs generously with some of the chili sauce, reserving the remaining sauce in a small bowl, covered with plastic wrap and chilled for a least 8 hours or overnight.
Let the ribs stand at room temperature. for 1 hour and grill them on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 over heat source for 6 min. on each side.
In a small saucepan simmer the reserved chile sauce for 3 min. and serve it with the ribs.
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