Pork Ribs and Green Salsa

Ok, lets start cooking!  A favorite dish of ours is Pork Ribs with Green Sauce/Salsa.  This was one of the first recipes that I mastered... I mean learned how to cook without asking a lineage of questions directed at my husband. 

Total time: about 2 hours
Active cooking/prep time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:
about 3lbs Pork Ribs
20 Tomatillos (the green tomatoes with a strange husk that surround them)
6 Serrano peppers (green fresh peppers that are a bit smaller than then jalapeno)
2 medium onions
one bunch Cilantro
Cumin
Garlic (from jar and some garlic powder)
Oregano (optional)
Thyme (optional)
Pepper
Salt

The Meat:

• Boil ribs in salty water with quartered onion- about 1 hour- keep a lid slightly ajar so that the water will not completely evaporate while cooking.
• Drain in a colander and rinse each rib piece clean of the scum that forms from the bones
• Return meat to the now empty pan
• Optional:  Drizzle some oil (corn/vegetable) on the meat and turn on the fire to med-high.  Saute the meat until you see it getting a bit brown (this just adds some flavor and texture)
• The meat is now ready for the green sauce/salsa to be added to the pot.

Green Sauce/Salsa

• Boil tomatillos, Serrano peppers and one onion until you see the tomatillos turn a lighter shade of green.  (If they are boiled too much, the tomatillos will break apart, but still okay to use.)
• Blend: tomatillos, Serranos, onion, handful of cilantro, about one teaspoon jarred garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, one teaspoon of salt (or more), one teaspoon black pepper, couple shakes of oregano and thyme
• Do this in batches- if you blend up a batch that is too spicy, do not use as many Serrano the next time
• Leaving out spices will change the flavor, but if you are like my sister, she leaves out the cumin because she does not care for it.
• When you have blended up the salsa until it no longer is chunky and the cilantro is in fine pieces, pour over the meat
• Cook meat in the green salsa for another 35-45 minutes and the meat will fall off the bone.

Ribs can be bought in a large slab or already cut

Cut the ribs- it would be difficult without a large sharp knife

Boil ribs in salt water with onion, add garlic too if you want

Keep the lid ajar

Rinse the meat

Brown it up, back in the pan- Put some meat aside for any children- keep it boiling in a small pot

 Boil tomatillos and Serrano pepers

 

 Blend it up!

 Cook meat covered in the green salsa.

Serve with Simple Rice and Pinto Beans- cilantro for garnish if you want.

 

Yummy! 

Tortillas and Sour Cream on the table- Gabriel loves the meat dipped in cream!