Adobo de puerco is a scumptious and comforting Mexican dish made with pork ribs braised on a spiced and delicious chili sauce and served with warm tortillas and rice.
What Is Adobo De Puerco?
Adobo de puerco (pork ribs adobo) is a typical and traditional Mexican dish easy to find in the local food markets and small restaurants. This homemade dish is prepared using pork ribs cut into small pieces, cooked and fried in its own fat, then simmered with a delicious adobo sauce that enhances their flavour.
This recipe is something very popular and appreciate it throughout the country, and often is served in special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, or parties.
What’s adobo sauce?
The adobo or sauce is a mexican marinade prepared with various types of chili peppers, depending on the area in Mexico we can find different types of marinade, some use two types of chili, others only one, with or without tomato, with or without onion and even spices can vary, but what everyone agrees on is that the marinade always has vinegar.
You can make this adobo de puerco using our detailed recipe for adobo sauce. Or you can also use your favorite brand of Mexican adobo sauce that you can buy at any Mexican grocery store or Amazon.
Ingredients for mexican pork ribs with adobo
- PORK RIBS – Cut into small pieces, you can add your butcher to cut them smaller than they usually are.
- PORK LARD – This gives a nice and rich flavour but you can replace it with any other oil you prefer (olive oil, canola oil, etc.)
- MEXICAN DRY CHILLIES – Ancho, guajillo and pasilla. You can find those in almost any latinoamerican store or also in Amazon. If you can’t find the three of them, use only one type or two.
- VINEGAR – To give a little sour touch. Vinegar is always used in adobo sauces. Use white or apple cider vinegar.
- SPICES – Garlic, pepper, oregano and bay leaves. Adjust the quantities to your liking, just remember to keep a balance in those to avoid overwhelming the dish with only one flavor or aroma.
The Step By Step Recipe
Cut the chiles in half lengthwise and discard the seeds, wash them with cold water and put them in a bowl. Cover the chillies with boiling water and leave them to soak for at least 30 minutes or until the water has almost cooled down.
In a blender place the chilies, all the spices, the vinegar, a teaspoon of salt and half a cup of the water where the chilies were soaked. If you want, you can use powdered spices, such as cumin, pepper, bay leaf, etc.
Blend until obtaining a thick and velvety sauce. Depending on the power of your blender this can take 3-4 minutes. Strain the sauce onto a bowl and set aside.
Place the meat in a large cooking pan, add water until covers the ribs and add salt. Bring to a boil and cover the casserole. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the meat is medium cooked.
Remove the ribs and arrange them on a plate, strain the meat cooking water and set aside.
In the same pan heat the lard, add the ribs and fry until slightly browned. Make sure to flip the pieces on all sides so it will fry evenly.
Stir in the adobo sauce and let it simmer for two minutes over medium heat.
Add two cups of the meat cooking water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer.
Cook with the pan uncovered on a medium-high heat until the sauce reduces a little and thickens like a gravy. Adjust with salt and turn off the heat. Adobo de puerco is ready to serve!
How It Is Served?
Mexican pork ribs adobo is typically accompanied with arroz blanco or red rice, refried beans and pickled onions. Also, tortillas are a must, because believe me, you gonna need those to dip them into the scrumptious sauce! Here’s a list of tortillas recipes to pair with you adobo de puerco:
How to store and reheat leftovers
- If you have leftovers place them in a container with cover. Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat the ribs just add a little bit of water or meat stock to bring up the sauce’s consistency.
- You can also freeze those ribs in a freeze-proof container and store them for over 3 month.
More authentic mexican recipes:
Adobo De Puerco (Pork Ribs Adobo)
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb pork ribs (cut in small pieces)
- 2 Tbsp pork lard
- 2 tsp salt
For adobo sauce
- 1 ancho chilli
- 4 guajillo chillies
- 4 pasilla chillies
- â…“ cup white vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- salt
Instructions
Make the adobo sauce
- Cut the chiles in half lengthwise and discard the seeds, wash them with cold water and put them in a bowl.
- Cover them with boiling water and leave them to soak for at least 30 minutes or until the water has almost cooled down.
- In a blender put the chilies, all the spices, the vinegar, a teaspoon of salt and half a cup of the water where the chilies were soaked.
- Blend until obtaining a thick and velvety sauce. Strain the sauce and set aside.
Cook the ribs
- Put the meat in a large cooking pan, add water until covers the ribs and add salt. Bring to a boil and cover the pan.
- Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour or until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs and arrange them on a plate, strain the cooking water and set aside.
Make adobo de puerco
- In the same pan heat the lard, add the ribs and fry until slightly browned.
- Stir in the adobo sauce and let it flavor for two minutes. Add one or two ladleful  of the ribs cooking water and bring to a boil. Â
- Cook with the pan uncovered on a medium-high heat until the sauce reduces a little and acquires a gravy-like consistency. Adjust with salt and turn off the heat.
- Serve with warm tortillas, red rice and pickled onions.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Mexican pork ribs is an awesome recipe to try in this time .such a nice recipe! yummy!
That juicy sauce was everything! Amazing how the pork ribs absorb all that spicy essence, but not really something so spicy that you can’t eat, it’s great! Great recipe and well explained, your cooking skills are awesome!