Best Ancho Braised Pork Recipes

ANCHO CHILE BRAISED COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS

Steps:

• In a medium sized pan dry pan, toast the coriander seeds over medium heat shaking the pan often to prevent burning for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Pour the toasted coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until you get a powder like consistency. In a pinch bowl mix together the toasted ground coriander with the rest of the spice mix ingredients.
• Carefully snip the ends of the chilies off with kitchen shears over a trash can and shake out and many of the seeds as you can. The more seeds the spicier it will be, and if you get most of the seeds out then it will not be spicy at all. With the same pan you toasted the coriander seeds, toast the chiles tossing the pan to prevent burning for about 2 minutes or until the chiles have slightly softened and become fragrant. Place the chiles in a heat proof bowl and heat the water until boiling. Pour the water over the chiles, cover the bowl with foil, and allow to sit and soak for 25 minutes.
• While the chiles are soaking place your red bell pepper over a gas stove so it's right above a burner and turn the heat to medium heat so that the flame is touching the bare pepper. This will blacken and char the skin, so you'll want to rotate it and char the whole thing, Once it's charred place the whole thing in a medium bowl and cover it with foil to rest for the remainder of the soaking time for the chiles.
• Once the chiles have soaked pour the soaking liquid along with the soaked chiles into a blender. Remove the red bell pepper and peel the blackened skin off and cut the core, stem and seeds out of it leaving just the flesh and place the roasted pepper flesh into the blender along with the spice mix and apple cider vinegar. Turn the blender on and puree starting at low and then gradually rising to a higher speed until completely smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and rinse and pat dry the ribs. Heat 2½ tablespoons of the ghee in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and brown them in batches to avoid over crowding the dutch oven; 2-3 minutes each side. As you finish browning each piece place them on a large dish tented with foil. Once your finished browning reduce the heat to low and pour out the ghee from the bottom of the dutch oven and dab lightly with a paper towel then place the pot back on the burner and add remaining tablespoon of ghee. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onions begin to soften then add the tomato paste and stir. Let the tomato paste caramelize in the dutch oven for about 1 minute then pour in the diced tomatoes, ancho chile and roasted pepper puree, while scraping the bottom of the dutch oven. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir then nestle the ribs in the braising liquid and pour in any accumulated juices from the bottom of the tray they were placed in.
• Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low, add the bay leaf and cover the dutch oven with it's lid and place it in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. (I recommend checking the ribs at the 20 minute mark to see if they're simmering too hard or not, if they are then cover it back up and reduce the heat to 280)
• Once the ribs are done remove the lid from the dutch oven and flip the each of the ribs over with tongs being careful not to tear the meat. Spoon some of the sauce on the tops of the ribs and increase the heat of the oven to 375 and allow to cook for 15-20 more minutes or until the sauce caramelizes on top of the ribs. (optionally you could broil on high for 3-4 minutes instead which should achieve the same effect, but this is only if you don't have the extra time)
• Serve each rib with a second slathering of sauce if you wish.

ANCHO - BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the pork, 3 cups water, onion, oregano, thyme, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf; bring to a boil then reduce heat to low.
• Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes or until the pork is tender.
• Discard the bay leaf and drain the pork, reserving 1 cup of the liquid (with onions, etc.) Return the reserved liquid to the pan with the pork and add the ancho chile powder, vinegar, cumin, cloves, sugar and salt.
• Simmer for 30 minutes more or until flavors are blended; serve with rice and top with fresh chopped cilantro.