Red Beans with Pork Ribs

Ingredients

• 2 cup Red or kidney beans (Rinsed; reserve 1/4 cup to blend into the sauce.)
• Onion (A piece for cooking the beans; onion powder is also mentioned for the rice, with no quantity specified.)
• 4 dientes Garlic (For cooking the beans.)
• Bay leaves (A few leaves, for cooking the beans.)
• Thyme (For cooking the beans; quantity not specified.)
• Salt (For the beans, ribs, stew, and rice; to taste, with no quantities specified.)
• Water (As needed to cook the beans.)
• 2.5 lb Pork ribs (Cut into portions.)
• Onion powder (To season the ribs and rice; quantity not specified.)
• Black pepper (To season the ribs; quantity not specified.)
• Paprika (To season the ribs; quantity not specified.)
• Cumin (To season the ribs; quantity not specified.)
• Lard (A little, for frying the ribs.)
• 3 Tomatoes (For roasting and making the sauce.)
• 3000 tomatillos Green tomatillos (The transcription literally says “3000 tomatoes or green tomatillos”; this may be a speech-recognition error, and the quantity and ingredient are ambiguous.)
• 1 Red bell pepper (For roasting and making the sauce.)
• 1 Chile pasa (Small.)
• 2 Guaque or guajillo chiles (For roasting and making the sauce.)
• 2 dientes Garlic (For roasting and blending into the sauce.)
• 0.25 cup Pepitoria (Toasted in a skillet.)
• 0.25 cup Sesame seeds (Toasted in a skillet.)
• Water or broth (As needed to blend and thicken the sauce; the type of broth is not specified.)
• Cilantro (A small bunch, added to the stew; optional according to the author.)
• Epazote (A little, added to the stew; also called apasote in the transcription.)
• 1 cup Rice (For serving; sautéed before the water is added.)
• 2 cup Water (For cooking the rice.)
• 1 Carrot (For the rice; chopped, with preparation not specified.)
• Green beans (Quantity not specified; for the rice.)
• 1 Potato (For the rice; preparation not specified.)
• Garlic powder (For the rice; quantity not specified.)
• Pre-cooked peas (Added at the end; quantity not specified.)
• Handmade tortillas (For serving; the author mentions preparing colored tortillas but does not provide a recipe or quantities.)

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the red beans. Place them in a pressure cooker with a piece of onion, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and enough water to cook them.

2. 2

   Cook the beans in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes. The author says they should be somewhat soft but not completely cooked; it is not specified whether the time begins once the cooker reaches pressure.

3. 3

   While the beans are cooking, cut the pork ribs into portions.

4. 4

   Season the ribs with salt, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, and cumin, or with your preferred seasonings.

5. 5

   Heat a little lard in a skillet and fry the ribs. Cover the skillet so they soften more quickly; the frying time is not specified.

6. 6

   Roast 3 tomatoes, the red bell pepper, the chile pasa, the 2 guaque or guajillo chiles, and 2 garlic cloves for the sauce. The transcription also mentions “3000 tomatoes or green tomatillos,” an apparently incorrect quantity that does not allow the intended ingredient or amount to be determined with certainty.

7. 7

   In another skillet, toast the pepitoria and sesame seeds.

8. 8

   Blend the roasted and toasted ingredients with 1/4 cup of the cooked beans and a little water or broth, using as much as needed to blend and thicken the sauce.

9. 9

   Transfer the partially cooked beans to the pot containing the ribs.

10. 10

    Add the blended sauce, a small bunch of cilantro, a little epazote, and salt to the pot.

11. 11

    Cover the pot and cook over medium-low heat for around 40 minutes, or until the ribs and beans are tender.

12. 12

    To prepare the rice accompaniment, sauté 1 cup of rice.

13. 13

    Add 2 cups of water, 1 carrot, green beans, 1 potato, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to the rice.

14. 14

    When the rice begins to boil, cover the pot and cook over low heat for around 12 minutes.

15. 15

    Finally, stir the pre-cooked peas into the rice.

16. 16

    Serve the beans with ribs accompanied by the rice and handmade tortillas.

Notes

The transcription gives an unreliable quantity for the tomatillo (“3000 tomatoes or green tomatillos”); verify it with the author before cooking. The quantities of several ingredients, the frying time for the ribs, and the preparation method for the colored tortillas are not specified. The mention of tortillas is for serving and is not a complete recipe.

Nutrition per serving

• Guatemalan food
• main dish
• with pork
• beans
• stew
• rice accompaniment
• home cooking