A hearty comida casera mexicana plate with tender pork ribs and pork pieces slowly simmered in a rustic red chile sauce, crispy tortilla chilaquiles coated in salsa roja and topped with crema, queso fresco, and red onion, plus creamy homemade refried pinto beans.
Recipe Information
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Costillas en Chile Rojo
3 lbs pork ribs, cut into individual pieces
1 lb pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
6 dried guajillo chiles
3 dried ancho chiles
2 Roma tomatoes
¼ white onion
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
2 cups pork or chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Chilaquiles Rojos
15 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying
4 Roma tomatoes
4 dried guajillo chiles
1–2 árbol chiles, optional
¼ white onion
2 garlic cloves
1½ cups chicken broth
Salt to taste
For the Toppings
Mexican crema
Crumbled queso fresco
Thinly sliced red onion
For the Refried Beans
3 cups cooked pinto beans
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
¼ white onion
1 garlic clove
½–1 cup bean broth
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Brown the Pork
Season the pork ribs and pork shoulder generously with salt and black pepper.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.
Add the pork in batches and brown it well on several sides. Don’t overcrowd the pot.
Once browned, transfer the pork to a plate and set aside.
2. Prepare the Red Chile Sauce
Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles.
Lightly toast the dried chiles on a hot skillet for a few seconds per side. Be careful not to burn them.
Place the toasted chiles in hot water and soak for about 15 minutes.
Blend the softened chiles with the Roma tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, Mexican oregano, and 1½ cups of broth.
Blend until very smooth.
For a smoother sauce, strain it directly into the pot.
3. Simmer the Costillas
Return the browned pork to the pot.
Pour the red chile sauce over the meat and add the remaining broth as needed.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover partially and cook over low heat for 60–75 minutes, or until the ribs and pork pieces are very tender.
The chile sauce should reduce into a rich, slightly oily red-orange gravy.
Taste and adjust the salt.
4. Make the Tortilla Chips
Cut the corn tortillas into triangles.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the tortilla pieces in batches until golden and crisp.
Transfer to paper towels and lightly season with salt.
5. Prepare the Chilaquiles Salsa
Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo chiles.
Soak the guajillos and árbol chiles in hot water for 10–15 minutes.
Blend with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chicken broth, and salt.
Pour the salsa into a skillet and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
Add the crispy tortilla chips and toss quickly until coated.
Don’t cook them too long. The best homemade chilaquiles have softened edges while some parts of the tortillas still retain texture.
6. Make the Refried Beans
Heat the lard in a skillet.
Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the pinto beans with a little bean broth.
Mash the beans with a potato masher.
Continue cooking and adding small amounts of bean broth until the beans are thick, creamy, and rustic.
Season with salt.
7. Assemble the Plate
Spoon a generous portion of the costillas en chile rojo onto one side of a large plate, making sure to include plenty of the red chile gravy.
Add a mound of creamy refried beans.
Pile the red chilaquiles onto the remaining side.
Drizzle generously with Mexican crema.
Top with crumbled queso fresco and thin strips of fresh red onion.
Serve immediately.
Abuela-Style Tip
For deeper flavor, brown the pork before adding the chile sauce and let the ribs simmer slowly. The bones enrich the sauce as the meat cooks.
For the chilaquiles, add the tortilla chips to the hot salsa right before serving. This keeps them saucy and tender without turning completely mushy.