StewsMediumFree

Pork Ribs in Pasilla Chilli Sauce

Name: Pork Ribs in Pasilla Chilli Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1500 g Pork ribs; 400 ml Chicken stock; 1 pinch Ground cinnamon; 20 g Fresh coriander; 3 Tomatoes; 1 cdita Ground cumin; 3 cdas Vegetable oil; 1 Onion; 4 Dried pasilla chillies; 4 cloves Garlic cloves

95 min (20 prep + 75 cook) Medium 6 servings Centro

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Pork ribs slow-cooked in dark pasilla chilli sauce with tomato and spices.

About this recipe

Pork ribs in pasilla chilli sauce are a comforting stew from central Mexico where tender, juicy rib meat is slowly cooked in a dark, deep pasilla chilli sauce. The pasilla chilli - the dried chilaca, with its dark violet-black colour and flavour of prunes, cacao and earth - creates an extraordinarily complex salsa with tomato, garlic and spices. This is the kind of stew that requires time but rewards the effort handsomely.

History & Origin

The pasilla chilli is one of the most important and underestimated dried chillies in Mexican cuisine. Its name comes from 'pasa' (raisin), due to its dark wrinkled skin that resembles raisins. When fresh it is called chile chilaca, but when dried it transforms into pasilla, acquiring notes of dried fruit, cacao and earth that are impossible to replicate with any other chilli. Pork ribs in pasilla chilli sauce are a quintessential Sunday dish in central Mexico - especially in the State of Mexico, Puebla and Mexico City - where slow cooking transforms budget pork cuts into a feast of flavours. Pasilla salsa is also the base of Oaxacan black mole and several regional moles, which attests to the importance of this chilli in Mexican cuisine.

Estimated cost

£15.50

Total cost

£2.58

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

450

Calories

32g

Protein

16g

Carbohydrates

28g

Fat

Fibre

560mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the chillies: remove stems, seeds and veins from 4 dried pasilla chillies (keep the seeds to toast as a condiment). Toast them on a dry griddle for 20-30 seconds per side until aromatic but not burnt. Rehydrate in hot water for 20 minutes. Reserve the soaking water.
💡 Do not discard the chile soaking water - it contains flavour and colour. Use it for blending.
2
Dry-roast on a griddle: 3 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves (unpeeled) until they have black patches and are soft. Peel the garlic. Blend everything with the rehydrated pasilla chillies, 1 tsp cumin, 1 pinch of cinnamon, a little soaking water and salt. Strain the salsa.
💡 Dry-roasting the vegetables on a griddle (without oil) adds depth and a subtle smokiness to the salsa.
3
Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large casserole over high heat. Sear the ribs in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until well browned. Remove and set aside. In the same casserole, fry the strained pasilla salsa over medium-high heat for 5 minutes stirring until it changes colour and thickens.
💡 Browning the ribs well before stewing is essential for the final flavour. Do not skip this step.
4
Return the browned ribs to the casserole with the pasilla salsa. Add 400ml of chicken stock or water, mix well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover the casserole and cook for 1 hour very gently, until the ribs are tender and pull away from the bone easily.
💡 Slow cooking on the lowest heat is key: the collagen from the ribs dissolves and enriches the salsa.
5
Adjust the salt and consistency of the salsa (if too thick, add a little stock; if too thin, uncover and reduce for 10 more minutes). Serve the ribs in pasilla salsa with white rice, refried beans and corn tortillas. Garnish with chopped white onion and coriander.
💡 This stew improves noticeably when reheated the next day as the flavours deepen.