Costillas con Papas y Piñas de Millo

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large nonreactive bowl, at least 6 litres
• •Heavy pot or caldero, about 8 litres
• •Mortar, at least 18cm, or small blender
• •Large colander
• •Broad serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Desalt the ribs

   Twenty-four hours before cooking, put the salted ribs in a large nonreactive bowl and cover them with 4 litres of cold water. Refrigerate them throughout the soak. Drain and replace the water after 6, 12, and 18 hours, using 4 litres each time, then rinse the ribs well. This is the step that decides the dish: leave too much salt in the meat and it seasons the potatoes past saving.

   Keep the ribs in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Salt preserves, but it does not excuse a warm overnight soak.
2. 2

   Make the green mojo

   Pound the cumin seeds and coarse salt in a mortar. Add the garlic and work it to a paste, then pound in the green pepper, optional chile, and cilantro a little at a time. Stir in the vinegar, followed by the olive oil, until the mojo is loose, green, and visibly flecked. A blender is fine if you pulse briefly rather than turning it into a smooth cream. Set aside while the pot cooks.

3. 3

   Begin the rib pot

   Put the rinsed ribs in an 8-litre pot and add about 3.5 litres of fresh cold water, enough to cover them by 3cm. Bring slowly to a boil over medium heat and skim off the grey foam. Lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer gently for 45 minutes. The meat should be beginning to soften but still hold firmly to the bone.

   Taste the cooking liquid after 10 minutes. It should taste seasoned, not harshly salty. If it is still fierce, drain it, add fresh boiling water, and continue. Do not add salt to the pot.
4. 4

   Add the corn

   Add the halved corn cobs and return the liquid to a gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, turning any floating pieces once so they cook evenly. Mature field corn needs this time; its kernels should swell and soften without leaving the cob.

5. 5

   Cook the potatoes

   Add the whole peeled potatoes, tucking them beneath the liquid without stirring the ribs about. Add a little boiling water only if they are not nearly covered. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until a small knife passes cleanly through the centre of a potato and the ribs are tender at the bone. If the potatoes finish first, lift them out and give the ribs another 10 minutes.

6. 6

   Drain and serve

   Reserve 250ml of the cooking liquid, then drain the ribs, corn, and potatoes well. Arrange them together on a broad platter and let them settle for 5 minutes. Spoon a little cilantro mojo over one or two pieces and bring the rest to the table in a bowl. Each person adds their own. The potatoes should catch the sharp green sauce, the corn stays sweet, and the salted pork carries the plate. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for costillas saladas at a Canarian, Spanish, Portuguese, or Latin American butcher. They should smell clean and cured, never sour, and the flesh should be firm. Bacon and smoked ribs are not substitutes; both change the whole pot.
• •If you must begin with fresh ribs, use 30g coarse salt for 1.2kg meat and refrigerate them for 24 hours. Rinse but do not soak. The taste will be gentler and less cured, and the cooking liquid may need exactly 3g salt near the end.
• •Use fresh corn when the ears feel heavy and the kernels release milky juice when pierced. Outside its season, use frozen cob sections and add them with the potatoes, not earlier. Canned loose kernels have no place here; the cob is part of the dish.
• •Small Canarian potatoes are ideal. Away from the islands, use Yukon Gold or another yellow all-purpose potato of about 100g each. Peel them and keep them whole so they take on the rib broth without collapsing.
• •Mojo de cilantro should be loose enough to spoon, with small green flecks still visible. Make it with a mortar if you have time, or pulse it briefly in a blender. Once it becomes a thick green paste, it stops behaving like mojo.
• •A dry Tenerife Listán Blanco, lightly chilled, is right beside this. Its freshness clears the cured pork and vinegar from the palate without fighting the sweet corn.

Advance Preparation

• •Begin desalting the ribs 24 hours before cooking. Change the refrigerated soaking water after 6, 12, and 18 hours so the salt leaves the meat evenly.
• •The cilantro mojo can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated in a sealed jar. Bring it out 30 minutes before serving and stir well, as the oil thickens in the cold.
• •Cooked ribs, corn, and potatoes keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store the mojo separately. Reheat the pot gently with a splash of the reserved cooking liquid, then add the cold mojo only at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)