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You are here: Home » Recipes » Pork

Pork Spare Ribs in Salsa Verde

Published: Sep 19, 2017 · Updated: Jun 20, 2019 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

Are you ready to make a dish that will leave your plates clean? You will understand what I mean when you try these Pork Spare Ribs with Nopales in Salsa Verde, you will love them!

Pork Ribs with Nopales in Salsa Verde

Pork spare ribs in salsa verde, a delicious tomatillo and serrano peppers green sauce.

Today’s recipe is a staple in many homes, and that means that there are as many variations to this recipe as there are home cooks in Mexico. It is made with pork ribs, an inexpensive and popular cut of meat in Mexico (it is popular due to its affordability and flavor).

Pork was brought to the Americas by the first Spaniards that came to conquer America; they also brought fruits, seeds, and other types of animals that were not common on this continent. When these ingredients were mixed with the local cuisine, they created an exquisite fusion, rendering what is now the Mexican gastronomy.

This is what our actual Mexican cuisine is, a fusion of many cultures. Besides that of Spain, Mexican gastronomy has also had Chinese, Philippine, French, African, and Arab influences.

Our food just wouldn’t be the same without the addition of pork: there would be no pork tamales, no gorditas stuffed with chicharron in salsa verde, and none of this mouthwatering Pork Ribs in Salsa Verde!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and come back to let me know the results!

How to make Pork Ribs with Nopales in Salsa Verde

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Pork ribs in salsa verde with nopales cooking ingredients

DIRECTIONS:

Pork ribs in salsa verde with nopales
  • Cut the spare ribs into small pieces and place in a saucepan. Cover with 2 cups of water and add the ¼ onion, one garlic clove, and the bay leaf. Bring water to a boil. (Please check the ingredients list below)
  • Roast the tomatillos, peppers, ⅓ onion, and garlic cloves on a griddle. These two last ones need to be removed quickly since they take less time to roast.
  • Place the roasted vegetables and chopped cilantro in your blender and process until you have a smooth salsa.
Pork ribs in salsa verde with nopales
  • Once the meat is cooked and lightly browned, pour the sauce into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the nopales.
Pork spare ribs with nopales in salsa verde

Serve with rice and warm corn tortillas.

Provecho!

Mely,

Maybe you would also like our Braised short ribs with tomatillo sauce. The same recipe also in Spanish: Costillas de res en salsa verde.

📖 Recipe

Pork spare ribs in salsa verde, a delicious tomatillo and serrano peppers green sauce.

Pork Ribs with Nopales in Salsa Verde

Mely Martínez
Today’s recipe is a staple in many homes, and that means that there are as many variations to this recipe as there are home cooks in Mexico. It is made with pork ribs, an inexpensive and popular cut of meat in Mexico (it is popular due to its affordability and flavor).
4.84 from 12 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6
Calories 325 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1¾ lb. pork spare ribs tips
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ¼ white onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1½ cup of cooked and diced nopales *
  • 1 lb. tomatillos husks removed
  • 4-6 serrano peppers**
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ⅓ white onion
  • ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil or rendered pork fat
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cut the spare ribs in small pieces and place in a saucepan. Cover with the water and add the ¼ onion, one garlic clove, and the bay leaf. Bring water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes until meat is tender and the water has reduced. The meat will start to brown with its own fat.
  • Meanwhile, roast the tomatillos, peppers, ⅓ onion, and garlic cloves. These two last ones need to be removed quickly since they take less time to roast. Place all these ingredients in a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap them so they keep cooking in their own steam for about 5 minutes.
  • Place the roasted vegetables and chopped cilantro in your blender and process until you have a smooth salsa.
  • Once the meat is cooked and lightly browned, pour the sauce into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the nopales and reduce the heat to simmer for about 7-8 minutes.

Serve with rice and warm corn tortillas.

    Notes

    • You can also use green beans or even squash for this recipe
    • If you don’t find serrano peppers, use jalapeños.
    • Sometimes, I also use avocado leaves when cooking the meat to add a different flavor.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6gCalories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 26gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 94mgPotassium: 706mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 295IUVitamin C: 14.1mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1.7mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Pork

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    • spicy pork short ribs
      Country Style Pork Ribs in a Spicy Tomato Sauce
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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Gerry

      November 25, 2022 at 10:13 am

      This was a perfect meal(s). I like spicy so I heated up up. I had leftovers for breakfast with fried eggs, black beans with roasted poblano's. Not sure which meal was better.

      Reply
    2. Gerry

      November 18, 2022 at 11:20 am

      I will be making the pork in salsa Verde tonight. It's my first time working with tomatillos. Wish me luck. By the way my wife and I have used the 4 letters "mely" for years at the end of our texts or emails. For us it represents "ME Loving You."

      Reply
      • Mely Martínez

        November 18, 2022 at 12:46 pm

        Hello Gerry,
        Enjoy your pork and tomatillo stew.
        Thank you fro sharing about how you & your wide use the letter mely. It is so nice!

        Reply
    3. Ellie Kordas

      January 22, 2022 at 1:30 pm

      Thank you so much for keeping these recipes alive!! I am awed when I think that the recipe for tamales probably can be traced back for nearly 10,000 years! That is family tradition!!

      Love the recipe, I always go to green before red, because my stomach says so, and it is not easy to find una receta para costillas en salsa verde.

      Pero, disculpe me, when I contradict you and say that pork meat was enjoyed by Native Americans before the first Europeans got here, in the form of the javalina, a kind of peccary (Tayassu tajacu) that looks like a wild boar. It ranged from Arizona, all the way into northern Argentina.

      Reply
    4. Xochitl

      December 21, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      5 stars
      Made this again the other night for dinner. Loved it the first time, but husband didn't like the pieces of chicharron that didn't get super soft, so this time I cooked them for quite a while, over an hour, continuing to add water as needed. When making the sauce, I accidentally oversalted it, so I added plum tomatoes (from my garden) until the salt level was acceptable. Also, didn't remove seeds, mostly because I'm lazy, but also we are fine with spicy. I love how easy this is to make yet so delicious!!
      We had leftovers for breakfast!

      Reply
      • Xochitl

        December 21, 2020 at 6:13 pm

        5 stars
        Opps, that was meant for the chicarron recipe!! Posted in wrong place!

        Reply
      • Mely Martínez

        December 22, 2020 at 7:16 pm

        Hello Xochitl,
        Thank you for trying the recipe and for sharing the adjustments you had to make. I'm pretty sure it will be helpful for other readers.

        Reply
    5. Sandra

      February 06, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this delish dish. It is amazing ❤️

      Reply
    6. Arlete Franco

      March 21, 2018 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      Hola Meli,

      Tus recetas tan deliciosas todas!
      Para esta receta, no cuelas la salsa despues de moler. los tomatillos tienen semilllitas.

      Gracias!

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        March 22, 2018 at 11:20 am

        Hola Arlete,
        No la cuelo, se que algunas personas lo ahce, pero eso es al gusto de cada cocinero. Saludos!

        Reply
    7. Betty Cruz

      October 25, 2017 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      I used boneless ribs and oh my goodness... it’s so delicious! Your recipes just make me enjoy cooking again. Muchas Gracias!

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        October 26, 2017 at 3:33 pm

        Hello Betty,
        Thank you for trying the recipe.
        Provecho!

        Reply
    8. Gary in Arizona

      September 24, 2017 at 10:34 pm

      5 stars
      OK, An update.

      The rice is killer, awesome, stupendous! Adding the extra pork stock from the recipe was a great idea on my part.

      The pork. Well, my simmer is not the same as yours. My pork was not done, and I thought about starting all over again. BUT...
      I continued to simmer the pork in the Salsa Verde, covered, for about another 1/2 hour. BINGO!

      Fall off the bone, tender...Delicioso! Dinner saved! Yay!

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        September 25, 2017 at 2:49 am

        Hello, Gary,
        Thank you for taking the time to write about your results with the recipe. Someone else also mentioned that they have more liquid but it was because they added more water than the recipe indicates. Base on your comments, I'll add some more notes to the recipe, I want everyone to enjoy the dish.
        Happy cooking!

        Reply
        • Gary in Arizona

          October 04, 2017 at 2:36 pm

          I had more liquid because I added more "to cover". I realized later that the actual ingredient list stated "2 cups". I DID make this again and it turned out really good, again 🙂 I did use Country Style Pork Shoulder ribs this time, though. I made it for my son and grand daughters (at 4 & 6, I didn't think the girls would care for the bone). The ribs where large. Cut the meat away from the bone, and cubed. Tossed the bone in for that WONDERFUL marrow flavor. This is a keeper Mely! I just had an interpretation error.

    9. Gary in Arizona

      September 24, 2017 at 8:24 pm

      OH DARN! I messed this up. When I read "cover with the water", I covered.... When I got to the part where you are supposed to add the sauce after 40 mins, I still had liquid in there. I looked at the recipe again and noticed "2 cups"! Oui! (sound of palm hitting forehead). The good news is, I had 2 cups fresh pork stock to make your red rice! I am going to have to try this one again. Still good, but just not right. Back to the kitchen for me.

      Reply
    10. Xochitl

      September 24, 2017 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      I made this last night. It was delicious! The only problem was the water didn't cook out entirely. I had to pour it out and add oil to brown the meat. Think that was because I didnt chop the riblets into smaller pieces so added too much water as a result. Regardless, it was delicious! Will make again! Thank you for the recipe and the website!

      Reply
    11. Sella A

      September 20, 2017 at 3:18 am

      I love your recipes and keep sending them, it's far better than any other recipes I ever tried, thank you so much for best food to try 100% excellent... Stella Acosta

      Reply
    12. Phil

      September 20, 2017 at 5:37 am

      5 stars
      Mely,

      Great looking recipe, except you mentioned in Instruction #2 to roast the "tomatoes".. Shouldn't it be "tomatillos"?

      Other than that, looks great! Will try it very soon, as I love pork ribs!

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        September 20, 2017 at 7:34 pm

        Thank you for letting me know. Happy cooking!

        Reply
    13. Bill

      September 19, 2017 at 10:31 pm

      How can I print your recipes?

      Reply

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    About me

    Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.
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