Costillas al achiote translates to ribs in achiote. Achiote comes from the bright colored annatto seeds. Achiote has a mild earthy flavor and it’s distinct bright red color is unmistakable. Cochinita pibil and pork al pastor are just two of the popular Mexican recipes that come to mind when I think of achiote. And not only for costillas, achiote marinades are delicious on chicken and seafood too!
Scroll down to see and read about some of the other delicious recipes prepared with achiote.
Costillas al Achiote
Delicious achiote pork ribs warm right out of your oven!
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Servings: 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork country-style ribs bone in
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 ounces achiote paste
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp chile de arbol powder or chipotle
- Juice of 5 oranges
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
- You will also need
- 4-4 1/2 pounds of bone in pork country-style ribs
- 1 large onion sliced into rings
- 1 cup water
- Foil paper
- roasting pan
Instructions
- To the blender, add all of the ingredients for the achiote marinade. Blend on high until smooth. Taste for salt and set aside.
- Season the pork ribs with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
- Line the bottom of roasting pan with foil paper. Add the sliced onion rings to the bottom of pan. Layer the ribs across in an even layer.
- Pour in 1 cup of water to the bottom of pan. Now pour the marinade over the top of pork to coat evenly. Cover tightly with foil paper and roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, uncover ribs and baste with the sauce from the pan. Place back in the oven and roast uncovered for 30 minutes. Baste one more time and back in the oven for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let the ribs rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a fresh salad, rice and corn.
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There is 8 1/2 #s of country style ribs in the Costillas Al Achiote? Can you use Spare Ribs also?
Mark, you can absolutely use spare ribs.
Do you need to marinate the ribs before cooking?? Just it seems alot of liquid even with slow cooking for 3hrs
You can marinate them for 24 to 48 hours, yes. I purposely want the extra liquid at the bottom so I can use the sauce it will create to baste and serve ribs with. If you don’t want to add it, that ok too. It just may be a little dry at the bottom.
Thanks for letting me know. Juice from 5 Oranges and 2 limes seems to be a lot of Juice, especially when adding another cup of liquid (water).
That’s the beauty of cooking at home. We can customize to suit our taste. Enjoy!