Costillar a la Chilena (Spicy Marinated Chilean Pork Ribs)

One of the reasons I immediately felt at home when I lived in the United States—Columbus, Ohio, to be exact—is that I found in its people an unconditional, unrivaled love for pork, exactly the same as we feel in Chile. I remember a few days after arriving, wandering with my husband through the icy Short North neighborhood, the first real winter of our lives, and encountering a chocolate shop that sold thick, crunchy slices of smoked bacon coated in dark chocolate. Pork was so well loved, that it was even transformed into dessert! It instantly instilled a “this is the right place” feeling in our hearts. 

I love cooking pork as much as I love eating it. That’s why one of the first recipes I cooked for my newly acquired American friends was this one, the utterly Chilean, thoroughly traditional costillar de chancho a la chilena. It is tasty and simple: pork ribs marinated in a spicy, vinegary, garlicky mixture, and then slow-roasted in the oven or grilled when the weather allows. It was a success, even when I had to explain that these are not your cooked-forever, fall-off-the-bone kind of ribs, because in Chile we tend to like pork with some chew left in it. 

Any cut of ribs will do—spare, baby back, St. Louis—as long as cooking times are adjusted accordingly. The marinade is also open to variation. The base liquid is usually white wine, beer, or red or white wine vinegar, and flavorings include a healthy amount of garlic and oregano (always); Chilean hot sauce and black pepper (most of the time); and some cumin and Chilean paprika called ají de color (often).

I like it with all of these ingredients, with a strong emphasis on the garlic, hot sauce, and oregano. For the base, I’m a fan of vinegar. While I like the delicate fruitiness of white wine when cooked, I prefer vinegar for its ability to quickly tenderize the meat and marry the flavors so beautifully. Still, if you have the time to allow the more mild acidity of wine to work its tenderizing magic (about eight hours, in my experience), you can try it instead. It will not disappoint. 

When I made this in the States and didn’t have Chilean hot sauce available, I replaced it with sriracha. I compared labels and both have a very similar salt content, so no salt adjustments are necessary. Other similarly mild red hot sauces can be used as well, as long as you take into account the amount of salt another type of hot sauce might introduce and adjust as needed. My recipe uses six tablespoons of hot sauce for a medium level of spiciness, but feel free to add more or less to your taste. 

Pair these flavorful ribs with a more neutral side, as we do traditionally in Chile: Try plain, boiled potatoes with melted butter or the best mashed potatoes you can make, along with a simple green or tomato-based salad. And if you drink, it has to be red wine—this is Chilean food after all.