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A 10th birthday is a milestone for any restaurant to celebrate. It was an especially significant one for Cescas Margarita Bar and Grill — and a poignant one for owner Maybelline Pereda, a dental hygienist by trade who was thrown into the role of restaurateur when her husband died unexpectedly a few months after he’d opened what has become a culinary gem in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood in 2014.
The dishes customers enjoy include Enchiladas Verdes, Mole Nachos, and the Costillitas en Salsa Verde, a traditional Mexican dish of slow-cooked baby pork ribs that can be used in tacos or served on the bone as a dinner with rice and beans.
“This is a recipe that my late husband enjoyed very much, and he made it part of our menu. His mother used to make it for him when he was growing up,” Pereda explains. “There are many versions of it — every family makes it the way they love best. Some add potatoes to it, others will add chicharrón to it. It is a dish here at Cescas that no one ever needs to take home because they never leave anything on their plate — it’s that delicious!”
Costillas en Salsa Verde
1 rack of baby back pork ribs, cut every 2 ribs
2 bay leaves
½ t. oregano
1 whole garlic
½ onion, sliced
1¾ oz. salt
Water until covered
Tomatillo Salsa (recipe below)
Put all ingredients except salsa in a large casserole and boil for approximately 1½ hours. Once done, deep fry ribs for approximately 30 to 45 seconds (do not over-fry).
The Tomatillo Salsa
½ t. oregano
½ t. cumin
4 chiles jalapeños "asados," depending on how spicy they are
10 peeled garlic cloves
3 qts. tomatillos "asados"
2 hefty bouquets of cilantro, plus an extra 1/2 bouquet, chopped (keep amounts separated)
Handful of sliced onions
Knorr Suiza Seasoning
Put all ingredients except the ½ bouquet of cilantro, sliced onions and Knorr Suiza in a blender and blend. Then, in a medium container, mix ½ bouquet of chopped cilantro and the blended salsa.
In the same casserole where the ribs boiled, add ½ ladle of oil and a handful of sliced onions. Slightly brown the onions, add the blended salsa and 1 large heaping spoon of Knorr Suiza. Bring to a boil, add ribs, and simmer approximately 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, if needed. Put over ice to cool down.
Serve on plate covered with salsa and a side of rice and beans, or shred meat and use in tacos.