Pork and Beans

We have once a week treat for red meat at home. We've been doing this for quite awhile now and it has been working out really well for us. Our diet consisted mostly of vegetables, fish and chicken. I made my own version of pork and beans last night and it was a hit. My husband loved it. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Rack of baby back ribs
• 1 Cup red beans soaked for 8 hours or overnight in cold water
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Medium onion, minced
• 2 Pieces carrots, cubed
• 2 Stalks celery, chopped
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (if using dried, 1 teaspoon)
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (if dried, 1 teaspoon)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 3 Cups of vegetable stock
• 2 Pieces jalapeno peppers sliced, rib and seeds removed
• 2 Teaspoon tabasco or any hot sauce
• 1 Can 8 ounce tomato sauce (you can also use canned tomatoes just make sure to cut them roughly)
• 1 Teaspoon brown sugar.
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoon of water

Cooking Instructions:

1. Separate the ribs by cutting them off individually. Render the fat by putting them on a nonstick pan and letting it cook covered in medium heat letting out all the fat we don't necessarily need. This is important for me every time I cook pork or beef stews. You don't put water in it as it will produce its own juice. This will take about 30-45 minutes. You will know it's done when some of the pieces has turned brown making them look as if they were actually fried . Remove the rib from the pan and discard the unhealthy fat.
2. Put the same pan back to the stove and cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant and translucent. Add in the carrots, celery, parsley, cilantro and bay leaves. Saute for a minute until well combined. Next, toss in the cooked ribs and vegetable stock. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced.
3. Pour the tomato sauce along with the jalapeno peppers and a dash of tabasco hot sauce. Season as you like with salt and pepper. Put in the brown sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomato sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
4. Lastly, thicken the sauce with the cornstarch mixture and cook for 2 minutes before you turn off the heat.
5. Serve with steaming rice or toasted sourdough bread. Enjoy!