4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1½oz. ancho chiles
1½ oz. guajillo chiles
½ c. chicken broth
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
big pinch ground cumin
pinch ground cloves
â…› tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¾ tsp. dried Mexican oregano
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. brown sugar
1½ tsp. salt

3-3½ lbs. country-style pork ribs
2 T. honey

6 (or more) large romaine lettuce leaves
small onion, thinly sliced into rings
2 radishes, quartered, diced, or sliced
fresh cilantro, in sprigs or chopped

Begin by setting a heavy, ungreased comal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Stem and seed the chiles and rip them open so that they will lay flat. Set them on the hot skillet, pressing with a spatula for just a few seconds, until they start to change color and crackle a bit. They should smell nice and earthy and toasty – but not burnt. Flip over and repeat on opposite side. Remove from skillet and place in bowl. Do this in batches until all chiles have been toasted. Cover chiles with boiling water and set a plate on top to keep them submered; let soak ~30 minutes. Toss the garlic cloves onto the hot skillet and roast until soft and charred in spots, ~10-15 minutes. Let cool until you’re able to handle then, then slip the garlic from its paper skin. Place the garlic in the jar of a blender. Lift the chiles from their soaking water and place in blender with the garlic. Add ½ cup of broth to the blender along with the vinegar and all of the spices. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as needed. Press the puree through a sieve into a clean bowl, pushing down with a rubber scraper to release all of the liquid. Stir in the brown sugar and salt; taste and adjust seasoning as needed. You could make this chile marinade up to several weeks in advance and store it in a jar with a lid in the fridge until ready to use.

Place the ribs in a gallon-size zippered baggie and pour HALF of the marinade over them. Seal the baggie and squidge everything along until the marinade coats the pork. Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.

Combine remaining half of chile marinade with honey; stir until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 325° F. Dump the ribs and any marinade into a large baking or roasting pan. Drizzle ¼ cup of water around them. Cover with foil and bake until tender when pierced with a fork – this could take anywhere from 1-2 hours. Uncover and baste with the liquid in the pan. Return to oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, this will help them develop a good crust. Carefully pour the fat and juices out of the pan. Increase heat to 350° F. Brush the ribs with the chile-honey glaze…really slather it on there…really, use it all! Bake until the ribs are beautifully glazed and crusty on the edges, ~15 minutes.

Lay the lettuce leaves on a serving platter and arrange the ribs over them. Scatter onion, radishes, and cilantro over them. Serve with hot corn tortillas. These ribs are great eaten whole or shredded and stuffed into tortillas to make some tasty tacos.