Braised Country Ribs with Chayote

From the garden

• 3 medium chayote, peeled, seed removed, cut into 1½-inch chunks · about 2 pounds; rub your hands with oil or wear gloves, the raw sap can make skin tight and itchy
• 4 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped · or one 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, minced, seeds in for heat
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

From the pantry

• 2½ lb bone-in country-style pork ribs, patted dry
• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp chili powder · ancho or guajillo powder if you can get it
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 12 corn tortillas, warmed (optional) · or cooked rice
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Season the ribs well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high and brown the ribs 3–4 minutes per side until crusty and dark at the edges, working in batches. Set them on a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook 5 minutes in the pork fat until soft. Stir in the garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and toast 1 minute, until the spices smell nutty and stick to the pan.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes, mashing them with the spoon, until they break down into a thick paste. Pour in the stock, scrape the bottom clean, and return the ribs with any juices. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat.
4. Cover and simmer very gently (a bubble every second or two) for 60–70 minutes, turning the ribs once, until the meat is starting to pull from the bone. It will be far past pork's 145°F safe mark, closer to 190°F, which is what makes it tender.
5. Nestle the chayote chunks into the sauce around the ribs, cover again, and cook 20–25 minutes more, until a knife slides through the chayote easily but the pieces still hold their shape. Do not add it earlier: overcooked chayote goes watery and slumps.
6. Skim the fat from the surface if there is a lot, season the sauce with salt, and stir in most of the cilantro. Serve the ribs and chayote in shallow bowls with plenty of sauce, the rest of the cilantro, lime wedges, and warm tortillas or rice.