Pork rib with crackling and money water. Santiago Granda at the School of Chefs
Guayaquil's burgeoning culinary scene has largely revolved around the work of Santiago Granda at La Escuela de los Chefs (The School of Chefs). Around twenty generations of cooks from the region have passed through its classrooms, and many of today's professionals were trained there.
Ingredients for pork rib
- 1 rack of pork ribs with skin.
- ½ liter of soy sauce.
- 10 crushed garlic cloves.
- 2 pearl onions.
- 2 stalks of white onion.
- 1 ginger root.
- 1 bunch of lemon verbena.
Ingredients for banknote water:
- 1 pearl onion.
- 1 bunch of white onions.
- 2 tomatoes.
- 2 green peppers.
- 1 bunch of cilantro.
- Corn chicha or beer to taste.
- Salt, pepper, cumin.
Preparation of pork ribs
- Blow-dry the skin of the rib rack until it is completely charred. Scrape off the soot two or three times with a knife until it has a caramel color.
- Process the remaining marinade ingredients and coat the ribs. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator, cover with aluminum foil and steam in the oven: 8 to 10 hours at 90 degrees.
- Cool the meat and place a weight on top to press it. Let it rest for 24 hours in the refrigerator. The meat will have a firm, gelatinous texture, allowing you to cut it into cubes or portions as desired.
- Heat the meat in a pan on the skin side, over low heat, until it starts to get crispy; this is known as the rind.
- "Agua de billete" is the sauce that accompanies hormado or roasted pork dishes in Cuenca. To make it, pearl onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, white onions, and cilantro are chopped. It is seasoned with lemon, salt, cumin, and pepper, and then moistened with beer or chicha.
