Name: Grilled pork ribs from Tota (Costillas de cerdo asadas)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1.5 kg meaty bone-in pork spare ribs, cut into manageable sections; 30 ml fresh lime juice; 15 ml neutral oil; 12 g fine salt; 12 g finely grated garlic; 3 g ground cumin; 1 g ground black pepper

Wide platter of grilled pork ribs on an outdoor wooden table with a green highland and lake landscape beyond.

Region Tota, Boyacá, Andean Colombia

Category Grilled pork main course

Yield 6 portions

Preparation time 20 minutes

Active time 30 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Grilled pork ribs from Tota (Costillas de cerdo asadas)

Season pork ribs simply, cook them slowly over indirect grill heat until tender, then brown them over the coals.

Colombia’s national traditional-food inventory lists Costillas de cerdo asadas as an everyday main course from Tota, Boyacá, and describes the dish as pork ribs cooked on a grill. The entry identifies the meat and cooking method but does not provide a pork seasoning formula or detailed instructions.

A digitized national cookbook contains a Tota recipe for grilled lamb ribs, a different dish. This practical home version therefore keeps to the documented pork-and-grill identity and uses a restrained garlic, cumin and lime seasoning; those proportions and the slow-grill method are recipe choices, not a claim to reproduce a canonical local formula.

Use meaty pork ribs cut into manageable sections. A covered grill with a two-zone fire makes it easier to cook them gently before browning. The ribs can be safe at a lower internal temperature than the point that gives the connective tissue a tender texture, so use both a thermometer and a tenderness check.

Ingredients

1.5 kg meaty bone-in pork spare ribs, cut into manageable sections
30 ml fresh lime juice
15 ml neutral oil
12 g fine salt
12 g finely grated garlic
3 g ground cumin
1 g ground black pepper

Method

Season and chill the ribs Pat the ribs dry. Mix the lime juice, oil, salt, garlic, cumin and pepper; rub the mixture over all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Keep raw pork chilled and do not marinate it on the counter.
Prepare a two-zone grill Set up a charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking and stabilize the covered grill at about 135–150°C. For charcoal, bank the coals to one side and place a drip pan on the other; for gas, light one side and cook over the unlit side. Clean and oil the grate lightly.
Cook slowly over indirect heat Place the ribs bone-side down away from the flame and close the lid. Cook for roughly 2–3 hours, turning occasionally and keeping the grill near its target temperature. If the surface darkens too quickly, move the ribs farther from the heat. Do not partially cook them and finish later.
Check tenderness and finish over direct heat Insert a clean thermometer into the thickest meat without touching bone. The food-safety minimum for whole pork is 62.8°C followed by a 3-minute rest. For a more tender rib texture, continue cooking indirectly toward 88–95°C, checking tenderness as well as temperature. Move the ribs briefly over direct heat to brown, turning often so the garlic does not burn. Rest on a clean platter for at least 3 minutes.
Serve and store safely Serve hot. Keep raw-meat utensils and platters separate from cooked food. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours; use within 3–4 days and reheat throughout to 73.9°C.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Rounded estimate based on USDA pork sparerib composition, estimated edible yield, measured salt and the small amount of oil. Rib fat, bone proportion, trimming and rendered fat loss vary; this is not a laboratory analysis.

Practical guidance

1. Marinate the ribs in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. 2. A two-zone fire lets the ribs cook through gently before you brown them. 3. Grill temperature and rib thickness affect timing; use the clock as a guide, not proof of doneness. 4. Probe thick meat away from the bone. The 62.8°C plus rest endpoint is the safety minimum; a higher 88–95°C range is a texture option for tender ribs. 5. Watch closely during the direct-heat finish; garlic and rendered fat can scorch or flare. 6. Use a clean tray for cooked ribs, refrigerate promptly and reheat leftovers to 73.9°C.

Allergens and food safety

The listed ingredients contain no declared major allergen. Check packaged spices and oil labels for additional ingredients or cross-contact. Keep raw pork and its marinade away from ready-to-eat food; wash hands and surfaces, and use a clean platter and utensils for cooked ribs. Marinate in the refrigerator. If reusing marinade that touched raw pork, boil it first or discard it. Cook whole pork to at least 62.8°C and rest for 3 minutes; higher heat may be used for rib tenderness. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 73.9°C.

Final notes

1: The inventory documents Tota pork ribs cooked on a grill; the seasoning and timing here are a practical home interpretation because its entry does not detail them. 2: Tenderness depends on the cut and grill. Use temperature and texture checks, and adjust the cooking time as needed.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1 of 6 portions, using estimated edible meat from bone-in ribs
Calories: 350 kcal
Carbohydrates: 2 g
Protein: 30 g
Fat: 25 g
Fibre: 0 g
Sodium: 850 mg

Grilled pork ribs from Tota (Costillas de cerdo asadas)

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Allergens and food safety

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

White beans with pork ribs and bacon (Fríjoles blancos con costilla de cerdo y tocineta)

Ripe pumpkin-seed stew (Guiso de pepas de calabaza madura)

Tunja-style fried pork chops (Chuletas de cerdo)