Bourbon & Brown Sugar Ribs

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Bourbon & Brown Sugar Ribs

Ribs. Is there anything more appropriate for a Memorial Day BBQ? There are many schools of thought as far as rib preparation goes. Grilling vs baking. Dry Rub vs Sauce. I like to go all out, and do all of those things! A dry rub for a few hours, then baking in the oven til perfectly tender and ALMOST falling apart. Then a quick grill with a delicious basting BBQ sauce.

The sauce itself is magical. The folks at Musselman’s sent me a big jar of their apple butter to try out – and I used it as the base for the sauce. To be honest, I think the apple butter itself brushed on meats on the grill would be wonderful – it’s the perfect texture and consistency. But, I went ahead and added some other delicious things to it – like bourbon and brown sugar – and it knocked it out of the park!

They’ve offered to send one lucky reader a grilling package to kick-start your summer as well – featuring a jar of their delicious apple butter, a sauce mop, and some delicious recipes! Just leave a comment telling me what your plans are for Memorial Day weekend? My mother-in-law is in town visiting, so we plan on spending some quality family time together – and maybe a night out on the town dancing while Grandma babysits! Contest will run today through next Monday (5/27) at 11:59 PM EST.

Bourbon & Brown Sugar Ribs

For the sauce:
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons hard cider
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

For the ribs:
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 2- to 2 1/4-pound racks baby back pork ribs
1 large onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
6 thin rounds peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 cups hard cider

Prepare the sauce by whisking all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Set aside.

To make the rib rub, combine salt, brown sugar, mustard powder, thyme, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl. Using small sharp knife, loosen membrane from underside of each rib rack and pull off (or score membrane). Rub 1 tablespoon seasoning mix into each side of each rib rack. Place ribs in large roasting pan. Cover and chill at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lift ribs from pan. Scatter onion, cinnamon stick, and ginger in pan. Pour in cider. Return ribs, meat side down, to pan; cover pan with foil. Roast ribs until meat is tender and begins to pull away from bones, about 2 hours. Uncover; cool at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill ribs until heated through and slightly charred, about 5 minutes per side. Brush generously on all sides with basting sauce. Grill until sauce becomes sticky glaze, about 3 minutes longer per side. Transfer rib racks to cutting board. Cut racks between bones into individual ribs. Arrange on platter and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Source: Bon Appétit, July 2005

Disclaimer: I received a grilling package from Musselman’s for my review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Shrimp and Grits

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Shrimp and Grits

Sometimes I feel like Bubba Blue from “Forrest Gump” about shrimp. Fried shrimp, steamed shrimp, shrimp tacos, shrimp salad, shrimp scampi, shrimp enchiladas, shrimp alfredo, spicy shrimp – it’s so versatile, and yet sometimes I’m left feeling like I’ve tried it all. And, that’s just crazy talk!

But frankly, I’m embarrassed to admit that I’d not made the southern classic shrimp and grits in my kitchen. I hadn’t even had it until I had the opportunity to visit Charleston a few months ago for the Wine + Food Festival. I mentioned something to the young woman who was managing the prep tents for tastings – just that I hoped to get a taste of some REAL grits while there in Charleston. 5 minutes later she returned to me with the perfect little portion of shrimp & grits that they were preparing for a tasting somewhere on the Festival grounds – and it was divine. She even brought me a tub of grits milled locally on nearby Edisto Island to take home. How sweet was that? I swear, it’s the most hospitable city in the world!

Matt & Ted Lee also released their new cookbook during the festival. I had the opportunity to attend a book signing that they did, and I completely embarrassed myself proclaiming my love for their Pork Tenderloin with Madiera Fig Gravy (it’s life changing). They were all that they seemed, completely down to Earth – and just plain cool.

The Lee Bros

And of course the cookbook is fabulous. Their recipes never let me down, and this one is no exception. I loved the addition of fresh pureed tomatoes in the sauce. It adds such a bright note to a dish that’s teeming with porky savoryness and shrimpy goodness. I did add a little bit of finely diced green pepper – just because I had a half of one in the fridge. And many other recipes I’d seen incorporated it as an ingredient. And the grits – the grits! In the name of all things Holy, they were delicious. While I always associated grits with the gruel like substance on breakfast buffets, these were a world away. Perfectly thick and creamy, and just the right bed for these delicious saucy shrimp.

So, needless to say – I’m completely sold on the shrimp and grits thing. This dish will definitely be on our menu rotation relatively often. Big thanks to the good people of Charleston for introducing me to this new favorite! Now to go mail-order some more Geechie Boy Mills grits – we’ll be out before we know it! 

Shrimp and Grits

1 1/2 pounds headless large (21 to 25 count) shell-on shrimp
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
3/4 tsp. sugar
1 pinch of cayenne
1 lb. vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 tsp. red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
4 oz. slab bacon, cut into large dice
1 lemon, halved
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp green pepper, finely diced
Freshly ground black pepper

For the grits:
2 cups whole milk
1 cup stone-ground coarse grits
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp – reserving the shrimp in a bowl and the shells in a small saucepan. Add 2 cups of water, the bay leaf, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of the sugar, and the cayenne to the saucepan with the shells. With a spoon, tamp the shells down beneath the surface of the water, cover, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Uncover, turn the heat to medium low, and let the shrimp stock simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Get your grits started by placing the milk, 2 cups water, and the grits into a 2-quart saucepan. Cover, and turn the heat to medium high. When mixture comes to a simmer add butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and reduce the heat to medium. Stir every couple of minutes until the grits have become fragrant, and are the consistency of thick soup, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often and ever more frequently, for about 20 minutes, by which time the bubbles will emerge infrequently as the grits have stiffened and fall lazily from the end of a spoon. Add 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook for about 10 minutes more, stirring constantly to prevent the thickened grits from scorching on the bottom of the pan (appoint someone to the stirring task if you have to step away—a scorched pot of grits is bitter and a total loss). If your grits thicken too quickly, or if they are too gritty for your taste, add water by the half cup, stirring to incorporate, and continue cooking until tender. When the grits are stiff and stick well to the spoon, turn off the heat and stir. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

Put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and add the vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon sugar. Process to a smooth purée, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing the skin and seeds to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the skin and seeds. You should have 1 1/2 cups of tomato purée.

Scatter the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is alluringly browned and has rendered its fat, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small paper-towel-lined plate and cook the shrimp in the bacon fat in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan, and stirring occasionally, just until they’ve curled and turned pink, about 3 minutes; reserve on a plate. Squeeze half the lemon over the shrimp and sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt.

Add the garlic and green pepper to the pan, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Carefully strain the shrimp stock into the sauté pan, discarding the solids, and stir with a wooden spoon to pick up the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the stock simmers, spoon off 2 tablespoons and then whisk them into the flour with a fork in a small bowl to make a paste. Add the tomato purée, and then whisk the flour paste into the sauce. Cook until the mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon.
Cut the heat, and fold the shrimp in just to warm through. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and red wine vinegar. Cut the remaining lemon half into 4 wedges. Serve the shrimp over warm grits, and garnish with the reserved bacon and the lemon wedges.

Source: adapted from The Charleston Kitchen by Matt and Ted Lee

Pork Tenderloin Marsala

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Pork Tenderloin Marsala

I love pretty much anything that’s been Marsala-fied. It’s such an indispensable item to have in your liquor cabinet. It’s got a wonderful, rich depth of flavor when used for cooking, and it’s shelf stable – meaning that you can open it up, and it’ll keep fine un-refrigerated for years (not that a bottle ever makes it that long in our house). It comes in two varieties - sweet & dry. I usually buy the sweet, then balance out that sweetness with lemon juice when I’m doing a dish like this. Sweet Marsala is also great in dessert and other sweet recipes as well. So if you don’t have a bottle, pick one up – it’s handy to have on hand.

Chicken Marsala is pretty much my favorite dinner, and has been for years. But, in an effort to get less chicken – and more “other stuff” into our weekly menu I thought a Marsala twist on a pork tenderloin would be fun. Turned out to be alot easier than chicken marsala too, as the pork didn’t have to be pounded out to an even thickness – then coated and fried. Instead I took cues from this recipe – gave the tenderloin a little soak in the wine, then seared it off in the pan, cooked the mushrooms, added the wine, and finished it all off in the oven. It turned out delicious, and like I said – it was so much easier than the chicken version. And probably healthier too!

Pork Tenderloin Marsala

1 1/2 cups Marsala wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pound pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine 1 cup Marsala wine, lemon juice, and 1 tsp of salt in a large resealable bag. Add the pork tenderloin and marinate for 30-60 minutes.

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove tenderloin from the bag (reserving the marinade), and sear on all sides until browned – about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside on plate.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, and add the mushrooms – tossing to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are starting to brown on the edges and release most of their liquid – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the tomato paste to the pan and cook for an additional minute.

Slowly pour the remaining Marsala wine to the pan, along with the chicken stock and leftover marinade. Bring to a boil and whisk in the butter until smooth, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the tenderloin to the pan, turning once to coat.

Carefully place the skillet in the oven, and bake for about 15-20 minutes – until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 135 degrees.

Remove from the oven and remove tenderloin to cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into 3/4-inch slices and serving with the sauce.

Bacon and Asparagus Pasta

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Bacon and Aspargaus PastaWe can’t get enough of the gorgeous stalks of asparagus hitting the stores right now. The other night I had a blank space on our menu plan – and decided to have a “wing it” dinner. You know, one of those “clean out the fridge” kinda nights? This is what ensued, and it turned out to be superbly delicious!

And, it’s a quick one too – which is always a plus. Crisping up the bacon in the pan, then a quick cook of the asparagus in some of the rendered bacon fat (because really, why not?) and finally all tossed with some pasta and cream sauce. The healthiest? Surely not. But, it was probably better for us then the pizza or Chinese take-out we would have called in otherwise!


Bacon & Asparagus Pasta

8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb pasta (I used gemelli)
2 cups Alfredo sauce
kosher salt
black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Return the pasta to the pan that you cooked it in, and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove and place on paper towel lined plate to drain. Remove all but 2 Tbsp of grease from the pan, and return to the stove. Add the chopped asparagus to the pan, stirring occasionally. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more. Off heat.

Add asparagus to the pot with the pasta, and add in the bacon and Alfredo sauce. Toss to combine. If sauce is too thick,add a bit of the pasta water to thin it out. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.