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.

Congrats to Shannon C! Her entry (#13) was the winner. I hope you had a wonderful hike on Memorial Day, and have fun firing up your grill this summer!

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.

Blackberry Cream Soda

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Blackberry Cream Soda

The Cream Soda has long been one of my favorite cocktails. Such basic ingredients, and it tastes so darn good. I remember being shocked by how much the simple combination of Capt. Morgan’s, ginger ale, and fresh lime tasted exactly like a cream soda. You remember, those sodas from your childhood that no one else would drink? They were always the last thing floating in the cooler of ice, long after all the Cokes had been picked out. But, this one definitely isn’t for the kids…

I recently tried a bottle of Captain Morgan’s newest release, their Black Spiced Rum. It’s darker and bolder than the “OG” – but everything you love about the traditional spiced rum is still there. Notes of molasses, vanilla, and cinnamon. And smooth! An absolutely wonderful rum.

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had a few nights “sailing away with the Captain”, and this is definitely a drink that makes it easy to do. Since I was using the Black rum, I thought it would be fun to add another “black” twist – in the form of blackberries. They added a gorgeous hue and a little pucker that I loved! But still completely tasted like a cream soda.

It’s only Monday, but I’m already looking forward to the weekend. Memorial Day is the official start of summer here at the beach, and we are all ready for it to begin!

Blackberry Cream Soda

1.5 ounces Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
3 ounces ginger ale
1 tsp blackberry puree*
1 lime, juiced
lime wedges
ice

Fill a glass with ice. Add rum, ginger ale, 1 tsp lime juice, and blackberry puree. Stir with spoon to combine. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

* To make blackberry puree, combine 1/2 cup fresh blackberries with 1 tsp. granulated sugar in a food processor. Blend until smooth, then push through a fine-mesh strainer to remove large pieces of pulp and seeds.

Crab Imperial

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crabimperial

Summer is just around the corner for us here on the Chesapeake, and for my family – that means bushels of crabs steamed on the regular. My dad and Jon run the trotline early on Sunday mornings, and are usually home by 10 AM with a full bushel of #1 Jimmies (or males). This year, our oldest son Andrew – who just turned five, will be old enough to go out and help man the line and net. I know everyone is excited for that!

They haven’t had a chance to go out yet this year, as the water is just starting to warm up. But, I managed to get my hands on a few to steam, and then pick to make a delicious dinner out of to share with you guys. Crab Imperial is on just about every local restaurant menu here on the Eastern Shore. It’s usually used to stuff into fish or shrimp, which of course is delicious. But a GOOD crab imperial – well, I think it’s bright enough to shine on it’s own. Lump crab, tossed with a luscious cream sauce, then baked to perfection – it’s divine. I found the cute little vintage crab dishes at a yard sale, but a ramekin or shallow au gratin dish would be just fine to bake in as well.

I’m so thankful to live in an area where my boys can experience this – learning to crab from their grandfather, who learned it from his father before him – right here on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

Time to stock up on Old Bay and Boh, Maryland kiddos – summer is coming!

Crab Imperial

1/2 lb fresh lump crab meat
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 egg, beaten
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp Old Bay seafood seasoning
1/3 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, heavy cream, and egg. Carefully mix until combined (I used my mini-food processor). Add the crab meat, lemon, Old Bay, and salt. Toss gently to combine.

Spoon mixture into 4 individual ramekins or another small baking dish, and place on baking sheet. Top with a bit of the cheddar cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until everything is starting to brown and bubble.

Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Crab Rangoons

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Crab Rangoons

On the rare occasion that we visit a Chinese buffet, these little guys are probably my favorite item on the menu. They’re savory, while being slightly sweet – and dunked in a sweet chili sauce? Definitely an appetizer worth throwing the calorie count out the window for!

Then Karole, a friend in our book club, bought these to our monthly meeting. She assembled the wontons in advance, then fried them at the meeting. It was so much fun for all of us girls to be chatting, laughing, and munching in the kitchen together! The book for that month had been “The Joy Luck Club“, and we always have a great time planning our menus around the theme of the book. This one was no exception.

Now, let me broach the subject of the imitation crab (or “krab” as I like to call it). You guys know me…I’m fortunate enough to have some form of fresh, locally-caught seafood available to me at all times. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t touch krab with a 10-foot pole. However, I’ve tried this recipe with hand-picked blue crab before…as I’d assumed it would be better. But sadly, it wasn’t. The fresh crab was just too delicate – absorbed too much grease and fell apart. The krab holds together much better, and it’s what the Chinese restaurants  use – so I’ll go with it. I would like to try it with Opelios (snow crab) or Dungies, though. I think they’d be a happy medium between the two.

Crab Rangoons

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 Tbsp  + 1 tsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 scallions, thinly sliced
8 ounces imitation crab meat, chopped
24 wonton wrappers
small bowl of water
canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Place about 6 cups of oil in a dutch oven and bring to 350 degrees. Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet, and top with paper towels – set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and salt. Add the crab meat and scallions and mix until combined.

To assemble the rangoons – lay a wonton wrapper on a flat surface, with a corner facing towards you. Using the bowl of water, use your finger to wet the edges of the wonton wrapper. Place about 2 tsp filling in the center of the wrapper, and then fold the bottom corner to the top corner to form a triangle. Press on the edges with your fingers to firmly secure.

Fry rangoons in hot oil for about for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rangoons.

Source: our family friend Karole