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.

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

Chicken Tacos

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Chicken TacosGuys, I don’t know how I got away without sharing this recipe with you guys yet. I know everyone is probably Mexican-ed out from Cinco de Mayo – but just trust me. This is one you want to Pin, or bookmark, or whatever it is you kids are doing these days!

Our family friend Stephanie introduced me to them a few years ago now. We went through a phase where I made them, like every week, for months. Needless to say, I kind of burnt ourselves out on them. Not to mention, they’re not exactly the healthiest option in my repitoire. But, oh are they good!

We always fry our own corn tortillas – but these are different. They’re almost deep fried. The crispiest taco you’ll ever find! And they retain their crispiness – even cold, after sitting on the cooling rack for 2 hours. Not that I speak from experience or anything..

And, they certainly could be tweaked to be healthier. The filling itself isn’t too bad – with some whole wheat tortillas, or even flour – your calorie count would come down significantly. But the fried shells are really worth trying once!

Chicken Tacos

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs – cut into thin strips
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (regular chili powder is fine too)
1 tsp kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
canola oil
12 corn tortillas
lettuce
cilantro
shredded cheese

Place a cooling rack inside/ over a jelly roll pan. Place a layer of paper towels over the cooling rack. Set aside.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil, as well as the chicken. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until chicken is cooked through and starting to brown on the edges – about 5 minutes. Remove from pan to a cutting board to cool before chopping into small pieces.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the bell pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers and onions are soft and starting to brown on the edges – about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for an additional minute. Add the chopped chicken back to the pan, as well as the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and place taco filling in a medium-sized bowl.

Wipe the skillet clean, and return to stove over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of oil to the pan. Place a tortilla in the pan and let it fry for about 15 seconds, then flip over. Place about 3 Tbsp chicken taco filling inside the tortilla, right down the center.

Using tongs, carefully fold the tortilla in half, forming a taco shell. Fry on one side for about 1 minute, then using a spatula (I like using my fish spatula) carefully flip over and brown the other side. Remove to the paper-towel lined cooling rack. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. You can usually get 2 or 3 tacos going at the same time once you have the hang of it.

Serve tacos with shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, and shredded cheese.

Source: adapted from a family friend recipe. Thanks, Burke crew!

Pub-Style Shepherd’s Pie

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Pub-Style Shepherd's PieSt. Patrick’s Day is always a much anticipated holiday in our house. We’ll take any excuse to drink a good beer of course, but I also happen to look fabulous in green! I’ve never been a corned beef & cabbage gal – I usually opt for this Pot Roast with Stout Gravy for our St. Patrick’s Day Feast. But, this Shepherd’s Pie is definitely giving it a run for it’s money…

Unlike the pot roast, this recipe is completely doable after a day at work. Sweating some veggies, browning some beef, then making a quick pan gravy with plenty of dark Irish stout. And while that’s going on, you can be boiling your potatoes to mash for the topping. I baked and served right in my cast iron skillet – I always love the rustic presentation at the table, especially for something like this dish. And one less pan to wash is always a good thing.

Not terribly long in the oven either, just enough time to get the gravy bubbling and the taters nice and browned on top. Which, is actually about the time it takes to sit down an enjoy a nip of Irish spirits, or taking a few moments to read your wee little leprechauns a tall tale. Stay tuned, because I have a few other St. Patty’s Day favorites I’m looking forward to sharing with you guys this week!

Pub-Style Shepherd’s Pie

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped fine
4 oz white mushrooms, chopped fine
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin (90/10)
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cut low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry, dark stout (like Guinness)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 cup frozen peas

For the topping:
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
Table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed
Ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375.

Place potatoes in a large pan full of cold water. Place over medium-high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook potatoes until fork-tender – about 20 minutes. Drain, return to warm pan, and cover.

Melt butter in large cast iron skillet over medium-high head. Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are starting to brown on the edges – about 7 minutes. Remove to small bowl and set aside.

Add the ground beef to to pan along with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, breaking up with a wooden spoon as you cook. Cook until completely browned on all sides. Drain as much grease from the beef as you can. Return veggies to the pan along with the beef.

Add the tomato paste, as well as the flour to the pan – tossing with the beef and veggies to coat completely. Cook over medium-heat for about 2 minutes to brown the tomato paste and flour – this really helps develop flavor for the sauce.

Slowly pour in the beer, as well as the chicken broth. Reduce heat to low and cook until liquids thicken and start to bubble. Carefully stir in the heavy cream, soy sauce, thyme, and peas – stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the potato topping, warm 1/3 cup heavy cream and 2 Tbsp butter in a microwavable safe bowl for about 1 minute. Add warm mixture to the cooked potatoes, and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until smooth. You can also use your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the gravy in the cast-iron skillet. Using the tines of a fork, rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes (this helps with browning). Brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg.

Carefully place the skillet in the oven, and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, until potatoes are browned and gravy is bubbly.

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Fall Entertaining, Fall 2010