Sticky Spicy BBQ Ribs

I pulled out all the stops for Jim when he was in Austin the week before his business trip. BBQ Baby Backs were one of the meals that he requested and although I've tried many recipes, but they have two things in common: they produce sticky and spicy ribs. This most recent rib recipe I found on epicurious for Sticky Spicy Ribs was a success. There are two basic cuts of ribs from different parts of the pig: Baby Back (aka Loin Back ribs) and Spare ribs.  Back backs are popular because they are leaner, tender and have a milder flavor comparable to Beef Filet Mignon.  Spare Ribs have a more robust flavor comparable to a Beef Ribeye. 

I purchased Baby Backs from my grocery store and made this homemade rub the night before.

Rub for ribs:
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons paprika (not hot)
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

The above measurements will make enough rub for four pounds of baby back ribs (2 2-lb racks). In my opinion the single most important thing you can do for successful ribs is to season overnight with a robust dry rub. This means you need to plan ahead! This dry rub is absorbed into the meat overnight and give so much flavor to the finished product. Whatever combination of spices you decide to use, I would recommend the use of brown sugar to aid in caramelizing.

Short Rib Stroganoff

We love short ribs, I mean come on who doesn't?!  Beef short ribs are a popular cut of beef and typically more tender and meatier than their counterpart, pork spare ribs. I like to cook them low and slow to render the most tender meat that you can cut with a fork, you can't argue with that kind of goodness. When you remove them from the oven and you have to use two hands to get the bone to stay with the meat, you've done a good job! I paired the short ribs with our favorite mushroom sauce from my Stroganoff recipe. It's so rich and creamy and perfectly pairs with egg noodles.

The marinade for the short ribs are simple, just four ingredients - but all BOLD in flavor. I would say that fresh herbs and veggies are always best, but if dried herbs is what you have on hand USE them!

In a small food processor I added four cloves of garlic and 1/2 tablespoon cracked rosemary, 1/2 tablespoon ground thyme along with one cup of olive oil.

Secrets of a Restaurant Chef: Braised Short Ribs

This recipe for Braised Short Ribs, by Anne Burrell, received five stars from 158 reviewers on Food Network. Have you ever seen her show? She is full of hints, tips and tricks but also really silly in the kitchen - that girl enjoys her job. This recipe is bizarre, it talks about "crud" and scraping it. But it is this recipe that convinced me to pay more attention to Miss Burrell in the future - she knows a thing or two about cooking!

The ingredient list is pretty simple:
6 bone-in short ribs (I used boneless)
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed (plus some roasted garlic)
1 1/2 cups tomato paste
2 to 3 cups hearty red wine
2 cups water (I also dropped a beef bouillon cube in the water)
1 bunch fresh thyme (I used dried thyme)

2 bay leaves

I found these perfectly trimmed and boneless short ribs at my new Sprouts grocery store. I seasoned with salt and pepper.

I used fresh and roasted garlic because I had both on hand.

Place all the veggies in your blender and puree.

At this point I wasn't convinced that this recipe/technique was any good, but I'm so glad I stuck to it. (and you will be too)

Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.

When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

Crud? Really did she just say CRUD? Scrape the crud and let it reform.

"Okay, Miss Burrell... I'm barely hanging on to this recipe. It looks like I've burned the crap out of these veggies."

Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn.

Reduce the mixture by half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. I didn't have fresh thyme, so I sprinkled dried thyme on top and dropped in the bay leaves.

Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time.

Recipe says to remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. Most reviews I read said they didn't do this. I didn't bother with it either. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart.

I served these tender short ribs on top of my 3 cheese risotto and some of the rich braising liquid.

Every bite will make you moan. I believe this is my new favorite short rib recipe and have made it twice already.

I've made a similar recipe before, Giada's short ribs are also very good but in a completely different way. Review Giada's recipe here.

My mom makes her short ribs another way. Review Momma's recipe here.

Sticky Balsamic Ribs

When Jim and I took our engagement photos, the photographer asked Jim to look down and talk to me...about anything. Jim looked like he was drawing a blank, and then he said to me "The Bronco's play on Sunday and experts say..." I didn't hear what he said after that. I was laughing so hard. Our photographer quickly caught on and anytime during the day he wanted to see that "sparkle" in Jim's eye, he would strike up a conversation about the Broncos. Needless to say, Jim is passionate about football and especially the Denver Broncos. Another way to get Jim's eyes to sparkle, mention BBQ Ribs. And I'm sure after the Broncos, and after BBQ Ribs, you mention ME and his eyes will light up too!

Today, because it's Sunday and the Broncos are playing, and because I'm leaving on a work trip for five days, I'm making Ribs so all Jim's favorite things can collide in one day. It will be a joy overload!

I'm using a recipe from the July 2009 issue of Gourmet Magazine, a recipe developed by food editor, Ian Knauer. I like the bones of this recipe (pun intended) but because of what I have on hand and the time I have, I'm actually not following this recipe exact...but since when do I follow a recipe exact? Ha!

I believe the success of these ribs...any ribs... lies in a straightforward three-part process. Long marinating in a sweet, garlicky rub ensures the ribs soak up loads of flavor. Next, a leisurely roast in the oven makes them fall-off-the-bone tender. Finally, a mop of balsamic-brown-sugar glaze and a few minutes on the grill gives the ribs a whiff of smokiness and caramelizes their edges.

Here is what you need to gather for the ribs: 8 large garlic cloves, minced. 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary - I used a mix of dried and fresh. 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, dark is preferred but I only had regular brown sugar. 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon cayenne.

A note about ribs: Recipe calls for 8 lb baby back pork ribs but if you can only get larger ribs (4 racks), you will need more glaze; use 12 large garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary, 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Ribs can be roasted and glaze can be made 1 day ahead and chilled separately (covered once cool). Bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before glazing and grilling. Ribs can be broiled 3 to 4 inches from heat (instead of grilled) about 8 minutes.

The first thing to do is to peel off the membrane from the back of the ribs, yes it's gross, but not as gross as touching fish skin! Removing the membrane is an important first step.

To make the marinade, mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1 tsp salt.

Stir together with rosemary,

brown sugar, vinegar,

cayenne, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper.

Put ribs in a big roasting pan and rub the marinade evenly all over ribs.

Don't be afraid to get right in there with you hands!

My addition is about 2-3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce. Marinate, chilled, 8 to 24 hours.

I'm going to cook these LOW and SLOW! Sunday before we go to church, I preheat the oven to 170 degrees and let the ribs cook for 3 hours, uncovered.

After 3 hours in the oven.

Then when we return to the house I add 1/2 cup water to the pan, turn the heat up to 400, cover the pan tightly with foil and braise for 2 hours, until meat is falling off the bone.

Ribs after one hour at high temperature.

Remove ribs from the roasting pan and cover with foil.

Add 1 cup hot water to the roasting pan and scrape up brown bits.

Add 1 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and continue to stir and scrape.

Next, I used my gravy skimmer to separate the fat from the drippings and sauce.

Transfer liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

I let this violently boil for about 15 minutes until it was reduced to about one cup of liquid.

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-heat.

Brush some of the glaze onto both sides of ribs. Grill, turning occasionally, until ribs are hot and grill marks appear, about 6 minutes.

You could say these are FALL OFF THE BONE good.

Brush ribs with more glaze and serve remaining glaze on the side.

Jim and I have been talking about a "Rib Cook-Off" and I'm sure to WIN with this recipe. I loved the sticky and sweet flavor - these are finger licking good. Next time I would add a little more cayenne pepper, the ribs had a slow heat, but I would have liked them a tad bit spicier.

I have one more note. I have labeled this post "meat, ribs, easy" because I promise you that this recipe is super easy. Cooking ribs sounds so intimidating, but I swear to you there are three steps. Remember to plan ahead... buy the meat a day or two early, make a rub and let them marinade overnight...then you put them in the oven! And walk away! Finish on the grill, or not, you could also finish them under a broiler. I wouldn't lie to you. Impress your friends, impress your spouse, impress your neighbors... make these for your next gathering (or football game) and I am confident you will be named "Champ of Ribs."

Backyard Baby Back Ribs

If you want to attract men, skip the implants, get a smoker, and save thousands. Wood smoke is a potent pheromone and you'll have every man in the neighborhood hanging out on your porch! Illustration by Gil Elvgren, 1958.

These backyard baby back ribs are definitely fool proof. I love this braising recipe from Alton Brown, it's easy and customizable.

Alton Brown uses this recipe for his Rub Number Nine:
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground thyme
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon allspice

Place all of the ingredients in an airtight container and shake to combine. Store for up to 3 months. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

Instead I used this all purpose "magic mojo" made by Denny Mike's. It was great!

I sprinkled and then rubbed the ribs with the seasoning, placed meat side down and wrapped in foil then placed in the fridge to chill out overnight.

When you are ready to cook, open one side of the foil pouch and let's get ready to make the braising liquid.

I used orange juice, hot sauce, chinese chile sauce, and a splash of what was left in my orange spicy sauce.

I started with a half cup of OJ.

Added a tablespoon of chile hot sauce.

And a tablespoon of this Smokin' Hot Sauce.

And add whatever else you feel like, I added what was left of a prepared orange spicy marinade.

Pour the liquid right into the foil pouch.

Seal it up and place on a sheet pan in the oven.

Heat the oven to a low 250 degrees and bake for two hours. (I would actually cook these for another hour... just depends on the ribs you purchased. After two hours, check to see if the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone, if not, put back in for another hour.)

You can put these ribs in the fridge until you are ready to put on the grill. Alton drains the braising liquid and sets that in the fridge where the fat will naturally separate from the juice. You can scrape the fat off the top and then put the liquid in a small saucepan to thicken, then use this glaze to baste the ribs on the grill and also serve along side the ribs as a dipping sauce.

When you are ready to grill the ribs, heat your grill to medium-high and allow to heat for 10 minutes. Cut each slab in half and place them on the grill, meat side down, close the lid and decrease the heat to medium. Leave alone for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. I basted the ribs with a prepared bbq sauce each time we flipped them. Flip and cook for 3 minutes on each side 1 more time or until each rib has a nice char. Remove the ribs from the grill to a cutting board and cut into 2 rib portions.

Final rib photo from StyleList.com since mine were consumed so fast at the pool party I didn't get a picture.