I spent the day yesterday cleaning and doing work around the house. The only thing that makes a day spent doing chores even bearable is when there is something good to smell cooking in the oven and knowing there is a scrumptious reward at the end of the day. This low and slow oven roasted rack of baby back ribs required almost no attention while it cooked and yet scented the house with inviting aromas of a BBQ shack.
The first thing I did was to make a spice rub. I recently purchased quite a few whole spices to be toasted and freshly ground which would be perfect in this rub along with the dried chipotles and ancho chilis I picked up as well. In a dry cast iron skillet I add about 2 tablespoons of whole cumin seeds and 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds. Heat the pan gently and just long enough to warm the spices but be careful not to burn them. I have a dedicated "coffee" grinder that I use only for spices and used that to grind the still warm cumin and coriander into a fine powder. After pouring the spice mixture onto a plate I added 1 stemless dried chipotle and 1 stemmed and seeded dried ancho chili to the spice grinder and blitzed them into a powder as well. I added them to the cumin and coriander and also added a spoonful of brown sugar, garlic powder and salt and pepper. I rubbed a generous coating of the spice mix all over the ribs, double wrapped them in aluminum foil and placed them on a sheet pan. Into a 250 degree oven for 4 hours and they will be literally falling off the bone tender.
This is a really simple and tasty standard American potato salad recipe. It can be dressed up in a variety of ways but this is the stripped down and basic version. I boiled several medium sized red potatoes until fork tender. Drained them and placed them back in the hot pot for about 5-10 minutes. This dries the potatoes really well and gives them a nice texture. Place them on a plate to cool for about 30 minutes or until they are easily handled. Next, peel the potatoes and cut them into about a 1/2 inch dice and place them in a large mixing bowl. Chop a celery stalk or two into a small dice and place that in the bowl with the potatoes. I seasoned them really well with salt and pepper and dressed with equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream. For my two medium potatoes, I used about 2 tablespoons of each. Mix to combine really well, top with a light sprinkling of paprika and refrigerate until dinner.
The sweet 'n' sour green bean recipe is one that has been in our family since I can remember. I can not think of a time that we have ever had potato salad without also serving this green bean dish. Something about the oil and vinegar compliments the creamy potato salad perfectly. It actually calls for 1 can of cut green beans and 1 can of wax beans, drained. Rarely am I able to find wax beans anymore, so I generally just go with the green ones. Place the drained beans in a mixing bowl with about half and onion finely diced. Pour over 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of canola oil (make more if you are using more than 1 can, just use equal amounts of each), 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and a sprinkling of hot pepper flakes. Stir to combine and let marinate for several hours before serving.
Afer four hours, when the ribs have finished cooking, remove them from the oven and turn on the broiler. Unpackage the ribs from the foil and let them rest while making the sauce (or you can certainly use your favorite bottled variety). I am partial to a very thin, moplike, bbq sauce which is heavy on the vinegar. If you prefer your sauce sweeter, adjust the recipe by adding more honey or some brown sugar. I started wth a tablespoon of ketchup, a dash Worcestershire sauce, a splash of orange juice, a bit of apple cider vinegar and about a tablespoon of honey. I painted the sauce all over the ribs and placed them under the broiler until brown and bubbly. Watch them closely, they can go from perfect to burned in no time at all. Turn them over, coat with the sauce and place under the broiler again. Remove from the oven and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Cut into serving sized pieces and serve with potato salad and sweet 'n' sour green beans.
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