BARBECUE

Well hello children, the weekend is upon us again, and what better way to spend it than having a barbecue? (also spelled barbeque, or abbreviated BBQ) Now when I say barbecue, I am referring to the true way of BBQ'n. To slow-cook meat at a low temperature for a long time over wood or charcoal.

We're going to cook us some baby-back ribs, which are my favorite pork rib. There are six different types of pork ribs and the baby backs, I think have the have the best flavor. This is because of a slightly higher fat content, always remember, fat = flavor.

First thing we want to do is get a good dry rub, you can make your own (which I suggest) or you can get one off the shelve. Emeril makes a decent one but the recipe were going to use is my favorite.



1Tbl White pepper
2Tbl Black Pepper
3Tbl Salt
2Tbl Sugar
2Tbl Brown Sugar
3Tbl Paprika
1Tbl Garlic Powder
2Tbl Onion Powder
1 1/2tsp Coriander
1Tbl Cumin
1Tbl Chile Powder
1 1/2 Sage


Ok, this can be a little messy, so be prepared. First you want to baste the ribs in mustard (my suggestion, Dijon) then take your dry rub and sprinkle it on the ribs. Now when I say sprinkle I mean evenly Cover them! Refrigerate for 1-3 hours.


Now comes the time consuming task of cooking the ribs, my preference is the smoke-grilling process, this is for cooks who like just a little smoke to their meats, and the technique is easily duplicated in both charcoal and gas grills. In a charcoal grill, simply add soaked hardwood chips to the coals and close the lid for a few minutes in the early stages of cooking. When you coals are ready, move your pile of coal/wood toward the end of the grill farthest away from your grills top air escape vent, and also open the bottom vent to encourage cross air flow. This way, you can adjust the internal heat and smoke by reducing or enlarging the intake and escape air vents. Close up to increase heat, open wider to cool down the grill. You want to cook your ribs at 200 -225 for 3 hours, and 45 mins, flip the ribs every 30 mins. This technique is a little trickier with a gas grill, some have special boxes where you can add wood chips. If lacking those, place the dry wood chips in a metal pan and place it on the grill next to the meat. Remember, that this is not true smoking over low heat but it does work, and I defy any grill or smoke proponent to produce a better pork rib.


Well there you go, everything you wanted to know about cooking a great baby-back rib. Now all yaw need are my Grits, Heirloom Tomato Salad, and a couple of chilly's. Enjoy...

Grits

Grits are a food typical of the southern US consisting of coarsely ground corn. Preparation is simple, You just pour it in a
pot of boiling water according to the instructions on the bag or container. You cook it over medium to low heat stirring as it cooks. If you don't stir it occasionally it clumps up and may even stick.

What you decide to put in the grits is up to you. My preference would be cheese; cheddar, blue, or my favorite pepper jack. Some people put in raw eggs, during the cooking process or hot sauce, others like it simple with just salt, pepper and butter. It's really up to you, experiment or you can try this recipe below.

3 cups water
1 tsp. Salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup quick-cooking grits
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Bring water, salt and garlic to a boil; slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add butter, 1 cup cheese; stir until butter melts. Beat eggs and milk; add to the grits and mix well.
Pour into a greased 2 qt. Baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese

Dinner date

When asked, on the CPMC blog for an idea for a dinner date at home. I thought it should be simple, and something that I would be pretty sure most people would eat, and cost effective. Salmon came to mind, so here ya go.


SALMON WITH SOY-HONEY AND WASABI SAUCES

Despite many Asian ingredients in this dish, the end result only slightly reflects their presence. Rice and asparagus make good side dishes.

For salmon 1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 (8-oz) pieces salmon fillet
For sauces 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup honey 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons wasabi powder 1 tablespoon water

Marinate salmon:, Stir together mirin, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger in a shallow dish. Add fish, skin sides up, and marinate, covered, at room temperature 10 minutes.
Preheat broiler.
Make sauces: Boil soy sauce, honey, and lime juice in a small saucepan, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 4 minutes.
Stir together wasabi powder and water in a small bowl.
Broil fish, skin sides down, on oiled rack of a broiler pan 5 to 7 inches from heat until fish is just cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Serve salmon drizzled with sauces.

Simple right? Try it and let me know what you think.