Cooking ribs takes some dedication and patience. The only things that makes a good rack of ribs are the sauce and a nice crunchy bark. (Notice I didn’t say marinade or rub? – “Aint, nobody got time for that!”) Sure there are some folks that do all of the above – wait, let’s break it down.
Marinade – if you marinade ribs, most of the marinade will be absorbed by the rib bone -when was the last time you ate a rib bone?
Rub – (aka “burn”) There is almost no fat on ribs (where it counts) and none of that flavor will be able to “hitch a ride” into the meat – like an Eye Round Roast; it will just burn like flash paper on the outside of the rib rack.
Sauce – effectively a marinade with a more intense flavor profile that is cut with broth or water to cover the meat during a long cooking process. Using a sauce on low heat over a longer period of time, better penetrates leaner cuts. Never boil a lean cut in a sauce – there is no point – Willy Wonka already tried to make a similar chewing gum.
We are going to make a sauce for the ribs that has intense flavor, similar to my Lake House Ribs, but this time – they are going to be sweeter and richer:
The Sauce:
Chili Powder
Paprika
Honey
Agave
Lime
Garlic
Salt
Papper
Sriracha
Mustard
Tomato Paste
Brown Sugar
Sesame Oil
Olive Oil
Vinegar
Beef Broth
Note: make enough sauce to cover the ribs 1/4 of the way up; you never want to completely submerge the bone! But poor some sauce in the center of the rack to help penetrate the flavor.
Cook the rack(s) in the oven on 275 for 4-5 hours, top side down. (patience)
Next, preheat your grill to 450 degrees, and “slap those ribs” down (face down) for about 4 minutes to start the barking process. Reduce the heat to low and move the racks to the top shelf (face up). Maintain a temperature of about 415 degrees lid down. We are trying to caramelize all those sugars we added in the sauce.
Baste every 5-6 minutes with the pan “juice,” flipping the rack(s) every second baste. You should flip three times until the rack is face up again.
First baste
Third baste
After cooking the meat for the last 5-6 minutes, during the third baste, remove the meat and let it rest for 5 minutes under the cover of aluminum foil. Then cut with a serrated knife and serve warm.
Enjoy with some good friends and beer!
Cheers!
To prepare the catfish for the grill, you’re going to want to pat it down with a dry paper towel to get any moisture off. Getting rid of the moisture layer is important because, later, when we put the other ingredients on, the water barrier will steam the fish and we obviously want to “grill” it.
Thyme
Cook the fish 3-5 minutes on each side. Put she shiny flat side down first. You will be able to visually see it clouding half way through. At this point check the under side of the fish. We want to make sure it separates easily from the grill without sticking. If it’s being stubborn let the fish caramelize a few more minutes. Gently (yet swiftly) flip the fish.
Pinapple Mango Salsa (this is good!)
I hold the belief, searing meat does actually seal moisture inside the cut of meat and result in a juicier finished dish. It gives grilled meat dishes an incredible depth of flavor. Additionally, it gives meat an appetizing color and kills off any bacteria that might be hanging out on the surface of the meat.
Searing over high heat caramelizes the surface of the meat, which enhances the savory ‘meat’ flavor and fills the finished dish with complex layers of nutty caramel and coffee-like bitterness. In technical terms, this is called a Maillard reaction. Most of us happen to find the end result quite delicious. Without searing, meat dishes can taste flat and boring.
Grilled some wings for lunch. This is my “quick” fall off the bone wing recipe.
When grilling, bring the grill to temperature before placing the chicken on.
Sear the chicken face down for 3-4 minutes. Searing slightly crisps the skin and seals in the moisture needed for proper cooking. I then immediately transfer the wings to the top shelf and reduce the heat to medium for 8-10 minutes (lid closed) and flip – cook for another 8-10 minutes. At this point the skin should be blistering and bubbling. Its important that you don’t break the skin at this point.
Keep an eye on the wings – the goal is to roast the chicken to a red-ish color until you start to see the skin near the joints break away slightly. Cook for another 5-7 minutes on high (lid closed)