raw corn, romaine and radish salad

July 18, 2013
the main event, the underwear diet
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photo (28)1 romaine heart, rough chop
8 radishes
2 corn cobs
1/2 bunch cilantro, rough chop
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
juice of 2 large limes
1/3 cup olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 avocado, thinly sliced or medium dice

1. Place the chopped romaine in a large bowl.
2. Using a mandoline, julienne the radishes and add to the bowl.
3. Stand the corn upright and cut off the kernels with a knife. Add kernels to the bowl.
4. Add the cilantro, tomatoes and scallions to the bowl.
5. Squeeze lime juice over the salad, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Gently toss and garnish the top of the salad with avocado.

Enjoy this fresh, vegan salad with, well, ribs, of course! It’s the perfect foil to the slow-cooked meat.

photo (27) photo (26)

sweet chipotle bbq sauce

July 17, 2013
condiments
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2 tsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, medium dice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
11 oz ketchup
1-2 chipotles in adobo, plus 1-2 Tbsp adobo sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp whiskey, bourbon, rye, etc.

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add diced onion to the oil and sweat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add paprika, cumin and chili powder to the pan and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
5. Add the ketchup, chipotle, brown sugar, Worcestershire and soy sauces, vinegar and whiskey.
6. Cook for 1 hour over low heat, stirring frequently.

sweet chipotle bbq sauce

ribs in the oven

July 16, 2013
the main event
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1 batch dry rub
1 rack spareribs
Barbecue sauce, optional

1. Cover both sides of the spareribs with the dry rub.
2. Massage the rub into the meat.
3. Wrap or place in a covered container and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
4. Bring the rack of ribs to room temperature.
5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
6. Wrap the ribs in heavy duty aluminum foil. Add about 1 cup of water to the foil and then seal, creating a tent around the meat.
7. Bake for 3-3 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls off the bone when poked.
8. Remove from the oven and turn on the broiler.
9. Optional: Open the foil to expose the meat and slather the top with barbecue sauce. Broil for 5-7 minutes (or more, if desired) to caramelize the sauce and crisp the edges.
10. Remove the ribs and serve with more barbecue sauce, if using.

The ribs, in all their naked glory:

photo (24)

Tomorrow I’ll show you how to make the sweet chipotle bbq sauce.

dry rub

July 15, 2013
condiments
1 Comment

This one has potential, but needs some work. Needs more “wow!”. More cayenne, more espresso, more black pepper. Less sugar. Needs something else…

2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp finely ground espresso
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir, breaking up any lumps.
2. Store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months.

Makes enough for 1 rack of ribs.

dry rub

caramelized onion dip

July 10, 2013
appeteaser
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(I wrote this three months ago and, for some reason, never posted…)

This week, I had a few girlfriends over to watch the finale of The Bachelor. Stop laughing! Okay, so we don’t take it seriously (but we kind of do), and it’s really just an excuse to eat and drink and gossip. Being a good hostess, I made my bed (something I don’t believe in), tidied up the apartment, did the dishes, and made a bunch of party snacks that are, at the very least, worth mentioning.

This dip, however, is not only worth mentioning, but it’s worth mentioning again. My friends advised I call it “caramelized onion dip”, because it sounds fancier (i.e., no Lipton soup packet) than “French onion dip”.

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp parsley, chopped

1. Heat the butter and oil in a pan over high heat.
2. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and dark brown in spots.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes, until the onions start to break down.
5. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
6. Combine onion mixture with the mayonnaise and yogurt.
7. Refrigerate overnight.
8. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with crudite, crackers or pita chips.