Whatcha Cookin' Wednesday - Baby Back Ribs

I’m a sucker for irony so naturally, with a nod to all the Swine Flu brouhaha; today’s recipe features pork.

Yummy, fabulous, succulent Baby Back Pork RIBS, to be more specific. This recipe is re purposed from an Alton Brown fave. I doubled the amount of braising liquid and created my own rub.

The secret to this fabulous dish? Slow and low.

It's worth the wait. Be patient. (When this dish starts making your home smell like the best BBQ joint on the planet being patient will be soooo hard...)

BABY BACK RIBS

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. (or three slabs) of baby back ribs

Dry rub:

4 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Braising Liquid:

2 cups white wine

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoon honey

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle each side of each slab generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. (Do NOT literally RUB the meat. Imagine what sandpaper would do to your lovely ribs. Eek! Press it on instead…) Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Place the ribs on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour braising liquid in bottom of pan and cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours. Remove pan from oven, transfer ribs to plate and pour the braising liquid into a medium sauce pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. (About 30-40 minutes.) Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

Whatcha' Cookin' - Coke Butt

Seriously. Coke Butt. As promised last week, it's Wednesday so we're cookin'. (And, no, this recipe is not meant to go with the past few days' theme of potty training. I swear.)

So, back to Coke Butt. Not a very appetizing name, I know… Perhaps "Boston Butt ala Cola" is better? Or "Butt Surprise"? "Butt Bonanza"! O.k. whatever… Call it what you like, just call it GOOD.

I made this last week and it almost changed my religion. It was amazing.

Enjoy.

COKE BUTT
4-4.5 lb. Boston Butt roast
1 – 12 oz. can or bottle of Coca-Cola
½ cup of soy sauce
1 Tblsp. oil
1 medium onion, peeled and halved, then thinly sliced

Trim excess fat then salt and pepper meat and sear/brown all sides in hot oil in a cast iron pan or Dutch oven, about 3 minutes each side.

Take meat out and put in 6-quart crock pot.

Sautee onion in pan with meat drippings until clear. Add coke and soy sauce and scrape all the brown bits on bottom pan.

Pour coke/soy sauce/onion mixture on top of meat, put lid on crock pot and set to low for 10-11 hours, turning twice.

Take meat out and pour liquid in Pyrex cup to cool so you can separate fat. After skimming fat strain the mixture and use as “au jus.”

This makes great BBQ (just flake apart and add sauce...my fave is Montgomery Inn, you can sometimes find it at Wal-Mart of all places) and is also good in soft tacos.