Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice

St. Louis Style BBQ Ribs

 

Berkeley Bowl West

October 23, 2011

As  previously mentioned in this post, I hate grocery shopping.  I hate it so much, I'm willing to drive over a bridge and into the woods to try something new.  The hubby and I were responsible for cooking Sunday's dinner and decided to venture to the Berkeley Bowl.  Holy moly was this an overwhelming and very cool shopping experience.  I felt totally overwhelmed (like the time I tried on 100 pairs of jeggings at Bergdorf Goodman), but walked away with some great things (unlike at Bergdorf's).

First up on Sunday's menu:  St. Louis Ribs!

The hubby loves BBQ!  We decided to go with the St. Louis style rib instead of the traditional baby back, because you get more meat for your money (honey)!

The Sugar and Spice BBQ Rub (recipe for 12 ribs)

• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Paprika 
• 1/4 Cup Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon ground Red Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon ground Cumin 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Mace (or use nutmeg)
• 2 Tablespoons Salt 
• 2 Tablespoons freshly cracked Pepper

In a bowl mix ingredients together.

After removing the membrane from the meat, cover in garlic olive oil. Massage the dry rub into the meat.  Let meat marinate for 2 - 24 hours.

An hour before you cook your meat, get your BBQ ready.  My dad taught my husband to cook with charcoal not propane (real men use matches)!  Because my dad cooks on a high wood / charcoal heat, the boys were a little worried about  maintaining a heat of 300 degrees for 90 minutes. After much strategic planning they put together the below fire.

 DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!

After looking more closely at this picture, I would suggest the following: 

a. Do NOT barbecue so close to a wooden deck.

b. It's probably not safe to have a sun umbrella so close to an open flame.

My dad is practically a professional barbequer and that's the only reason why he was allowed to bbq so close to our deck.  Grasshopper on the other hand (aka my husband), is still a little to green to do this.

After 90 minutes on the BBQ with an indirect heat, this is our final product. The beauty about using a dry rub is you don't need to slather on a sauce!  Now some you may feel your ribs are naked without sauce, but the only way you can truly appreciate the sweet, spice and smoky flavor is to eat them as it.
Try it.  You just might like it.   

The Devil Went to Mexico

A spicy take on a traditional Deviled Egg Recipe 

 

Spicy Deviled Eggs 

 6 Eggs

1/3 cup Crème fraîche

1/3 cup Smoked Bacon (finely chopped)

2 tablespoons Serrano Pepper (finely chopped)

2 tablespoons Siracha

2 tablespoons Cilantro (finely chopped)

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard 

2 tablespoons Lime Zest

3 teaspoons Lime Juice

 

Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add crème fraîche, smoked bacon, Serrano pepper, siracha, dijon mustard, lime zest and lime juice and mix thoroughly. Add pepper and salt to taste.  Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture.  

Tip: For a professional finish, use a pastry bag to fill the empty egg white shells.  

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving.

Seriously Marge: Spinach Broccoli Muffins

Everyone thinks their mom is the best cook, but my mom is a  REALLY good cook.  My dad often jokes with my mom about how she use to burn water when they first got married.  Passionate for fresh ingredients, this lady goes to the market everyday and hasn't met a dish should wasn't able to duplicate.  I realize there are  a ton of blogs dedicate to cooking, but I thought it would be fun to share a few of my mom's favorite recipes and simple cooking tips.

First Up: Spinach and Broccoli Muffins.
This vegetable muffin is easy to make and is the perfect "grab and go" breakfast item during a crazy work school week.

Preheat oven to 375*
 Ingredients


1 cup chopped cooked broccoli
3/4 cup cooked spinach (drain well)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic (grated)
¼ cup green onions finely chopped (about 3 onions)
½ teaspoon dry dill or dill butter 2 oz
2 large eggs
3/4 cup low-fat milk
2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (add last)

Marge suggest using 3 bowls for this cooking project.
First Bowl - Put first 6 ingredients in large bowl (broccoli, spinach, olive oil, garlic, green onion and dill).  Stir until blended.
Second Bowl - Crack eggs and beat them. Add milk and set to side.
Third Bowl - Mix dry ingredients (cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt)
Slowly add  second bowl (egg and milk mix) to third bowl (flour mix).
Add first bowl (broccoli and spinach mix).
Lastly add cheese.
Use ice cream scooper to fill muffin cups.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.