A Little Slab'll Do Ya!

I just looked at the forecast for the rest of this week and it looks as though any hope of an Indian Summer is long gone (I know it's late anyway, but I can dream can't I?).  More rain...dipping down to the 30s at night...chance of snow???  OK, that chance occurs around 2am, but still!!  Autumn went by so quickly that it makes summer seem nonexistent!  Ah, summer...I miss your warm, sunny days.  I miss the light and easy meals, the "let's just have salad for dinner" casualness of a warm evening (ok, we never just have a salad...but again, the dreams...).  I miss the no-muss no-fuss of throwing everything on the grill!  Well, actually, that still happens.  We are seasoned BBQ-ers and by that I mean we will grill in even the most inclement of weather.  Rain, sleet, snow, wind, temps of 115+...no postal worker has anything on us when it comes to getting the job done.  But there are those times, when the snow is piled 4 feet upon the deck and you can't even open the sliding door to get out to the grill, when Mother Nature forces us to stay in and cook.  And for most foods, you can get away with it, especially with all the cookware available.  Grill pans give you that "fresh off the grill" look, but there is still a flavor quality that's lacking.  That smokey, cooked over a fire flavor that satisfies our deepest cravings.  I think we are predisposed to that craving...somewhere in our cave people ancestry we developed a taste for food cooked over an open flame.  It's as inherent as our need for salt or sugar or Starbucks (pretty sure some of those cave drawings are baristas holding up milk frothers).  And the grilling experience is just as primal...why else would men try to claim this as "their job"?  But sexism aside, the grilling experience is so commanding because of the attention devoted to it.  The perfection involved is astonishing, really.  You need a good grill, the best utensils, the perfect temperature (which fluctuates and therefore demands that you constantly keep an eye on it...preferably with a beer or glass of wine in your hand while you do just that), the right cut of meat (marinated just long enough for tenderness and flavor), the most flavorful rubs, seasonings, and sauces...all of this, combined with exquisite skill, transforms food into art.  And not only is it visual art, but aromatic art.  What does the chef say upon opening the grill hood, smoke billowing  in a giant exhale as though sending an ancient message to the rest of the neighborhood that "someone's cookin' something"..."Mmmmm, smell that?" and "Smells good!"  And when the food is plated and brought to the table, everyone remarks on how good it looks...perfect grill marks, glistening sauce..."Oh man, those look good!"  It's food as art.  Why else would the cave drawings depict people with skewers and tongs?    Grilling, it's the only way to go in the summertime.  Come fall, you can still enjoy it on those crisp autumn days, especially in a parking lot of a stadium, surrounded by fellow fanatic (haha...get it?) grillers.  But as those days turn colder and the snow keeps you chained to your oven, you longingly look out the window at your grill.  You hope it survives out there in the cold, wrapped in only a vinyl cover, and you make a silent promise to fire it back up as soon as the first thaw arrives in spring.  In the meantime, those cravings stir within you and you know you can't ignore them for much longer.  Someone says the word "ribs" and you respond with a Homer Simpson-like response..."Mmmmmm....riiiiibbbbs"!  But the grill!  It's covered up!  And it's snowing outside!  And as warm as your NorthFace gear can keep you, everyone knows the key to fall-off-the-bone ribs is sloooooowwww grilling!  Well, before you put your house up for sale and look to relocate to a never-snows-here state, let me offer this suggestion:  oven baked ribs.  I know, I know...it's practically blasphemous to even mutter that phrase and I will give you time to recover by holding a bottle of BBQ sauce beneath your nose; but, when the hickory chips are down and hunger pangs are up, what choice do you have?  I admit there is a matter of timing involved in this recipe...you really do need to marinate overnight...but the rest is a cinch and the result is tasty and delicious.  So tasty and delicious, you'll wonder why it's even necessary to grill ribs!  I mean...you'll like them, but prefer your husband's grilled ribs MUCH, MUCH more!!!

APPLE CIDER MARINATED RIBS

(Emeril Lagasse)

Ingredients

• 2 racks pork baby back ribs
• Salt 
• Essence*** (or your favorite rib rub)
• 3 C. apple cider
• 1 C. light brown sugar
• 
  

Directions

Season both sides of the ribs with salt and Essence. Place the ribs in a large glass rectangle baking dish. Pour 3 cups of the cider over the ribs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove ribs from the refrigerator and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the flesh side of the ribs. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap in aluminum foil (be sure to cover all the plastic wrap with heavy aluminum foil).  Place on a baking sheet and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Preheat the grill to HIGH (if the weather permits, otherwise preheat the broiler to 500 and place the rack about 4-5 inches from the heat source).

Remove the ribs from the plastic wrap (be careful to not leave behind any of the wrap). Place the ribs on the grill, flesh side down, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning the ribs every 2 minutes, or until the ribs are nicely marked.  If broiling, place the ribs flesh side down on a baking sheet or broiler pan. Broil until a nice color appears.  Turn the ribs flesh side up.  Broil until ribs are browned, careful not to scorch.  Lower the baking rack or temp to allow for browning without burning.  (The ribs are fully cooked, the grilling or broiling afterwards is to reheat the cooled ribs and give them a beautiful color.)

***

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 2/3 cup

These ribs are so tender and tasty that they do not require BBQ sauce.  But if you prefer, feel free to slather on your favorite brand.  If you can find an apple-based sauce, that would be delicious.  I would warm the sauce to serve with the ribs rather than apply before grilling or broiling.  I like to serve these ribs with baked sweet potatoes (scrub and dry the potatoes, place on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment, and bake at 400 for about an hour--depending on the size of the potatoes...serve with butter and brown sugar or chipotle powder, or both) and apple salad (Granny Smith apples--peeled and cored, with aged white cheddar--cubed, and glazed walnuts...toss with chopped romaine and dress with any slightly sweet vinaigrette such as white wine, raspberry, or other fruit-based dressing).  Hope this tides you over until the spring and grilling season begins again!!