The August long weekend is coming up, a good time to have some friends over for a barbecue. You could offer them salmon, steaks, burgers or chicken, but if want to serve them something that’s finger-licking good, go with ribs.
If that notion has tickled your taste buds, you’re in luck, because today I have an easy-to-make recipe for tasty and tender pork back-ribs. The recipe is designed for a gas barbecue. To simplify the process and to ensure they were very tender but still delicious, I oven-steamed the ribs before finishing them off on the grill.
I cut three racks of ribs each into two- to three-bone pieces, set them in a large pan and seasoned them. I then poured some cider into the pan — just enough to barely cover the bottom of it. The ribs were then covered and cooked in a relatively low-temperature oven until tender, about two hours. During that process, the liquid in the bottom of the pan generates enough steam to cook the ribs tender but does not simmer their flavour away.
Once they were tender, I finished off the ribs on a hot grill to enhance their colour, slathered them with barbecue sauce, let that sauce heat through a few minutes, and the ribs were ready to devour.
Because the technique for preparing the ribs was straightforward, it gave me extra time to make some side dishes to serve with them. In today’s recipe, you’ll see that I’ve included savoury cornbread muffins that were flavoured with jalapeño pepper and cheese.
Ribs and cornbread work wonderfully together. So do ribs and coleslaw, which is why I also tossed together a recipe for it. It’s a creamy version where tangy buttermilk is used in the dressing for a coleslaw that’s dotted with bits of apples, pecans and other good things.
As for a drink to enjoy with the ribs, I picked iced-tea lemonade, a cool combination of the two made famous by golfer Arnold Palmer, who loves sipping it.
To make a grand summer feast, other foods you could enjoy with the ribs are baked beans, pickles, baked potatoes and/or corn on the cob, which is now locally in-season.
Have a safe, fun and fabulous long weekend!
Cider-steamed Barbecued Ribs
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 2 hours 15 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
3 large and meaty racks of pork back ribs (each rack about 900 grams)
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups alcoholic or non-alcoholic apple cider
* your favourite store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce (see recipe below)
Preheat your oven to 325 F. Make seasoning mixture by combining the cumin, chili powder, oregano and cayenne in a small bowl. Cut each rack of ribs between the bones into two- to three-rib pieces.
Set the ribs meaty side up in a single layer in a large shallow sided roasting or baking pan. Sprinkle and rub the ribs with the seasoning mixture. Now season the ribs with salt and black pepper. Add the cider to the pan. Cover and bake the ribs for two hours, or until quite tender, but still holding together. Remove ribs from the oven and uncover.
Heat your barbecue to medium, medium-high heat. Set on the ribs and cook on both sides until a nice colour is achieved, about five minutes per side. Set the ribs meaty side up and brush with barbecue sauce to taste. Let the sauce heat through a few minutes and the ribs are ready to enjoy.
Sweet and Tangy No-Cook Barbecue Sauce
This delightfully sweet and tangy sauce requires no cooking. Simply place all ingredients in a bowl, whisk and it’s ready.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: none
Makes: about 1 1/2 cups
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
* freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* a few splashes Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce
Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer to a tight-sealing jar and refrigerate until needed. Sauce will keep up to 2 weeks.
Creamy Coleslaw with Apples and Pecans
Coleslaw and ribs go well together, particularly when the former is creamy and rich with apples and nuts.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: none
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
For the dressing
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
* a few splashes hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate the dressing until needed. Dressing can be made several hours in advance.
For the coleslaw
1 tsp lemon juice
1 medium red apple
3 cups thinly shredded green cabbage
1/3 cup pecan pieces
1/3 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Place lemon juice in a medium to large bowl. Core the apple, cut into small cubes, set in the bowl and toss to coat with the lemon juice. Add the cabbage, pecans, carrot, celery and green onion to the bowl, but do not toss to combine. (Coleslaw can be made to this point two hours in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to dress.)
When ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss everything together to combine. For crisp coleslaw, serve it soon after dressing it.
Savoury Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
Dense and tasty cornbread flecked with bits of jalapeño pepper, cheese and your choice of cilantro or green onion.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 18 to 20 minutes
Makes: 12 muffins
* vegetable oil spray
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 medium to large jalapeño pepper, halved, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or thinly sliced green onion
75 grams Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat each cup of 12-cup non-stick muffin pan with vegetable oil spray.
Place the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the jalapeño pepper, cilantro (or green onion) and cheese and use a spoon to mix them into the flour mixture.
Place the egg in a second medium bowl and beat until the white and yolk is well blended. Mix in the buttermilk and oil. Mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined. Divide and spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4s full.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cornbread muffins spring back when gently touched in the centre.
Set muffins on a baking rack and cool 15 minutes. Now carefully remove each muffin from the pan. Enjoy them now, or cool them to room temperature, set on a platter, cover and set them aside until needed. If you do the latter, you can make the cornbread several hours before needed. Serve them at room temperature, or set them on a baking sheet and warm them in 350 F for 5 minutes, and then serve.
Iced Tea Lemonade
Stirring tea and refreshing lemonade combine in this cool summer drink.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: a few minutes
Makes: 8 servings
3 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 8 to 10 large lemons)
1 1/2 cups strongly brewed tea
* lemon wedges for garnish
Place 1 cup of the water and the sugar in a small pot. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is clear, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Pour this mixture, called simple syrup, into a large serving jug. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 cups of water, lemon juice and tea. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve; mixture can be made many hours before needed.
To serve, pour the tea/lemonade mixture into ice-filled glasses. Garnish each glass with a lemon wedge and enjoy.
Eric Akis is the author of the hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday. eakis@timescolonist.com