Monday, July 27, 2009

Fall-Off-The-Bone-Ribs - BBQ at its Finest!

Good Morning, Everyone!

So last night I was at my Dad's house and I decided to make dinner. My brother, his wife, my Aunt, my Dad and my wife and I were all there and I wanted to make something tasty for the whole family - a nice sit down meal on a Sunday evening. It's an old tradition that my wife and I have been trying to resurrect for both our families at least once a month. I have lost some very important people in my life recently (my Mom, my puppy) and it's clearer to me now more than ever that spending time with family as often as possible is by far the most important thing we can do. Both of our families enjoy good food and good company, so putting the two together through Sunday dinners seems the logical fit.

Yesterday, my dear Aunt informed me that we had ribs in the freezer that we could cook as well a 7.5 lb roaster chicken that could be cooked. Well, since there were six of us, my brother (the chef) and I decided we would make both the ribs and the chicken. My father had just bought one of those cool stands that you place the beer/soda can in and then you place the chicken/turkey on top and roast it...my brother decided that was going to be his contribution and I took the ribs, which are one of my specialties.

So, I began prepping my ribs for the oven and my brother was spicing the chicken. He rubbed oil and a handful of different spices into the chicken - a really beautiful array of aromatics that just tantalized me from the moment he started. He then took a can of Heineken beer, placed it in the little contraption my father bought, stuck the well spiced chicken on top and out to the grill he went. The objective was to use this cool contraption to grill the chicken and allow the beer to braise the meat from the inside out (which was the whole purpose of the contraption in the first place). Seemed like a great idea. So, I finish up putting my ribs together, get them in the oven and I head off to play Wii Sports (we are addicted to bowling and have competitions all the time) when all of the sudden I hear my father calling from the patio...Chris...ALEX...FIRE! My brother rushes out to find his beautiful chicken engulfed in flames and totally charred on the outside, yet still raw just under the skin. The look of disappointment was needless to say quite evident and he was in quite a sour mood for the rest of the afternoon (it probably didn't help that every chance we all got we made a joke about the chicken). So, we salvaged what we could of the poor bird and stuck it in the oven to roast like a normal chicken, hoping to get at least some good meat out of it. Needless to say, though the chicken was not bad, the ribs were considerably less burnt and considerably more tasty. A word of note - use a dry rub when cooking a chicken on the grill - you will avoid large 3-alarm fires on your deck that way!

Ok, now for the recipe. Ribs don't take long to prep, but need some time to cook.

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: Approx. 2 hours

This recipe works for beef or pork ribs, so feel free to choose either. We happen to use pork last night since that was what was in the house, though I tend to like the large beef ribs better. The beef ribs have a lot more meat and a lot less fat to contend with and you get more meat for each rib.

So, for ingredients:

3-4 lbs. of Ribs (Pork or Beef)
1 large onion; 1 medium onion
6-8 cloves or garlic (moderate based on personal taste...more the better in my book)
2 Green Peppers
2 Red Peppers
4 Bottles BBQ Sauce (your choice, but I prefer brands such as Cattleman's, Baby Sweet Ray's, etc. Stay away from Kraft and Hunts if possible)
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
6 Bay Leaves

Directions:

Start by trimming any excess fat off the ribs. You'll never be able to get it all, but try to cut off the obvious fatty sections.

Next, pour approximately 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper on each side of the ribs and pat them into the meat with your hands. Let the ribs sit for about 20 minutes while you prep the rest of the dish so the spices start to work their magic with the meat.

Open your first bottle of BBQ sauce and layer the bottom of a large metal or glass baking pan (large enough to fit the entire rib rack or 2 pans to split the rack between). Take empty bottle, fill 1/6 of bottle with hot water, swish around with cap on, then pour contents out into pan. This will thing out the mix and allow it to break down the veggies and make a nice sauce.

Next, slice all the onions into 1/4" rings. Take the medium onion's rings, break them apart into individual rings and cover the bottom of the pan(s) with the onion rings.

Next, slice up one green pepper and one red pepper into 1/4" by 1 1/2" slices (cut pepper into four equal pieces, then cut each quarter into quarters) and layer with onions in bottom of pan.

Finally, slice up 4 cloves of garlic and spread them around the bottom of the pan.

Next, pour second bottle of BBQ sauce in pan over onions and peppers. Again, fill empty bottle with 1/6 hot water, swish around with cap on, then pour contents into pan.

Place 4 bay leaves in the pan evenly dispersed.

Next, layer ribs MEAT SIDE DOWN on top of the onions/peppers. If it hasn't been a minimum of 20 minutes since you rubbed the spices onto the meat, wait to place into pan until the correct amount of time has elapsed.

Once you place the ribs in the pan, cut up the remaining peppers and place them with the remaining onions. Slice up the remaining 4 cloves of garlic and include them on top of the rib meat with the onions and peppers. Place the remaining Bay Leaves in the pan and pour remaining BBQ sauce on top of the ribs in the same fashion as before, making sure the meat is completely covered.

Cover tray(s) with tinfoil and place in 350 degree oven for 2 hours. There is no need to check them. Make sure the ribs are on the center rack, as the BBQ sauce with char and scorch if it is on a lower rack due to the high sugar content.

In two hours, you will the best wet ribs you have ever tasted with meat that literally falls off the bone before you can even pick it up. Serve out the ribs and pour the sauce over them (as long as it hasn't blackened from the heat) and enjoy with potatoes, corn, green beans or your favorite vegetables and side dishes.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe of mine and as always...

Yours in cooking,
Chris

Breaded Chicken Cutlets


Hi Everyone!


It's been a while since I wrote, but the summer has brought with it many BBQ's and nights of not cooking. However, I have made a thing or two and I wanted to share with you a great recipe for Chicken Cutlets.


So, chicken cutlets are basically the whole breast version of chicken fingers. They are great to eat as a main dish or on a sandwich. You can also cut them up and use them to top salads or just to snack on when you are hungry.


This recipe takes about 20 minutes, start to finish.


Ingredients:


2-3 lbs. Chicken (Thighs or Breasts)

2 Cups Bread Crumbs (unseasoned)

3 Large Eggs

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Dried Oregano

Dried Basil

Salt

Pepper

Parmesan/Romano Cheese (grated)

Oil (Vegetable or Olive)



First, choose whether you want chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Difference? Breasts are leaner, but have less flavor and dry out quicker. Thighs, full of flavor, stay moist longer when cooking, but are much fattier and require more trimming.


So, whichever you choose, take out the chicken and trim off as much of the fat as possible. Take a meat pounder and flatten the chicken until each piece is about 1/8" - 1/4" thick. Make sure to pound out the meat concentrically from the center out so you have a nice even meat and don't end up with lopsided chicken - that will lead to uneven cooking.


**Trick** Place a Ziploc bag over the chicken before pounding it to help keep the spattering to a minimum. You can also put the chicken in a Ziploc bag and pound each piece individually. This will minimize small pieces of chicken being sprayed all over your kitchen counters and walls.


After you pound the meat, set it aside.


To bread the chicken, you need 2 wide, shallow bowls (or small baking trays if you have them). Pour about 2 cups of bread crumbs into one pan and break 3 eggs into the other pan. Beat the eggs and add a splash of water. Continue to beat eggs until fully whipped.


Add a tablespoon of Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dried Oregano and Dried Basil to the bread crumb mixture. Also add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and approximately 20 turns of pepper as well a small handful of Parmesan/Romano cheese (whichever you have is fine). Mix all the ingredients up in the bread crumbs.


Take chicken (one piece at a time), dip it in the egg bath so it is completely coated on both sides, then place egged chicken in the bread crumbs. Flip chicken to fully coat, then place coated chicken on plate. Repeat until all pieces are breaded. You can dispose of any left over bread crumbs and egg once your chicken is breaded.


Fill large skillet with enough oil (vegetable or olive) to be 1/2" deep in pan. Heat skillet on high heat until oil begins to shimmer.


Carefully place chicken breasts in pan (fit as many as can comfortably fit) and allow to cook (approximately 3-5 minutes per side) until lightly golden brown. Flip and allow to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Once second side is a light golden brown, flip again and continue until chicken is a moderate brown and crispy. Flip one more time to complete cooking. Chicken should not be burnt, but instead a color somewhere between golden and dark brown (like KFC chicken brown for lack of a better term). Chicken internal temperature should reach 165 degrees (check with thermometer).


This recipe is easy and goes great with Mashed Potatoes, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans, over salad, as a sandwich or just cut up as a snack. It is high in protein and very filling.


Always make sure to keep an eye on your chicken. If the oil in the pan starts to bubble very erratically or "spit oil", turn the heat down to medium and allow the pan to slowly cool off. Check your chicken as it cooks to ensure you do not over cook it. Every stove is different, so high on one stove may not be high on another and vice versa.


Enjoy this fun and quick recipe and as always...


Yours in cooking,

Chris