Baby Back Ribs with Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

I have always loved baby back ribs, but until recently I was convinced that good ribs were the sole domain of pit barbecue stops, found mainly in the rural south. Well despite my bias, I found some quality pork ribs on sale and jumped at the opportunity. I read numerous recipes and proceeded with skepticism. Despite a plethora of methods, one things seemed to hold common - ribs are no quick dinner. But as I soon found out, good ribs, though they require long cooking times, are easy, delicious, and not particularly involved. There are basically three steps - marinating, a slow roast in the oven, and then a final grilling. For the marinade I found suggestions for everything from beer to mountain dew. I settled on pineapple juice and modified an old family recipe for barbecue sauce by adding chipotle peppers. The results were surprisingly scrumptious .


Baby Back Ribs with Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

For the Ribs:
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1-1.5 lbs rack of ribs

For the Sauce:
16 oz ketchup
1 tbs yellow mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 small red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 2 lemons
1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from a can)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Step 1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Pat the ribs dry and rub with the mixture. place the ribs on a piece of tin foil and fold up the sides. Add the pineapple juice, and close the tin foil around the ribs (you may need to use an extra piece so that the packet doesn't leak.) Allow to marinate for 4 hours in the fridge (can be shortened if you are in a rush)

Step 2. Preheat the oven to 250. When oven is ready, place the rips (still wrapped in tin foil) into the oven and bake for 2.5 hours.

Step 3. While ribs are baking, saute the onion and garlic until soft in a sauce pan. Chop the chipotle peppers and add along with the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer on low for 10-20 minutes. (Note Steps 1-3 can be done ahead of time, just store ribs and/or sauce in the fridge until you are ready to eat)

Step 4. When the ribs are ready, remove the tin foil and transfer to a plate. Coat both sides with a generous portion of the sauce and transfer to a prepared grill. Cook for 10 minutes, turning several times and basting with sauce each time you turn.

Spring, Among Other Things

A post here is long overdue. It's been over a week, and while I have a ton of content that I have been working on, a combination of writers block and a rather serious family matter have kept me from writing here. Last Thursday my brother was shot in the arm with a .45 caliber pistol in what I can only call a freak encounter with someone who was really and truly out of his mind (and full of drugs). Rather shocking is an understatement. Fortunately he is doing okay and is back home as of Saturday afternoon. Things are gradually returning to normal.

In other news (that of a relation to food), I have a few exciting developments. First off, I was picked to receive a jar of McQades Fig & Ginger Chutney courtesy of BlakeMakes' SOOPZ program (and well, McQades Chutney). If you haven't checked out BlakeMakes or the SOOPZ program, I highly recommend you do. The SOOPZ program connects food manufacturers with food bloggers - the result, free products for us in exchange for a post/review/recipe on our blogs. Blake also runs a splendid food blog. So look for a post or two about the chutney very soon.

Equally exciting, there is a new restaurant in Boone. I don't even know there name yet, but I tried a pork sandwich that made me wish I wasn't leaving in a month. Expect a full review shortly (along with a name)

Finally, the most exciting thing that's happened to me in months:

I happened across this beauty (and several others) last week. Every April for the past five years I have found wild morel mushrooms and for the few short weeks they are in season I have a gustatory menage a trois, between myself, my tastebuds and these delightful brain shaped mushrooms.

Sure, I can pick chantrelles all summer, but nothing quite compares to the delicate flavor of wild morels. If you don't want to spend $60 a pound at Whole Foods, then I suggest your get away from your computer ASAP and out into the woods, because the season will be over very soon. Luckily, they grow all over the United States and if you have the eye for them, they aren't too hard to find. All the info you could possibly need is at the Morel Mushroom Hunting Club.

There are dozens of ways to prepare these, but I love the flavor so much that I usually just saute them in French butter with salt, pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Nevertheless, I will be posting a recipe including my favorite fungus very soon.

Tomatillos

When tomatillos first appeared at my farmers market last summer, vendors were practically giving them away for free. The reason? Most folks in Watauga County, North Carolina hadn't the faintest clue what a tomatillo was, much less what they were supposed to do with them.

At the time, I had tried tomatillos before but never cooked with them. Always a sucker for unusual veggies, I bought several pounds for something like a $1.50. With a few tips from the couple who was selling them, I was able to turn out loads of delicious Salsa Verde.

Two weeks later, the tomatillos were back on the stands, this time two separate farmstands had the same idea: free samples of Salsa Verde, along with free recipes. Suddenly the tomatillos had become a hit and the reason was simple - they are right damn delicious!


Here is an easy recipe for Salsa Verde that I make on a fairly regular basis:
Salsa Verde
2 lbs fresh tomatillos
2 tsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
4 garlic cloves
1 medium onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 fresh jalapeño, minced (optional, adjust to your spiciness preference)

Preheat oven to 400

Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse in cold water to remove the sticky film and any dirt. Halve the tomatillos, place on a baking sheet with the garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the oil over the tomatillos and using your hands, spread the oil over the sliced tomatillos until thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the oven. Roast until the fruit is soft and start to caramelize.

When the tomatillos are done, remove from the oven. As the tomatillos cool, chop the onion into a small dice. When the tomatillos are cool, place in a blender or food processor and chop until blended but still chunky. Remove into a bowl and add the onions, cilantro, and jalapeño (if using). Mix well and serve, or refrigerate for later.

Serve with chips or try it on meats, fish, eggs, etc.

Why You Should Never Buy Broth

I am amazed by how many people would rather pay hefty prices for store bought broth that is inferior to what can be made at home with minimal effort and cost. Seasoned foodies can attest to this fact, but for the rest, I implore you to put down your bouillon and try making your own. Making broth is essentially the same as making tea, but with vegetables and/or animals parts in place of tea leaves. It's also a great way to get rid of vegetables that are on the verge of spoiling (which is what I made a vegetable stock with this morning). Here is a recipe for a simple and delicious broth that can be made with or without meat. You can experiment with different combinations of vegetables. I have had wonderful results adding tomatoes (the natural glutamate in tomatoes creates a rich, savory alternative to the lighter broth listed below)

Basic Broth
Makes Approximately 2 Quarts

2 lbs chicken necks, drumsticks, or beef bones (optional)
2 shallots, halved
6-10 cloves of garlic, halved
1 head of celery, chopped
4 onions, chopped
5-8 carrots, halved or chopped
small bunch of parsley
small bunch of oregano
10 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 cups of mushrooms (optional, different varieties will impart their unique flavor)
1 3'x6' piece of kombu seaweed (optional, used as the basis for Japanese Dashi)
3 tomatoes, quartered (optional)

2 lbs cooked chicken backs, drumsticks, or beef bones (optional)
1 gallon of water

In a large soup pot add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute everything but the herbs for a few minutes, then add the herbs (and meat if using), as well as the water and simmer for 45 minutes.

Strain the broth, taking care to press any extra broth out of the softened vegetables. Use immediately or divide into containers for storage. Stores in the fridge for several days and in the freezer indefinitely.

Savory French Toasts with Bucheron, Tomato and Turkey Bacon

Most people are used to thinking of French Toast as an edible syrup sponge thats served at breakfast. But the substitution of savory ingredients comes naturally to the dish, making it a wonderful appetizer or entree for anytime of day. The recipe below is only one way to prepare this. There are infinite combinations that could go with this dish, and I encourage you to experiment and report back with your finds.


Savory French Toast with Bucheron, Bacon, and Tomato
Makes 12-15 toasts

Ingredients:
1 baguette, cut diagonally into thin slices
4-5 slices of turkey bacon (or other salty meats such as prosciutto, salami or capicola)
2-3 eggs
2 tablespoons of milk
1/2 cup of crumbled Bucheron
3 small roma tomatoes or several cherry tomatoes
Italian Parsley to garnish


Lemon Butter:
3 tablespoons of butter
1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice (half a small lemon)

Directions:

1. Slice the turkey bacon into thin strips. Divide the sliced bread into pairs and top half of the slices with crumbled bucheron and strips of bacon, then top with the remaining bread slices.

2. Beat the egg and milk, seasoning with salt and pepper.

3. In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil over medium heat. Dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg mixture, coating thoroughly.

4. Cook the toasts for 1 minute or so on each side. While the toasts are cooking, melt the remaining butter in a separate pan. When the butter is melted, add the lemon juice and remove from heat.

5. When the toasts are finished cooking, remove them from the pan. Top each toast with sliced tomato and a sprig of parsley, and drizzle with lemon butter.

Cheese of the Week: Bucheron

I am introducing a new feature to the site called "Cheese of the Week". Each week I will showcase a different cheese along with a recipe that utilizes the unique components of said cheese.

This week I am featuring one of my all time favorites, an aged French goat cheese called Bucheron. Widely available and absolutely scrumptious, Bucheron makes the perfect addition to a salad or sandwich. The cheese has a soft, creamy center similar in texture to a typical chevre, but typical this cheese is not.


Bucheron is made in short logs and aged before it is cut into smaller rounds. Around the creamy center is a ring of harder, tangier cheese that imparts a wonderful sharpness and complexity that puts your typical chevre to shame. It is aged for 3-4 months, and as it ages the firm ring closes in on the creamy center.

Pair it with Bordeaux's or dry whites such as Sauvignon Blanc and sink slowly into heaven.

Gourmet Pedaling: Why Bike Touring is the Ultimate Mode of Travel for Foodies

Bicycle Touring is a wonderful method of travel in which you carry all your gear on the back of a bicycle. It is a sustainable mode of travel that provides leisurely exercise as you explore the countryside at a relaxing pace. It is also a foodie's dream, since your only fuel source (besides gas for the stove) is the food you eat along the way.

One of our bikes, just before leaving Portland, Oregon

In June 2006, I joined a friend on a 1500 mile pedal-powered trek down the Pacific Coast. I started the tour with an open mind, ready to sacrifice my foodie pretentiousness for what I expected to be a month of ramen noodles and dehydrated red beans with rice (think Uncle Ben), the typical fare of backpackers around the world. Our first night on the road we ate ramen.

Taking the plunge

The next morning, we met a pair of veteran bicycle tourists (and foodies), both named Mark. It didn't take long for these two to figure out that we had committed one of the cardinal sins of bicycle touring the night before. What proceeded was a thorough lecture on the rules of eating on a bicycle tour (Rule 1. Never miss a fruit stand).

Bicycle touring, as we soon found out, is all about eating! After we were scolded, the two marks invited us to a decadent breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit, orange juice, and fresh pork sausage. For lunch, the rest of the sausage, paste, mozarella cheese, and a tasty sauce. Before they left, they made us promise never to eat ramen, or anything on par with it for the rest of the trip. We set out the next day, dogmatized by the two tourists who would profoundly influence the course of our trip.


The journey down the Oregon and California cost was a foodies dream. Starting in Tillamook, Oregon, home of the delightful Tillamook Cheese Factory, we weaved our way through a plethora of small towns complete with quaint bakeries, good breweries, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and miles upon miles of farmland, which meant fresh, inexpensive produce (not to mention a mid-trip break in San Francisco).

The wonderful(ly complicated) world of industrial cheese.

The only thing better than 50 miles of artichoke farms were the 5o miles of strawberry fields that followed.

One of the best elements of bicycle touring is that your metabolism speeds up to the point that we were regularly eating 5000-6000 calories a day (I kid you not), twice what most people eat normally. The slow pace of travel (~50-60 miles per day) ensures that little is missed and since we camped, we were able to save the extra money for gastronomical purposes. We never carried more than a day or two's worth of grub, and had access to fresh meat and produce almost every day of the trip. Because its easy to carry 40 pounds on a bicycle, weight is not a huge issue, allowing for a much more complete kitchen than you could ever hope to carry in a backpack.

Our style of touring is known as Fully Loaded Touring, which means you carry everything on your bike. For the weight conscious, there is Credit Card Touring, a somewhat facetious name which refers to bicycle cyclists who exchange their gear for a small piece of plastic that fits conveniently in a wallet. Either method will reveal to you the nuances of a culinary landscape that is easy to miss in a car. So if you are look for a way to spice up your travel, consider going by bicycle. My next tour will be in Belgium, going from brewery to brewery (with more than an occasional stop at the chocolatiers). Anyone care to join?


Bicyle Touring Links:

Bicyle Touring 101 - Essential reading with many great articles on practically every topic

Adventure Cycling - Website for the American Cycling Association. Maps, forums, and a ton of great info