I'm a Southern gal who LUVS bar-b-que (BBQ)... Whether it's BBQ chicken, BBQ shrimp, BBQ beef brisket, BBQ fish... I could do a Forrest Gump litany on how many ways to do BBQ, but I digress. My most favorite BBQ is baby back ribs!
When I received my SAVEUR magazine this month my mouth fell open... I moaned and salivated on the spot. On the front cover was the most decadent display of RIBS I could ever imagine. That's when I knew winter was over and spring had sprung into full force for my taste buds.
Another favorite of mine is Hawaii—the people, the location, the scenery, the cultural diversty, the spirit of Aloha and the food! So there's no way I could go wrong combining my two faves which resulted in Hawaiian-Style BBQ Baby Back Ribs.
In order to fulfill my food fantasy I went, no I ran to the market and filled my cart with all of the ingredients I needed to prepare the baby back ribs. My marketing list also included items to complete the meal—Texas Yellow Cold Slaw, Butch's Baked Beans and Grilled Pineapple. I was literally prepared to go whole hog (pun intended - LOL) on this one! Recipes for Hawaiian-Style Pork Baby Back Ribs follow plus the Cold Slaw and Butch's Baked Beans.
Hawaiian-Style BBQ Ribs
Soy Sauce-Marinated Ribs
Serves 4-6
These pork ribs are a sweeter version of a Korean preparation for marinated and grilled short ribs.
- 1-1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup soy soauce (I use light soy)
- 1/4 cup water (I use Kona coffee instead, any rich, dark roast coffee is fine)
- 1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil
- 4 - 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 2" piece peeled ginger, finely chopped
- 3 lbs. pork baby back ribs
- 3 scallions
1. Whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile flakes, garlic and water (coffee) in a large bowl. Add ribs and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for at least one hour at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight, turn occassionally to coat.
2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove ribs from marinade and arrange, curved side up, on a rack set over a rimmed foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the marinade in a 2-qt. sauce pan over medium-high heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thik and syrupy, about 20 minutes.
4. Using tongs, flip ribs and cook basting frequently with the reduced marinade, until the ribs are browned, glazed and tender, 15-20 minutes. Transfer ribs to a platter and garnish with scallions.
Texas Yellow Cold Slaw
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of ground allspice
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1/2 small head cabbage (a combo of green and purple is good), coarsely chopped
- 2 kirby cucumbes, peeled, seeded and diced (if you don't care for cucumbers use grated carrots)
- 1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegar, brown sugar, celery seed, turmeric, ginger, and allspice to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, remove from the heat, and allow to stand for 5 minutes to cool.
Meanwhile, toss the cabbage, cucumber and bell pepper together in a serving bowl. Whisk the olive oil into the cooled vinegar mixture until combined. Pour the onion-turmeric vinagrette over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Chill covered in the refrigerator for at least one hour to allow flavors to develop.
Butch's Baked Beans
- 1 (28-ounce) can baked beans (recommended: Bush's Baked Beans)
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 4 - 6 ounces small diced pancetta (or bacon)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon spicy mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2- 4 tbsps of your favorite salsa (optional - this is my personal addition)
Put the pancetta in a frying pan and cook until crispy. Remove from pan leaving drippings. Add diced onion and sautee until tender. Put pancetta back into pan and add all of the other ingredients and stir well. Add ketchup, mustard, salsa and brown sugar. Heat over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until it bubbles.
I hope these recipes will inspire you to perk up your taste buds and get a jump start on summer!
Copyright 2009 Linda Bourgault and lulugraphix. All rights reserved.
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Yuuuummmmmm! that sounds/looks good.