May 27

Slow Cooked Barbequed Smoked Pork Ribs in the Oven

Making barbeque, specifically barbequed ribs at home can be as complex or simple as you wish to make the process. Not all of us have the space, time or equipment to plate succulent, falling off the bone, sweet, tangy, spicy, smoked barbeque ribs. Most of us can replicate the sweet, tangy and spicy elements, but to impart the smoked quality of ribs typically requires a smoker in the process.

Oven Cooked Smoked Barbeque Pork Ribs

Oven Cooked Smoked Barbeque Pork Ribs with Honey and Liquid Smoke Glaze

Removing the Membrane from the Pork Rib

Removing the Membrane from the Pork Rib

Marinated Pork Ribs with Worchestershire Sauce and Liquid Smoke

Marinated Pork Ribs: Worcestershire Sauce & Liquid Smoke

Pork Ribs Coated with Dry Rub

Pork Ribs Coated with Dry Rub

Honey, Liquid Smoke and Vinegar Barbeque Glaze

Honey, Liquid Smoke and Vinegar Barbeque Glaze

Oven Slow Cooked Pork Ribs

Oven Slow Cooked Pork Ribs

Oven Cooked Pork Ribs with Honey, Liquid Smoke and Vinegar Glaze

Oven Cooked Pork Ribs with Honey, Liquid Smoke and Vinegar Barbeque Glaze

Thankfully, liquid smoke allows amateurs such as me with little desire to invest or the time to carefully tend the smoker as the ribs are slowly cooked to perfection. Possible heresy, absolutely, but with some planning, an oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius), liquid smoke and your chosen ingredients, you can create your own slow cooked smoked barbeque ribs in the oven.

Preparing the Ribs (Approximately 24 Hours before you are planning to eat):

  • Remove the rack of ribs (Baby Back, Short, Saint Louis styles) from the packaging and separate the membrane attached to the bone side of the ribs. I find that inserting a spoon between the membrane and the bone and then pulling the membrane off using a paper towel between the fingers works best.
  • Cut the rack into two or three portions with an equal number of ribs in each.
  • In a Ziploc bag or glass dish place the ribs and add ½ Cup of Worcestershire Sauce and a ¼ Cup of Liquid Smoke. Place in the refrigerator, turning the meat every couple of hours to ensure equal marinating coverage. Marinating for 12 hours provides a good amount of time.
  • Remove the ribs from the marinade, shaking off any excess liquid and the place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Lightly coat the ribs (both sides) with a dry rub or mixture of seasonings of your choice. I have found that Stewie’s Grub Rub perfect for pork ribs.
  • Double wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and store in refrigerator until four hours before you are planning to eat. I prefer using aluminum foil in lieu of a Pyrex casserole dish tightly covered with aluminum foil because the cleaning afterwards is simpler.

Preparing the Barbeque Glaze:

  • In a small bowl mix a ½ Cup of Honey, 2 Tablespoons of Vinegar, 2 Tablespoons of Liquid Smoke with Salt and Black Pepper to taste. Any preferred glaze will accomplish the job, but I would recommend adding additional liquid smoke to a store purchased barbeque sauce.

Slow Cooking The Ribs:

  • Four to four and a half hours (Short Ribs and Saint Louis Style may require a little more time to slow cook), preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius), and place the wrapped ribs (bone side down) on a baking sheet on the middle rack.
  • Walk away for three and a half to four hours. Allow the oven to perform its intended function and to slowly cook the ribs to perfection.
  • A half hour before you are ready to eat, take the ribs out of the oven, carefully opening the aluminum foil and apply the first coat of barbeque glaze. Loosely re-wrap the ribs and place back in the oven.
  • Fifteen minutes later, apply a second coat of barbeque glaze. Place the ribs back in the oven and do not cover with the aluminum foil.
  • Remove the ribs from the oven and apply a third coat of the barbeque glaze and allow the racks of ribs to rest covered ten to fifteen minutes before serving.

The result are ribs that are tender, juicy and full of flavor with a hint of spicy, tangy, sweetness with just enough smoky quality that is a fair enough substitute for ribs slowed smoke for hours in a specialized barbeque contraption that not all of us possess. In addition to this, an oven can accommodate four to six racks of ribs as long as you rotate the ribs between the cooking racks and add a little extra time for the ribs to be slow cooked. Whereas smoking ribs outside in a smoker can be a miserable, if not impossible experience when the weather is cold, raining or snowing, the oven in the kitchen is protected the weather allowing you to slow cook ribs year round and not just between Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day.

Slow Cooked Smoked Barbeque Pork Ribs with Honey, Liquid Smoke and Vinegar Glaze

Slow Cooked Smoked Barbeque Pork Ribs with Honey, Liquid Smoke and Vinegar Glaze

 

May 27

Lunch Review – The French Gourmet (San Diego, CA)

Dinner at the The French Gourmet Restaurant was so enjoyable, that we went back to the bistro for lunch a few days later prior to leaving San Diego, CA. The French Gourmet Restaurant is a French Bistro and Bakery located at 960 Turquoise Street • San Diego, CA 92109 in the section of the city known as Pacific Beach.

The French Gourmet Restaurant - San Diego, CA (Pacific Beach)

The French Gourmet Restaurant in San Diego, CA (Pacific Beach)

Before we even drove to the restaurant, I knew that I was going to order from the lunch menu. When we gone to the restaurant earlier in the week and prior to selecting the Foie de Veau (Sauteed Calf’s Liver with Onions and Demi-Glace), I was leaning towards the appetizer Pate Maison Sampler. However, in deference to my arteries, I considered the calf liver to be a sufficient amount of organ meat that evening. Therefore, when we went to the restaurant for lunch, I knew that I was going to order the lunch offering of the pate: Pate Sampler (Chicken, Duck and country pate, served with onion chutney, cornichons, and Greek-style Petrou olives). For starters, I ordered a bowl of the Soup de Poisson (Fish Soup) served with rouille, Parmesan and croutons. It was only while I was writing this review did I realize that the rouille, Parmesan and croutons were not served with the soup. No matter the soup was excellent.

The Soup de Poisson was phenomenal. The broth was a tomato and seafood stock, perfectly salted with generous junks of salmon, shrimp and mussels. I am going to have to try and replicate this soup at home. The pate sampler plate was just as good. I admit, I have no idea which of the three samples of pate were Duck, Chicken or Country style, but they were all very good and if not made on premise, then were made with as much attention to detail, flavor and texture as one should expect from artisan level crafted pate. The accompanying cornichons, onion pate and olives with sliced French bread were a perfect dish for lunch.

Whereas when we went for dinner we did not order dessert, this time we could not resist the temptation of the French Pastries displayed in the pastry display case. I selected the Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Cake (Chocolate Mousse and puree of raspberry between chocolate sponge cake dabbed with Grand Marnier liqueur, covered with dark chocolate ganache). Decadence would be an over simplification of this selection. The Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Cake was rich, intense, perfectly portioned and covered with the dark chocolate ganache that could satiate any chocoholics addiction.

Once again and amazing meal and with much regret the knowledge that The French Gourmet is located in San Diego, CA and not Houston, TX.

 

 

May 26

Appetizing Ginger Shrimp Appetizer

I am rarely caught unprepared but on one occasion, procrastination worked out marvellously.  A few hours before a pot luck dinner, that I was supposed to supply an appetizer for, I was digging through my freezer wondering what could I possibly throw together.  I came up with a bag of frozen peas & a bag of peeled & deveined shrimp.

Peeled & Deveined Shrimp

Peeled & Deveined Shrimp

Given that peas, would require serving utensils I didn’t have, I went with the shrimp.  I served this in a bowl with toothpicks for serving.  It was gone way before any of the other dishes.

It’s sweet & spicy but also light.

Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pound frozen shrimp, shelled and deveined (pre-cooked is even better!)
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 oz gingerroot, chopped
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs sweet sake or dry sherry
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbs thinly sliced green onion

Cook shrimp as directed on package, if needed, & drain.

Place shrimp in a large glass or plastic container that has a cover.

Heat soy sauce to boiling; add the ginger root.

Reduce the heat to a simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Stir in vinegar, sugar, sake and salt; pour over shrimp.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours stirring or shaking every 30 minutes to make sure all shrimp is covered.

Remove shrimp from marinade, arrange on serving plate. Discard marinade. Garnish with the green onion.

 

May 26

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur, A Sun Kissed Gift from the Gods

The third homemade liqueur that I ever attempted was using Dried Apricots. It was at a point where I was more interested making any type of homemade liqueur in the kitchen and there was no local fresh fruit in season. The result was something between a kiss from the sun and a gift from the gods.

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur in Bottles and Cordial Glass

Perfectly ripe fresh Apricots are one of the true pleasures to experience in this world. Unfortunately, perfectly ripe Apricots are difficult to find and dried Apricots are a distant second. However, when diced Dried Apricots are added to liquor and sugar and allowed to steep for a couple of months, the final result is phenomenal. Of all the homemade cordials that I have attempted, it is the only one where my friends have made it perfectly clear that they would like more. Their intentions are clear enough that they have provided the bottle and not a small one.

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur Steeping in a Large Jar

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur Steeping in a Large Jar

Cheese Cloth Secured To Glass Jar to Filter the Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur

Cheese Cloth Secured To Glass Jar to Filter the Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur Filtering Through a Cheese Cloth

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur Filtering Through a Cheese Cloth

The first attempt at making Dried Apricot Liqueur, I exactly followed the instructions from the book Cordials from Your Kitchen by Pattie Vargas and Rich Gulling.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup of Water
  • 2 Cups of Sugar
  • 1 Pound of Dried Apricots (Chopped)
  • ¾ Cup of 100 Proof Vodka
  • ¾ Cup of Brandy
  • 1 Teaspoon of Orange Zest
  • 1 Tablespoon of Fruit Protector
  • 5 Drops of Yellow Food Coloring
  • 2 Drops of Red Food Coloring

Instructions:

  1. Make a simple syrup with the water and sugar.
  2. In a 2 quart jar dump in your chopped Dried Apricots and pour in the cooled syrup our over the chopped Dried Apricots.
  3. Add all of the remaining ingredients stir well and store in a dark place for a month.
  4. A month later, strain out the solids, pour the Dried Apricot Liqueur through wetted coffee filters or cheese cloth to net smaller particles and then bottle in a wine bottle, decanter or other glass bottle with a tight fitting cap. Over time there may be some additional separation of even smaller solids from the liqueur. You can either attempt to filter these small particles (more like fruit dust) or just realize that you will probably never get the liqueur perfectly clear. The result is a liqueur that is deep amber in color and intense in the flavor of Dried Apricots.

 

 

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur in a Cordial Glass(1st Batch, Spring 2011)

Homemade Dried Apricot Liqueur in a Cordial Glass (1st Batch, Spring 2011)

My second attempt I deviated from the instructions. I doubled the amount of Apricots and Syrup, and more than doubled (closer to tripled the amount of liquor used). In lieu of a 1:1 ratio of Brandy to Vodka, I used a ratio of 1:2 Brandy to 198 Proof Grain Alcohol. I did not double the amount of food coloring and I used no fruit protector on the second batch. I also allowed the mixture to sit for four months. This was more because of being busy. The result was just as intense flavored kitchen cordial, but the color was lighter and the overall strength of the alcohol was greater, but not so much that it was too strong. The liqueur was just as sweet for the additional time allowed to steep extracted more of the sugars in the Dried Apricots.

You cannot go wrong with a Dried Apricot Liqueur. If you love the taste of Apricots, then the intensity of flavor from the Dried Apricots will have this cordial at the top of your list. Not only is the flavor amazing, but because Dried Apricots are available year round, you can make this sun kissed nectar any time you desire.

 

 

May 25

Celebrate towel day with a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster

Don't Panic

Today (25th May 2012) is a very special towel day, i.e. 25 + 5 + 12 = 42 (the answer to life, the universe and everything), so why not celebrate with a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, a cocktail invented by Zaphod Beeblebrox.

It is described as the alcoholic equivalent to a mugging, expensive and bad for the head, and its flavour is “Like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.”

Official Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster Recipe

  • Take the juice from 1 bottle of that Ol’ Janx Spirit.
  • Pour into it 1 measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V.
  • Allow 3 cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin to melt into the mixture (it must be properly iced or the benzene is lost).
  • Allow 4 litres of Fallian marsh gas to bubble through it.
  • Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qalactin Hypermint extract.
  • Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger.
  • Sprinkle Zamphuor.
  • Add an olive.
  • Drink . . . but . . . very carefully . . .

 

Just in-case you can’t get a hold of these ingredients, then try this alternative recipe.

  • 1 part White Rum
  • 1 part cheap fizzy cider
  • 3 ice cubes made from strong gin
  • 4 parts Sake
  • 1 part Creme de Menthe
  • 1 sugar cube
  • A sprinkle of cinnamon
  • 1 olive
  • Drink . . . but . . . very carefully . . .