Ginger Red Plum Spare Ribs

We took a day trip up to Boston last weekend to spend some long overdue quality time with several of our friends from college. Gwen, our hostess with the mostess, set out a great spread for us to nosh on throughout the afternoon, including a pitcher of her refreshing (and dangerously potent) red sangria and a platter of delectable pork spareribs that had all of us licking our fingers and coming back for more. Spareribs are totally delish and a great way to feed a crowd but they’re not something I think of preparing at home too often, probably because you need to plan way in advance to allow for several hours of cooking on low heat to create tender ribs. I’m usually not put together enough to think ahead like that. But as I was wandering through the supermarket meat department a couple days after returning from Boston, I had Gwen’s ribs in mind so I picked up a big package of pork ribs and a bottle of barbecue sauce. I spent ten minutes standing in the condiment aisle, mesmerized by the many varieties of barbecue sauce before I finally picked one. Smoky, Hickory, Whisky Flavored, Hot ‘n Spicy, Gluten Free! So many choices, only one rack of ribs. Sweet Baby Ray’s original flavor made the cut because I’d tasted it before and knew it was a great basic barbecue sauce with a good balance between sweet and spice that would play well with the goodies I planned to mix in to add even more flavor.

When it came time to start cooking, I resorted to Google for assistance because I wasn’t about to ruin five pounds of gorgeous pork ribs by not knowing what I was doing. A few searches later, I decided to go with the oven instead of the grill because of the rainy weather. Okay, fine. I went with the oven because the last time I tried to grill ribs they turned into jerky. Tasty but kind of tough and chewy. I was guilty of rushing the ribs on an overly hot grill and it showed. So this time, I let them go low and slow for a loooooong time in the oven and discovered that good things really do come to those who wait.

This recipe makes enough barbecue sauce to generously slather all over five pounds of spare ribs with enough left over to cover four or five pounds of bone-in chicken pieces, in case some people don’t want to eat pork. Any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a month.

GINGER RED PLUM SPARE RIBS

5 pounds pork spare ribs, cut into individual riblets
3/4 cup red plum jelly
1 cup plain barbecue sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger (the kind in the spice aisle, not fresh ginger)
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
optional: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Microwave jelly in a large bowl on high for 30 seconds. Then whisk the jelly to loosen it up. Microwave on high for another 30 seconds. Whisk again. The jelly should be melted a bit and loosened up enough to be somewhat liquid, like a thick gel with little lumps in it. If it’s not, microwave again at 15 second intervals until you get the right consistency.

Whisk the barbecue sauce, ginger and orange zest into the jelly until completely blended together. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use. You can make the sauce way in advance if you want.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Take out a baking sheet pan. Measure out a length of heavy duty tin foil to be twice the length of the baking sheet.

Lay the foil on the pan and arrange the ribs in one layer across the foil. It’s okay if they touch.

Season the ribs on both sides with the salt, pepper, onion powder and cayenne or red pepper, if using.

Wrap up the ribs loosely in the foil to create a packet, taking care to seal the folds in the foil well.

Roast the ribs in the oven for 5 hours. Do not open the door to peek into the oven. Do not open the foil packet. Just wait. For 5 hours.

After 5 hours, remove the ribs from the oven. Take the foil packet off the pan and place on a heatproof surface.

Turn up the heat in the oven to 400 degrees.

Pour any liquid out of the baking sheet. Place a new sheet of foil on the pan. This piece of foil should be the same size as the pan.

Open the foil packet and remove the ribs with tongs. Gently shake off any liquid and place back onto the foil covered pan in one layer.

Brush the ribs very generously with the barbecue sauce on all sides.

Place back into the oven for 10 minutes. Check the ribs to make sure that the sauce is caramelizing a bit but not burning. You can turn over the ribs right now if you want. Put the ribs back into oven for another 10 or so minutes, until the sauce darkens and turns shiny and a bit sticky.

Let the ribs rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Serve 6-8.

Ginger Five Spice Marinade

Chinese Five Spice is a really handy item to keep in your pantry because its warm, sweet and spicy flavor enhances both savory and dessert dishes. Five Spice’s composition of cassia cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves and ginger (or sometimes Szechuan peppercorns in place of ginger) is based on the traditional Chinese philosophy of balancing yin and yang in food because those spices represent the full spectrum of flavor- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy. Personally, I don’t pick up on the salty, sour or bitter flavors that are supposedly present in Five Spice but who am I to argue with ancient Chinese philosophy? All I know is that it tastes fantastic, especially when mixed with a little citrus and fresh ginger to brighten the flavor.

I often pair this marinade with flank steak or london broil but it also works well with chicken and pork. For best results, marinate about two pounds of meat (that’s usually enough for four people with some left over) for at least 24 hours to really allow the flavors to penetrate. Or, instead of a marinade, use this recipe as a glaze and brush onto pan-seared or grilled salmon or tuna toward the end of the cooking time.

GINGER FIVE SPICE MARINADE

Whisk together:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice

If you’re using the recipe as a glaze, use only 1 teaspoon of oil and cut the remaining ingredients in half because you won’t need as much.

Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup, as we all know, is THE classic comfort food. Warming the body and soul on chilly days, soothing the aches and pains on sick days, and a mother’s best friend on picky-eater days. I freely admit that I have a fondness for Campbell’s, straight from the tin and zapped in the microwave. It’s an uncomplicated soup that reminds me of less complicated days. But when I am feeling a little more grown-up but still craving chicken noodle soup, I dress up a homemade version with fresh ginger and scallions. This Asian inspired soup is not only easy to prepare and low in fat, it tastes just as mmm mmm good as my beloved Campbell’s.

GINGER CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 whole black peppercorns OR Szechuan peppercorns
2 nickel sized slices of ginger AND 1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed AND 2 garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 ounces of your favorite dried Chinese egg noodles
8 cups of low sodium chicken broth

Place chicken, peppercorns, slices of ginger and crushed garlic in a small saute pan with high sides. Add enough cold water to just cover the chicken. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Poach chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 10-12 minutes. Turn the chicken over halfway through the cooking time.

Discard the poaching liquid and spices.

Chop chicken into small, bite size pieces.

In a large soup pot, bring broth and remaining ginger and garlic to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling broth according to package directions.

One minute before noodles are finished cooking, add chicken, scallions and bamboo shoots to the soup. Stir gently to distribute chicken and vegetables throughout the pot.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with the soy sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 very generously.

My Very First RSVP to Revel & Feast!!

Congrats to my best girl Lauren on becoming the first follower of Revel & Feast. She now gets a cocktail named in her honor. What’s that you say? You want a cocktail named after you too? Join The A List and I’ll make it happen.

Lauren is not only a very pretty lady, she also has a very sexy brain that she uses to defend your consumer rights in the courtroom. Thus, I present to you:

THE SEXY LAWYER

3/4 cup white sugar
5 cups very cold water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (please do not cheat by using bottled juice)
1 inch knob of ginger, thinly sliced
1 cup amaretto
1/3 cup vodka

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, one cup of water and the ginger slices. Make a simple syrup by completely dissolving the sugar in the water over low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Discard ginger slices.

Pour the lemon juice into a pitcher and then pour in the simple syrup. Stir thoroughly.

Add the remaining water, amaretto and vodka. Stir thoroughly.

Pour over ice into a tall glass. Sit back and enjoy.

Makes enough for you and your five best friends.