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.

Pork Chops with Artichokes & Capers

Spring is here!

I always know for sure that spring has finally chased away the winter when I start seeing big piles of beautiful artichokes in the produce section. I absolutely love artichokes prepared in almost any fashion but I am especially partial to baby artichokes because they are so tender and delicately flavored. After you strip away a couple layers of the tough outer leaves you’re left with the heart, which is entirely edible and has none of that fuzzy, prickly stuff you’d find at the heart of a regular artichoke. Baby artichokes aren’t really any younger than mature artichokes but they’re called babies due to their much smaller size, which is the result of growing closer to the ground. The higher up the stalk, the bigger the artichoke. Bigger artichokes taste wonderful too but I enjoy the elegance of smaller sized artichokes when I want to use whole artichokes as part of a sauce.

The artichoke and caper sauce in this recipe tastes great with different kinds of meat. I used pork chops because that’s what I had in the fridge but you can substitute chicken breasts, veal chops or even lamb chops. Just make sure that whatever pieces of meat you choose are all about the same size to ensure even cooking.

PORK CHOPS WITH ARTICHOKES & CAPERS

4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2 pounds total weight
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 lemons
9 baby artichokes
4 big garlic cloves, sliced thinly
8 ounce jar of capers, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon cold butter
1/3 cup chopped chives

Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the juice of one of the lemons.

Clean the artichokes by peeling away the outer layers of the leaves until you reach the more tender, greenish-yellow leaves right outside the heart. Cut off the top third of each artichoke. Trim the stem end. Slice in half. Place the artichoke halves in the bowl of water until ready to use.

Season the chops with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Brown chops well on both sides and cook through, about 5-7 minutes per side. Turn them a couple of times to avoid burning. Remove to a platter and cover tightly with foil to keep warm.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine.

Add the artichokes, garlic, broth and juice of the other lemon.

Turn up the heat a little bit. Cover and steam until the artichokes are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Lower heat back to medium.

Add the capers and heat through until warmed.

Swirl in the cold butter and chives.

Spoon the sauce over the chops and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Citrus Roasted Pork Shoulder with Spicy Pickled Onions, Black Beans & Saffron Rice

My love affair with pork continues. Roasted pork shoulder is amazingly rich and practically melts in your mouth, especially when bathed in its own succulent juices while roasting. I like to cut through that richness with a little pop of citrus. In this recipe, I used a combination of grapefruit and lime but feel free to substitute any combination of citrus fruit that you like. Tangerine and lime is also quite delicious. Just make sure that you have enough fruit to yield at least one cup of juice for the marinade. This pork shoulder is served with Latin American influenced side dishes because the pairing of citrus and pork is a hallmark of that part of the world, especially Cuba. The best way to enjoy this meal is with friends, mojitos and the music of The Buena Vista Social Club. Don’t forget to make a toast in memory of Cachaito Lopez, one of Buena Vista’s original musicians who passed away this week.

CITRUS ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

5 pounds smoked pork shoulder, bone-in
1 medium grapefruit
1 lime
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Zest the grapefruit and lime. Put zest into bowl of food processor. Juice fruit and add juice to bowl.

Coarsely chop onion and garlic. Add to bowl and pulse until very finely chopped.

Add cumin, salt, adobo seasoning, pepper and ginger. Pulse a few times to combine.

With a sharp knife, score sides of the pork about 1/3 inch deep through the rind. Do not score the flat, cut side.

Place pork shoulder in a very large zip top bag. Pour in marinade and coat pork. Use your hands to really rub the marinade into the score marks.

Marinate at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours. Turn over the bag once or twice a day to ensure that all sides of the pork are coated in the marinade.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place pork cut side down in a baking dish. Pour marinade in the pan around the pork.

Roast for 4 hours. You may need to add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan every hour or so to prevent the pan from scorching. Also, at the 3 hour mark, you may cover the pan loosely with tin foil if the pork is becoming too dark.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving into slices.

SPICY PICKLED ONIONS

2 small yellow onions
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup very cold water
4 tablespoons kosher salt
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Use a mandoline to very thinly slice the onions or use a very sharp knife to slice the onions less than 1/4″ thick.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Add the onions to the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for four hours.

Drain before serving.

BLACK BEANS

15 ounce can black beans, partially drained
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
6 big garlic cloves
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 chopped tomato
1 teaspoon oregano
1 smoked chili

Place the garlic cloves on an 8″x8″ square of tinfoil. Sprinkle with one teaspoon of the olive oil. Close tightly and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for half an hour. (Tip: Prepare the garlic when you roast the pork shoulder. Put the garlic in the oven at the beginning of the pork’s cooking time. The roasted garlic can rest in the foil until you are ready to prepare the black beans.)

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomato and saute until the tomato begins to breaks down, about 10 minutes.

Add the beans, oregano, smoked chili and roasted garlic.

Turn up the heat to medium and simmer for a few minutes, until warmed through completely.

Remove the chili before serving.

Serve hot.

SAFFRON RICE

1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
very big pinch of saffron

In a small saucepan, bring broth, olive oil, salt and pepper to a boil.

Add saffron.

Add rice and bring back to a boil.

Low heat to low and cover tightly.

Cook for 25 minutes or until broth is completely absorbed by rice.

Fluff rice with a fork before serving.

Serves 4 very generously, with leftovers.

Caraway Crusted Pork Roast with Spaetzle

I love pork. It’s so good in so many different ways. Pork is widely heralded as the world’s most popular meat and it’s easy to see why. When cooked properly, pork is succulent yet lean, tender but substantial, and truly delicious. Back in the day, you had to torture pork until it was cooked to ridiculously high temperatures to avoid trichinosis, which meant that old school pork was as yummy as shoe leather. Fortunately, due to advances in raising pigs, trichinosis is not a concern anymore so clocking in at 160 degrees will keep you safe and keep your pork moist. At 160 degrees, a pork roast will still have a slight rosiness to its center so don’t freak out if you see a bit of pink.

This dish showcases the classic German combination of pork and caraway. Spaetzle is side dish of tiny noodle-like dumplings that traditionally accompanies meat dishes in Germany and Austria. Spaetzle is also a very fun word to say and would make a great name for a pet. Here, the nutmeg flavoring the spaetzle provides a fine balance to the pork’s caraway crust and full-bodied tomato gravy. Serve with a simple green salad to round out the meal.

CARAWAY CRUSTED PORK ROAST WITH SPAETZLE

For the pork roast:

3 1/2 pound boneless pork roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Using a mortar and pestle, gently crush together the caraway seeds and mustard seeds. Mix in the remaining herbs and spices.

Cover the bottom of a small roasting pan with the sliced onions.

Place roast, non-fat side up, on the onions and massage with half of the olive oil. Rub half of the caraway seed mixture into the top of the roast, taking care to press the seeds firmly into the meat.

Turn roast over and repeat with remaining olive oil and caraway seed mixture.

Place roast in the oven for 10 minutes then lower heat to 350 degrees. Cook for approximately 20 minutes per pound.

Remove roast from oven when internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Place roast on serving platter, tent loosely with tin foil and allow to rest for ten minutes. Internal temperature will reach 160 degrees while the roast rests.

Place roasting pan containing onions over stove burner on medium high heat. Add beef broth and bring to a quick boil. Scrape up any brown bits that appear in the bottom of the pan. Stir in tomato paste until fully incorporated. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the gravy.

Thinly slice pork roast and arrange on serving platter. Spoon over the tomato gravy, including the onions.

For the spaetzle:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon of dried parsley or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
few grinds of black pepper

Combine together the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and the nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup of milk.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. The mixtures should be like thick pancake batter. If too thick, add in one extra tablespoon of milk at a time and whisk until the proper consistency is achieved.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Position a large holed colander (not a sieve!) over the boiling water and slowly pour in the batter one cup at a time. Swirl the colander to allow the batter to run through the holes and into the water. The spaetzle are fully cooked when they float to the surface. Used a slotted spoon to transfer cooked spaetzle into a bowl. You will need to cook the spaetlze in a few batches.

Place the butter, parsley, remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl and microwave until the butter is melted. Gently toss the spaetzle with the melted butter.

Serves 6.