Rhubarb Barbecue Sauced Country Ribs-Secret Recipe Club

 I really wanted to call this post "The Best Darn Country Ribs Ever.  The recipes and cooking method came from Julie at A Little Bit of Everything, my assigned blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  Julie is from Nebraska (drove through her state on our trip last year).  She has been blogging since 2009 so there is a wealth of goodies on her blog.

I was glad to see that, like me, she has a sweet tooth, so there are wonderful recipes for sweets.  I can’t wait to try Butterfinger Cheesecake, Snickerdoodle Bars and many more.  There are also some great veggie recipes, especially for Brussels Sprouts.  I will be back to grab some of those when sprouts are in season again.  I also want to try the recipes for 60 Minute Rolls and Throwed Rolls.

 Many of the recipes that caught my eye were from several years ago so I was very glad that I had the time to delve deeply into her blog.  Sometimes great recipes are buried deep in blogs so it is worth it to go back in time if you can.

Several things “came into play” when I made my final decision about what to make and post today.  Rhubarb is in season, and I have been all about rhubarb lately.  I had to work an extra day this week so hubby was going to eat leftovers an extra day.  I wanted to make something that I knew he would enjoy eating four days in a row.  Since I was a bit tired of roasts, I thought a big batch of oven-barbecued country ribs might do the trick.  When I happened upon the recipe for Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce, I knew I was in business.

I had also seen the post for Baby Back Ribs and was intrigued by the method Julie used in making them.  I  decided to use the rub and method of cooking the ribs from that post.  I am so glad I did, as I said these just may be "The Best Darn Country Rib Ever."  The pork was "fall-apart" done but very moist, the sauce was so good I wanted to stand at the stove and eat it with a spoon.  I will be coming back to this method again and again.  I am so glad that, because of Secret Recipe Club, I found this blog.

It takes 3 recipes to make these ribs:  the rub, the braising liquid, and the Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce.  I will post the recipes for each of these and then the method to make the ribs.  Because I am always trying new rub recipes, I halved the ingredients for the rub and still had nearly half left over to use another time.  My ribs are usually frozen, and I like to put the rub on them as soon as I can pry them apart, then let the ribs finish thawing in the refrigerator.  This time the rub was on the ribs for about 3 hours.

Barbecue Rub-courtesy of Julie at Little Bit of Everything and Steven Raichlen
1/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c. sweet paprika
3 T. black pepper (I used coarse ground)
3 T. kosher salt
1 T. hickory smoked salt (I did not have) or more kosher salt
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
2 t. celery seeds (I used my homemade dried celery leaves)
1 t. cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar.  Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag away from heat or light.  Keeps at least 6 months.

Braising Liquid-courtesy of  Julie at Little Bit of Everything and Alton Brown
1 c. white wine
2 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. honey
2 cloves garlic, minced

Measure white wine into a 2-cup glass measure.  Add remaining ingredients.  Stir and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce-courtesy of Julie at Little Bit of Everything and Taste of Home
1 c. chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
2/3 c. water
1 t. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. ketchup
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. dark corn syrup of molasses (I used molasses)
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 t. hot pepper sauce ( I am wimpy and did not use this much and used a Thai sweet chili sauce)
1/4 t. salt

In a small saucepan, bring rhubarb and water to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5 or 6 minutes or until tender.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  In the same saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion until tender.  Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Place rhubarb, onion and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  (Note:  Julie does not process the onion.  I did because I wanted a smooth sauce.)  Return rhubarb/onion mixture to saucepan.  Add remaining ingredients except hot sauce.  Whisk until well blended.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Store in hot sauce to taste.  Store in refrigerator.  Makes about 2 1/3 cups.

Before I get to the method, I want to mention that I used the oven.  Julie does these in a roaster on a grill also.  Because of the low oven heat, I think that these could be done in a slow cooker, but I would want the cooker big enough so that there is only one layer of meat.  I would also cover the meat with foil, and use a clean tea towel under the lid to catch some of the moisture.  I will probably be giving this a try.

Oven Barbecue Country Ribs
5 lbs. boneless country style pork ribs
Barbecue Rub from above recipe
Braising Liquid from above recipe
vegetable oil
Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce or barbecue sauce of choice

Sprinkle Barbecue Rub on all sides of ribs and rub in well with your fingers.  Allow to sit at least 30 minutes.  (I like much longer-see comment above).  About 4 hours before dinner time, gently pat ribs dry with paper towel, removing as little rub as possible.  Pour a film of vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat.  Brown ribs on all side in batches and adding additional oil as necessary.  Remove browned ribs to a roasting pan with at least 1-inch sides and large enough so the ribs do not touch.  Heat oven to 250 degrees.  Place roasting pan in the oven and add braising liquid.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Roast slowly for about 3 1/2 hours (mine were almost fall-apart done at that point).  Remove ribs and put in another roasting pan or broiler pan if you have one.  Carefully remove pan with liquid from oven and set aside.  Pour about 1 cup of the barbecue sauce into a small bowl to use as a basting sauce.  Increase oven heat to 350.  Brush ribs with barbecue sauce and place in oven for 15 minutes.  Turn ribs and baste again with sauce.  Bake another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, cover with the foil you used earlier and let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Serve ribs with rest of the barbecue sauce.  Easily makes 10 servings.  Note:  I poured the Braising Liquid into a container, refrigerated it, froze it in several small batches, and will use it as a flavoring for gravy for pork roasts.

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Linking to these great parties:

Make the Scene Monday 

Marvelous Monday

Mop It Up Monday

Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Mix It Up Monday

Sweet Sharing Monday

Monday Fun Day

Busy Monday

Manic Monday

Southern Cola Barbecue Sauce-Secret Recipe Club

It is time once again to post the recipe for this month’s Secret Recipe Club.  This month I was assigned This Mama Cooks on a Diet.  Although Anne-Marie has been blogging since 2004, her blog was new to me.  Her tag line is Healthy Recipes & Lifestyle Tips for Busy Moms, and her blog is packed with just that.

I found many healthy recipes that I will be making such as Maple Roasted Vegetables, Maple-Sugar Ginger Roast Pork, Chicken, Sweet Potato and Apple Skillet and many others.  Because I planned to make some oven-barbecued, country-style pork ribs, the recipe I chose was Southern Cola Barbecue Sauce.
 
However, before we go there, I must share a great tip that Anne-Marie posted about making dips with World Harbors Marinades.  This is one of those “slap yourself upside of the head and think why didn’t I think of that” ideas.  The basic idea is to mix equal amounts of the marinade and sour cream, Greek yogurt or tofu sour cream to make a somewhat healthy dip.  I tried this with some World Harbors Maui Mountain Sweet ‘n Sour sauce that I had on hand and loved the result.  Now I know just what to do with those little bits of different sauces I seem to accumulate in my refrigerator.  I will use them to help the veggies go down.

Now on to the real recipe.  Because she is trying (as am I) to avoid high fructose corn syrup, Anne-Marie used a product called Pepsi Natural.  I looked everywhere and could not find it.  Since this recipe was posted in 2009, I suspect that Pepsi Natural didn’t “make the cut”; and like many healthy products that we say we want and then don’t buy, it was discontinued.  Since my hubby MUST have a can of Pepsi each day, we always have it on hand.  I just “bit the bullet” and used that.  The lemon and orange juice gave the sauce an underlying citrus “spark” that I really liked.

In her post Anne-Marie mentions the difficulty of finding commercial barbecue sauces without high fructose corn syrup.   Bull’s-Eye B B Q Sauce does not list high fructose corn syrup on it’s label.  This product is made by Kraft and should be nationally available.

I used one cup of the sauce to marinate the country-style pork ribs, for about 8 hours.  I baked the ribs in a 375 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours, basting with the reserved sauce every 15 minutes.  I also turned them at that point.  I put the ribs on a broiler pan (both pieces of the pan sprayed very well with non-stick spray).  I did begin to get a little char on the pork towards the end of the cooking time.  Next time I will pour about a cup of water in the bottom of the broiler pan when I put the ribs in the oven.  I served the remaining sauce at the table to pour over the ribs.

Southern Cola Barbecue Sauce
adapted from This Mama Cooks on a Diet
1 c. Pepsi
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. orange juice
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. ketchup
2 T. dark brown sugar (I just used light)
2 T. light molasses (spray your spoon with non-stick spray for easier measuring)
1/2 t. grated lemon peel
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste (I didn’t use these)

Combine all ingredients.  Place about 1 cup in a plastic bag and use to marinate pork, chicken or beef several hours or overnight, turning often.  Put remaining sauce in a container and refrigerate.  Remove meat from refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to remove the chill.  While meat is resting, pour reserved sauce in a small, heavy sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring often, until sauce has reduced and thickened somewhat.  Remove some of the sauce to brush on meat while is baking or grilling.  Serve remaining  sauce on the side.  Any remaining sauce can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

DIY Groceries-Barbecue Rubs and Sauces 5

Well, I said last week that I was done posting barbecue rubs and sauces.  Turns out I'm not.  A local grocery store advertised pork riblets at only $1.39 a lb. this week, and I wanted to give them a try.  They are kind of like spareribs but much cheaper.  I generally buy country style rubs instead of regular spareribs because they are less expensive and have more meat.  Spareribs are always a little unpredictable as to the amount of meat one gets.

So with the riblets on sale and one more rub recipe I wanted to try, that is what was for dinner Saturday night.  I put the rub on the riblets and let them sit in the fridge for several hours.  I then cooked them in a 350 degree oven for about an hour, basting lightly with barbecue sauce the last 20 minutes.  I had a small amount of  Bulls' Eye Barbecue Sauce in my fridge I wanted to use up, so I just used what I had of that.  These could be served without any added sauce if desired.

The rub was very good but a bit spicy for me.  I think the next time I will cut the cayenne back by half.  When I use the rest of what I made up, I will not be quite so generous when I apply the rub as I was today.

My husband's verdict was that the riblets were very good, but a lot of work to eat.

The rub was part of a recipe called Spice-Rubbed Ribs which was for baby back ribs.  The recipe is from Taste of Home and was sent in by Cheryl Ewing from Ellwood City Pennsylvania.

Spice Rub

3 T. paprika
2 T. plus 1 t. salt
2 T. plus 1 t. garlic powder
2 T. cayenne pepper
4 t. onion powder
4 t. dried oregano
4 t. dried thyme
4 t. pepper

Mix ingredients together well.  Sprinkle on ribs or other pork, chicken, or beef  before barbecuing.  I like to apply the rub and chill the meat for several hours.  Store tightly covered in a cool place.  Makes about 3/4 cup.

Linking to Hunk of Meat Monday

DIY Groceries-Barbecue Rubs and Sauces 4

 

Here is one last post of recipes for a barbecue rub and sauce for this go round.   The rub is very basic and has fewer ingredients than the rubs posted previously, but it is still very useful.  I do not know the source of this recipe.

I occasionally can purchase commercial barbecue sauces on sale at a good price.  I check the label; and , if it has no high fructose corn syrup, I will purchase a bottle or two.  Bull’s-Eye Barbecue Sauce is one such product.  The recipe today is for a “doctored up” commercial or homemade barbecue sauce.  Add just a few ingredients,  and a commercial sauce becomes almost homemade.  This is a sticky sauce with molasses undertones.  It is great on both pork and chicken.  This recipe  is adapted from Allrecipes.

Basic Barbecue Rub
2 T. Chili Powder
1 T. Granulated Garlic
1 T. Onion Powder
1 T. Ground Cumin
1/2 T. Ground Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Sticky and Tangy Barbecue Sauce
1 cup honey
1 cup ketchup  
2 tablespoons molasses
1 (18-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce (or an equivalent of homemade sauce.

Mix ingredients together, blending well.  Brush on ribs or chicken, cooked on a grill or in the oven, during the last 15 to 30 minutes of cooking.  This keeps for a month or so in the refrigerator if using commercial sauce.  How long it would keep with homemade sauce would depend on how long the homemade sauce could be kept.

Tomorrow we are Cooking with the Journal

Ingredient Spotlight-Peachy Keen Barbecue Sauce

Fresh peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits.  My favorite way to eat them is sliced with a little light cream poured over with a little sugar if necessary.  Unfortunately, we do not yet have fresh peaches here this year.  We had a cold, late spring, and everything is running about 2-3 weeks late.

When one can't get fresh peaches, than canned ones will have to do.  Since peaches are most commonly used in desserts, I thought I would share a different use of canned peaches-Peachy Keen Barbecue Sauce.  This is a very easy and good barbecue sauce.  It is fairly spicy.  Cut back on the ginger if it is too spicy to suit.  I add a second can of peaches, drained and chopped, to play up the fact that there are peaches in the sauce.  That is entirely optional, however.  The sauce can be used with any meat or poultry.  I used it to make some oven-barbecued, country-style pork ribs and will share that, too.

 Peachy Keen Barbecue Sauce
1 (16 oz.) peach halves, drained
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. catsup
1/3 c. vinegar (I use rice vinegar, but any kind will do.)
2 T. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. fresh ginger root, minced or 1 t. ground ginger
Dash freshly ground black pepper
1 (16 oz.) can peach halves, drained and chopped (optional)

Place drained peach halves in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and add remaining ingredients.  Frugal tip:  I use the measured out vinegar to rinse out the blender container.  Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.  Makes about 2 c.

Oven-Barbecued Country Pork Ribs
Country Ribs-I had about 2 1/2 lbs. but can be whatever amount is needed
Barbeque Spice Mix (recipe below)

At least 3 to 4 hours before cooking, sprinkle and rub Barbecue Spice Mix on all sides of pork ribs.  Chill in refrigerator until 30 minutes before cooking.  Let stand to remove refrigerator chill.  Place ribs on a rack in a foil-lined baking pan.  Place in 350-degree oven and bake ribs 30 minutes.  Baste with some of the sauce.  Bake 15 to 30 minutes more, basting with sauce every 10 minutes until done.  My ribs were small so 45 minutes was plenty of time.  If ribs are larger, they may need more time in the oven.  Remove ribs from baking pan to serving platter.  Spoon any barbecue sauce left in pan over the ribs.  Warm remaining sauce and pass to serve with ribs.  The sauce is also very good spooned over rice or couscous.

Barbecue Spice Mix
4 T. paprika
2 T. chili powder
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. sugar
2 t. cumin
1 t. curry powder
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. pepper
1 t. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 t. cayenne pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl, blending well.  Store in an airtight jar or zip-top plastic bag in a cool, dry place.  Use within 3 months.  Sprinkle and rub on beef, pork, or poultry.

Linking to Ingredient Spotlight,  Whisking Wednesdays, Foodie Wednesday.

DIY Groceries-Barbecue Rubs/Sauces 2

First, I want to say Good Monday morning and welcome new followers.  Hope you enjoy your visit.

As I said last Monday, I love to make homemade barbecue rubs and sauces, so I try a new recipe  almost every time we have barbecue, whether on the grill  or in the oven.  I do have a few recipes that I go back to, like the rub and sauce I posted last week.  This is another recipe that I use from time to time.  This one comes from an appearance by Ollie Gates, owner of Gates Bar-B-Q in Kansas City, on the Martha Stewart Living TV Show.  There is a bonus Baked Bean recipe using both the seasoning and the sauce also.

The rib seasoning is a dry rub that should be applied 15 minutes before grilling; the barbecue sauce, warmed up in a saucepan, is an ideal accompaniment to the finished ribs. Note:  these are his instructions.  I always put rubs on and let the meat rest in the refrigerator for several hours before grilling or putting in the oven.

RIB SEASONING
Makes 2 cups

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons red pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground celery

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Store in a tightly sealed jar.

BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes about 3 quarts

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons celery seed
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground red pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 quarts ketchup
2 cups apple vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, celery seed, cumin, red pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Set aside.    In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add dry ingredients, and mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks or in a freezer for up to 6 months.

BARBECUE BEANS
Serves 18 to 20

2 fifty-five-ounce cans baked beans
1/2 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
3 tablespoons Rib Seasoning (recipe above)
3/4 cup Barbecue Sauce (recipe above)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

In a cast-iron pot, combine all ingredients.    Cook on the grill, stirring occasionally, until hardened “crust” forms on top of beans, about 20 minutes.

Do It Yourself Groceries-Barbecue Rubs/Sauces 1

Barbecue season is upon us and this was Father's Day dinner.  Over the next two or three weeks, I am going to share some of my favorite homemade barbecue rubs and sauces.  Now I do buy sauces if there is a good sale on my favorite brands as that can be less expensive than making your own.  However, I think nothing beats a good homemade rub and sauce.  If you already have the spices on hand, as I do, homemade rubs will always save money.

My copy of this rub doesn't indicate where it came from, but after a web search it seems to have come from The Smoke Ring website from a book called  "The Thrill of the Grill" by Chris Schlesinger.  This rub gives a nice barbecue red color to whatever you use it on.

All South Barbecue Rub
2 T. Salt
2 T. Sugar
2 T. Brown Sugar
2 T. Ground Cumin
2 T. Chile Powder
2 T. Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
1 T. Cayenne Pepper
4 T. Paprika

Mix ingredient together until well blended.  Store tightly covered in cool, dry place.  Makes about 1 cup.

This barbecue sauce recipe is one that I have been using for years.  I like it because the base is tomato soup and tomato sauce.  It keeps in the refrigerator for up to six months and can be frozen.  You may use any kind of vinegar in this although I used rice vinegar this time.

Two frugal tips:  Grease your measuring cup when measuring the molasses.  Use the measured-out vinegar to wash out the tomato soup and tomato sauce cans to get "the very last drop".

This recipe comes from "The Year Round Holiday Cookbook" by Marlene Sorosky.  This is a fairly mild sauce with just a bit of a bite.

Panhandle Barbecue Sauce
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 c. light molasses
1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. vegetable oil  (I don't use this)
1 T. instant minced onion
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T. seasoned salt
1 T. dry mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. orange or lemon peel (I don't always use this)
2 t. paprika
1/2 t. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer for 15 to 20 min., stirring occasionally.  Brush on chicken or meat during the last 15 minutes of grilling.  Cool and store in refrigerator.  Keeps 6 months. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.  May be frozen.

A great big welcome to my new followers.  Hope you like it here.

Tomorrow:  Cooking with the Journal

Linking to Melt in Your Mouth Mondays