Sunday Supper {Foolproof Ribs}

After much thought, I finally dove in and decided to make Ina’s Foolproof Ribs from my favorite Foolproof book.  Those that know me well will probably get why it required “thought”.  I just don’t eat things on bones.  I’ve come a LONG way in the last year, as I used to not even cook something with a bone.  I have no idea why this is, but Sister is the same way.  So, every time I passed the “Foolproof Ribs” recipe in my endeavor to cook my way through the Foolproof cookbook it gave me a pause of anxiety.  When they were on sale over the weekend I impulsively bought a couple of racks and gave it a go!  I’m SO glad I did as they were relatively easy and VERY yummy.  Yes, I ATE THEM too!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I haven’t had ribs in probably 20 years so I don’t have anything recent to compare them too, but Honey and our supper guests (they did the wings!) assured me they were good.

Foolproof Ribs

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

• 5 lbs. St. Louis ribs or baby back ribs
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 recipe BC BBQ Sauce

For the BC Barbecue Sauce:

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 cup (10 oz.) tomato paste
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup honey
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the onions, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, mustard, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Use the sauce immediately or pour into a container and refrigerate.
3. Place the ribs on the sheet pan meat side up and sprinkle them with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour the BBQ sauce generously on each rack and cover the ribs loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 1½ hours for baby backs and 1¾ hours for St. Louis ribs, until the meat is very tender when tested with a fork. As soon as the ribs are out of the oven, spread them generously with additional BBQ sauce. Grill right away or refrigerate to grill later.
4. About 50 minutes before you want to serve, heat a charcoal grill with a later of hot coals or heat a gas grill to medium-high heat. After the charcoal turns gray, brush the coking grate with oil to keep the ribs from sticking. Place the ribs on the grill ribs-side-down, put the lid on top (be sure both vents are open), and grill for 5 minutes. Turn the ribs meat-side-down, put the lid back on, and grill for another 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the ribs to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into ribs and serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

• I used St. Louis Ribs because I knew nothing about ribs, my phone wasn’t getting service in the publix to call Daddy-O and ask, and they were cheaper.
• The sauce: I halved the sauce recipe and it was plenty.  It was REALLY good cooked on the ribs, but was not our favorite flavor on it’s own.  It’s definitely worth making to cook with, but you might want to have your own favorite on hand for dipping while eating.
• The cooking: We have a big green egg, so for step 4 Honey heated the egg up to 350 and grilled them for 5 minutes on each side.
• I served with home made cole slaw, honey bourbon grillin beans (can) and honey cornbread (Krusteaz is my all time fave).

 

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (I use cheap instant coffee)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole walnut halves (chopped)
1 cup whole pecan halves (chopped)
2/3 cup peanut butter chips, such as Reese’s

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a few sheet pans with parchment paper.
   In a bowl set over simmering water, melt the butter, 6 ounces of the chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally, until just melted. Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla until combined. Add the sugar, raise the speed to medium-high, and beat for 2 minutes, until the batter is thick and falls back on itself in a ribbon. Set aside.
3. With the mixer on low, slowly add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Combine the 1/3 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and fold it into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. In another bowl, combine the walnuts, pecans, peanut butter chips, the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips, and the tablespoon of flour and fold it into the chocolate mixture. With 2 soup spoons, drop rounded mounds of batter 1 inch apart onto the prepared sheet pans. Bake for 15 minutes exactly. Cool on the baking sheets.

We’re off to mass and then have a family date this afternoon that I’m super excited about!!  Can’t wait to share more!!
xoxo