Glazed Pork Riblets

First, pick up a rack of baby back ribs, which should weigh between 2 ½ and 3 pounds (St. Louis style will work as well, if that’s what your shop has in stock). Ask for them to be halved lengthwise so that you have two long strips, and then cut between each rib bone to make individual ribs.

In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup maple syrup, ¾ cup English (or Dijon) mustard, and ⅔ cup gochujang until smooth. Season the ribs with kosher salt, toss to coat, and transfer to the marinade. Turn to coat ribs, and let sit 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 375°. Transfer the ribs to a rimmed baking sheet and pour about 1 cup of the marinade over. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then baste with the reserved marinade. Roast for 15 minutes more, then turn the ribs over, baste again, and set timer for 10 more minutes (that would be the 40 minute mark, total). At this point, check the riblets. You should be able to see rendered fat on the pan, and around the edges some of the marinade may be reduced, bubbling, and starting to get dark. The ribs should be shiny, glazed and tender, with meat that has pulled back from the bone. Try one! If you think they need to be even more glazed, baste a final time, then roast 5–10 minutes longer (the ribs will eventually dry out if overcooked). Meanwhile, turn the marinade into a dipping sauce: Combine any extra marinade and ½ cup water in a medium sauté pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, to slightly reduce (this step is important since the marinade was in contact with the uncooked ribs). Riblets, like wings, benefit from crunchy cold things alongside. I serve these with celery sticks that have been tossed with fresh lime juice and flaky salt—you could do the same with cucumbers, carrots, or jicama. Pour the extra marinade into a little bowl and pile the ribs into a perfectly imperfect pile. If you’re going to take a picture for Instagram, I suggest you use portrait mode and come in on a slight angle, which will give you that epic, retro Martha soft-focus vibe. It’s that combination of trashy and classy that sold me on riblets way back when, and it still really does it for me. Carla Lalli Music Food Director Bone Appetit Blog

Pork Tenderloin Shishkebab

I love anything that is on skewers and grilled on barbecue. Pork tenderloin is one of the best cuts for quick grilling but it does need help from bacon to keep it moist. I always use smoked and cooked bacon because of the short cooking time. In this version I used pork, bacon, onion wedge, red pepper piece and zucchini slice. For sauce I used hickory smoked BBQ sauce. Together with steamed rice and lettuce and cucumber salad on side it makes a wonderful warm weather meal.

When I use skewers, especially wood or bamboo, I always put triple layer of aluminum foil under to prevent skewers from burning.

Update of The Weekly Menu – April 10, 2011

Monday

Western Beef Stir-fry.

The rice was cooked like a regular fried rice with vegetables but the beef steak was cook in a hot frying pan till medium rare and then sliced into 1” wide strips on bias and then tossed with BBQ sauce. Since no knife is necessary in order to eat it, it makes it a good branch meal where all you need is a fork or chopsticks.

Tuesday

BBQ Chicken Wings.

Yah, I know, I had it last week and maybe week before that but hey, they are so good! Sweet and hot and sticky…heaven on the plate. As is usual for me I served it on bed of chopped Napa cabbage.

Wednesday

The Chicken Vegetable & Rice Soup.

This was a nice light lunch. It was just a previously made chicken stock with meat, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, rice and topped with Parmigiano cheese. I put a Parmigiano cheese rind in the stock and simmered it for 30 minutes and it gave the soup such a complex flavor! Since I have so much rind from the cheese I will use it in every soup base.

Thursday

Seafood-Mix Risotto.

Rice was the last staple that I didn’t use with frozen seafood mix. Week ago I saw on Food Channel tip for using frozen scallops and squids. As anybody that used them knows that they have a sort of metallic after taste that is hard to get rid off. I think it was on America’s Test Kitchen, they suggested to use lemon juice. I went one step farther: I have marinated the mix with grated zest and juice from 1 lemon. Did it work? Not a trace of any chemical preservatives. Not exactly like fresh stuff but pretty good. This trick will be in my repertoire from now on.

Friday

Risotto Cakes with Bocconcini.

Many restaurants cook risotto for a sole purpose of having it for cakes and I can understand why. When you bite into one first sensation is the super crispy Panko coating. Then you feel the cheesy and creamy rice followed by melted, stringy Mozzarella Bocconcini. Then you take a bite of crispy Napa cabbage. Wow! This is not a leftover meal, this is a meal worthy to be on a banquet menu. I did make one change since I cooked my last risotto: before forming the patty or cake, I mixed in a lot of grated Parmigiano cheese to help in binding it and hold shape. Great move! After all, I bought so much cheese at a basement price J !

Saturday

Stove-top Chicken Teriyaki.

In my opinion this version is so much juicier, tender and quicker to prepare then traditional cooking method over barbecue. Even though I have marinated for 6 hours skinless and boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch strips, I am not sure that it is necessary when cooked in non-stick frying pan. The chicken pieces are basically sauted in the marinade and when I turn then over after about 10 minutes I add the green onions and cook another 10 minutes, partially covered. At the end of cooking time the marinade turns into a thick sauce. Served over rice along with cucumber salad makes it a summer delight.

Barbequed Chinese Pork Ribs

Char Siu Ribs

Barbeque pork is used in many Chinese recipes from soups, appetizers, stir fried rice and noodle to on their own with a bowl of rice. I used same marinade for my pork back ribs. After 3 hours of slow roasting in sealed aluminum bag at 290 °F and hit of open broil at 400 °F for 30 minutes they came out nice a sticky, fall-off-the-bone done. What a treat! Maybe I should file it under Dessert, really.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

The sauce:

Hoisin sauce, 3/4 cup

Soy sauce, 1/2 cup

Rice wine or dry sherry, 1/2 cup

Honey, 1/3 cup

Sugar, 1 tablespoon

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 Tbs. minced ginger.

2 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder

Put all ingredients in small sauce pan and simmer, covered, for 10 – 15 minutes stirring frequently. Strain through strainer to remove any solids and save in a jar.

Ribs:

Remove membrane covering the rib side of rack.

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Take a piece of heavy aluminum sheet that will generously cover the ribs in a sort of sealed bag.

Place ribs meat side down at one end of foil and brush with Char Siu sauce. Turn over rib side down (be careful not to pierce the foil!!!) and rub meat generously with the sauce. Fold over the foil and seal sides by folding over the foil several times. Through the remaining open side pour in about 1/3 cup rice wine, fold the foil over several times to make airtight bag and place on baking sheet.

Place in middle of preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 290 °F without opening oven door and cook for 2 hours.

After 2-1/2 hours in the oven raise the temperature to 375°F and remove the ribs.

Cut “X” in the aluminum bag being careful about steam that will inevitably escape. Roll or bend foil to open the bag, brush with more sauce and return to oven for another 30 minutes or till golden brown.

When golden brown, remove and cut into individual rib sections.

Serve with rice but we always eat ribs with rye bread. Don’t ask, just try it, you will like it. Excellent combo, just like a rye bread, chocolate and beer. Best dessert ever J !

 

Cut the bag open after 2 1/2 hours

Fold over the foil, brush with more sauce and return to 375°F oven for another 30 minutes.

Ready to be cut and plated.