Dinner | onedadskitchen

Changing Up a Classic (Just a Bit) – Stovetop Mac and Cheese

There is no other way for me to say it – I don’t like macaroni and cheese. I don’t eat pasta or cheese, so for me, this meal is almost the worst combination you can come up with (it’s right up there with lasagna and baked ziti for me). I know this may sound like blasphemy, but it is just the way it is for me and my family accepts it. That doesn’t change the fact that Michelle and Sean both love macaroni and cheese and would eat it just about every day if they could. That being said, usually when it comes to making macaroni and cheese in this house, I step away from the kitchen and let Michelle take over. She knows how it should be and should taste so I just let her do it. When she and Sean saw this recipe this morning from Amy Thielen on Food Network, they immediately decided they wanted to try it for lunch today.

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

4 ounces (about 3 to 4 slices) bacon, cut into small dice
Salt, for pasta water
1/2 pound pasta, such as elbows
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces American cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
2 ounces aged cheddar, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Heat a small skillet over medium heat; add the bacon and cook, stirring, until the bacon is lightly crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside; reserve the bacon fat for another use.

Bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just tender to the bite, or al dente. Before draining the pasta, use a heavy liquid measuring cup to pull out 3/4 cup of the pasta water; set the water aside. Drain the pasta and return the pot to the heat.

Heat the butter in the pasta pot, then add the cooked pasta. Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Add the shredded American cheese and stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the shredded cheddar cheese, milk, pepper and the cooked bacon and mix well. Dribble in the extra pasta water as needed to make a soft, creamy sauce. Garnish with parsley if using. Serve immediately.

It seems to me that this is just as easy as it would be to open one of those boxes of macaroni and cheese that have the cheese “dust” in it and I have to admit this smelled a lot better than the usual mac and cheese to me because of the use of the bacon. Sean absolutely loved it with the bacon in it, since bacon pretty much makes everything better anyway. Michelle really enjoyed it as well, though she thought it could use some more cheese in it and vowed to add more the next time around. Overall it seemed to be a pretty good hit with both of them and showed plans on bringing some to school on Monday for lunch.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. As always, there is still plenty to share as we are always trying something new around here. If you ever have any recipes you would like to share or something you would like to see on the blog, feel free to leave a comment, or catch up with me on Facebook or Twitter or send me an email at IguanaFlats@msn.com. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 22, 2014 in Dinner, Lunch, One Pot Meals, Pasta, Side Dishes

Tags: Amy Thielen stovetop mac and cheese, bacon mac and cheese, food network, mac and cheese with bacon, stovetop mac and cheese, stovetop macaroni and cheese

Who Doesn’t Love Chicken Fingers?

19 Mar

Chicken fingers don’t have to be just the classic kid’s meal. I know plenty of adults who enjoy them as well, but most adults are a little more discriminating about the quality that they like to have. Personally, I like chicken fingers that have good crunch and flavor to them but are not covered with a ton of breading or coating and taste greasy from the deep-frying. It’s a tricky balance, but it can be done if you put your mind to it. I came across this recipe in Saveur magazine for some chicken fingers that looked great, seemed simple to make and even had a nice dipping sauce on the side to make.

Homemade Chicken Fingers

For the Chicken Fingers:

2 pounds, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cunt into 3-inch long by 1-inch wide strips

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups panko breadcrumbs or finely ground fresh breadcrumbs

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the dipping sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise with the honey, dill, mustard powder and lemon juice. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and stir together until the sauce is smooth. Set the sauce aside.

For the chicken fingers, in a medium bowl, toss together the chicken strips, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and mustard powder. Set the chicken aside. Place the all purpose flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes; set the dishes aside. Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven until it reaches a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted into the oil registers 325 degrees. Working in batches, coat the chicken in the flour, shake off any excess, and then dip the chicken in the eggs; shake off any excess and the roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Set the chicken aside and repeat with all of the chicken pieces until they are all coated. Working in batches, fry the chicken pieces until they are golden brown and crisp all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken until all of the chicken is fried. Serve the chicken with the dipping sauce.

These were very easy to make and came out perfect. They were nice and crisp on the outside and were cooked ideally on the inside. The sauce had some great flavor with the honey and the dill and I also made the avocado ranch dipping sauce I have made in the past as well to give us a choice of sauces. Everyone loved them and these are great for a meal, a party or as an appetizer. I even used the leftovers as chicken for a buffalo chicken pizza I made the next day.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I have some great side dishes I have tried recently along with a few other dishes that have been great for sharing. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

3 Comments

Posted by MikeG on March 19, 2014 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: chicken fingers, dipping sauce for chicken fingers, homemade chicken fingers, honey-dill dipping sauce, Saveur magazine

Beefing Up Dinner with Beef Stroganoff over Buttered Noodles

18 Mar

There are some recipes that are classics that seem to get lost in the shuffle these days and you just do not see them around very often. Michelle had approached me not that long ago and said she really felt like having beef stroganoff for dinner one night. Now I had never made beef stroganoff before, and it is not hard to make at all, but I probably have not had any since I was a child. It just isn’t something I see around that often anymore or that a lot of people make at home. Anyway, there are plenty of recipes out there on the Internet and in cookbooks with various ways to make it, but I decided to stick to a very basic recipe that I found from Tyler Florence on the Food Network and give it a try.

Beef Stroganoff over Buttered Noodles

3 cups beef stock
1 carrot, chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons sour cream, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
1 (1-pound) package wide egg noodles

Heat the beef stock with the carrot, 3 thyme sprigs, and the bay leaf in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pat the beef dry and season it with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven over high heat. Fry the meat in batches so that it is browned on all sides. Lower the heat to medium and return all the meat to the pot. Add the onions and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in the cognac or brandy and cook until the alcohol has burned off, about 5 minutes. Add the beef stock, discarding the carrot, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Cook, partially covered, over a very low flame for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and the remaining 3 thyme sprigs and cook until the mushrooms are browned and cooked through. Remove the mixture from the heat and set it aside.

When the meat is done, remove it from the heat and fold in the mushrooms, sour cream, mustard, and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling, salted water until they are tender. Drain the noodles well, toss them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the stroganoff over the noodles; garnish the meal with more sour cream and chopped parsley, if desired.

That’s all there is to it really. you get nice, tender meat in a wonderful sauce that has the great flavors from the mushrooms, brandy and mustard to go along with the richness of the sour cream. Michelle and Sean both had theirs over noodles while I had mine over rice and there were plenty of leftovers for lunches during the week for everyone. It all comes together pretty easily and can make a nice meal during the week or for something different on the weekend.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for more recipes to try out. Until then enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 18, 2014 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Soups & Stews

Tags: beef stroganoff, beef stroganoff recipe, food network, Tyler Florence

A Bevy of Beguiling Irish Dishes for St. Patrick’s Day

17 Mar

A Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all! While for most people who think of Irish cooking as simply corned beef and cabbage and nothing more, I can tell you there are a lot of great Irish dishes you can try beyond that typical meal. There are some great meals you can choose from all over the Internet and I have posted a lot of Irish recipes on here, being he good Irish boy that I am. I have always wanted to see the cuisine beyond the corned beef and when Michelle and I went to Dublin we got to see, smell and taste a lot of different things. So if you are looking for some things to try this St. Patrick’s Day, here are some Irish meals I have posted on the blog that you can check out, including the classic corned beef and cabbage.

Beef and Barley Broth

Irish Cream and Coffee Cookies

Irish Onion Soup

Dark Chocolate Guinness Cake with Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting

Whiskey Glazed Carrots

Irish Mussels in Guinness Cream Sauce

Beef & Guinness Stew

Guinness Chocolate Truffles

Traditional Irish Stew

Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Pressure Cooker

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Colcannon

Guinness Mustard

Grasshopper Pie

Homemade Shamrock Shake

Potato and Leek Soup

Irish Soda Bread

There are also lots more great recipes out there on the Internet that you can check out from some great sources if you are looking for something a little different. I will be making the corned beef and cabbage in the pressure cooker, along with some Colcannon, cabbage and the brown bread. Of course there will be Guinness and Irish coffee later on as well.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more great recipes. Until then enjoy the rest of your day, have a happy St. Patrick’s Day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 17, 2014 in Beef, Beverages, Breads, Breakfast, Cakes, Cookies, Cooking, Dessert, Dinner, Holidays, Lamb, One Pot Meals, Pie, Potatoes, Sauce, Side Dishes, Soups & Stews

Tags: corned beef, corned beef and cabbage, dishes to make for St.Patrick's Day, Irish cooking, Irish dishes, Irish recipes, St. Patrick's Day recipes, Traditional Irish Stew

A Grand Irish Meal for St. Patrick’s Day – Beef and Barley Broth

16 Mar

If you are looking for a good alternative for an Irish meal and do not want to make corned beef and cabbage, as millions of others will be doing tomorrow, you can try making this stew instead. Unlike a traditional American beef stew, and Irish stew is referred to more as a broth since the broth is clear and does not use beef stock like an American stew will use. The ingredients are very basic and easy to prepare and you come away with a great tasting stew full of vegetables and flavor without having to put a ton of work into the process.

Beef and Barley Broth

1 1/2 pounds chuck steak, trimmed and diced

1/3 cup pearl barley, rinsed

1/3 cup green split peas, rinsed

1 large onion, thickly sliced

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

3 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced

3/4 cup turnip or rutabaga, peeled and diced

1 leek, rinsed well and thinly sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced

6 small potatoes, such as Russets or Yukon gold, peeled

1 1/2 cups sliced green cabbage

Salt

Put the beef, pearl barley and split peas in a large saucepan with the onions and peppercorns. Pour in enough cold water to just cover the contents of the pot. Slowly bring the water to a boil, skimming off any foam, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours.

Add the carrots, diced rutabaga or turnip, leek and celery to the pan. Season the mixture with salt and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Add a little more water if the stew starts to look like it is getting too thick.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes in another large saucepan with water to cover. Add salt to taste and bring the potatoes to a boil. Cook the potatoes for about 7 to 10 minutes, until tender but not until they are disintegrated or falling apart. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan and cover the pan with a clean dish towel and set them aside.

Add the cabbage to the meat saucepan and allow the mixture to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is just tender. Check the seasoning and add any salt or pepper needed to taste.

Ladle the stew into warm bowls. Place a potato in the middle of each bowl and serve.

This is a very simple recipe that yields a lot of flavor in a basic stew or soup. You get great taste from all of the vegetables and keeps things very simple for you. Some people cook the meat whole at first and then remove it from the pan, dice it up for individual portions into bowls and then ladle the soup over the meat, so do whatever is easiest for you. putting the potato in at the end is the traditional Irish way to do it and it is how we had it served to us in Dublin, but we actually put the potatoes in with the stew itself and a few other vegetables we had on hand as well. We made a large pot of this when we made it so there was plenty leftover to use for those colder days that come along.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for another recipe. If you are looking for some Irish recipes for tomorrow, I have lots to choose from here so just type in what you are searching for in the search box and you can get lots of great choices. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 16, 2014 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Holidays, One Pot Meals, Soups & Stews

Tags: beef and barley broth, Irish Stew, St. Patrick's Day recipe, Traditional Irish Stew

More Burger-Like Options – Triple Pork Burgers

15 Mar

It seems like I have been making a lot of burger and sandwich options lately when it comes to mealtime around here. I have been doing a lot of work lately, which has left me less time to get in the kitchen and try out some new things, and it doesn’t help me any that I love sandwiches and burgers overall anyway, so I am always looking for an excuse to try out something different. I had come across this recipe on Food Network a while back and have wanted to try it for a while, but finding chorizo to use around here is not always an easy thing. When I saw some on sale when I went shopping this past week, I finally had the opportunity to get it and give this one a try. If you like your pork, this triple pork burger is a great option for you.

Triple Pork Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/2 pound fresh chorizo sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup finely grated Pepper Jack cheese
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp
8 rolls, sliced
Curly leaf lettuce
3 sliced plum tomatoes
Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise, recipe follows

Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Preheat a flat top grill pan or large skillet to medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, mix the ground pork, sausage, Pepper Jack cheese, shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Form the meat mixture into equal-sized patties that will fit nicely onto the buns you chose.

When the grill pan or skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable and oil and heat until it is smoking. Cook the pork burgers for 4 to 5 minutes and then flip the burgers and continue to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the opposite side until they are cooked through and nicely browned on each side. Remove the pork burgers from the pan and serve on split rolls with a slice of bacon, lettuce, tomato and the Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise.

For the Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cover the mayonnaise with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are serving, allowing the flavors to meld. The mayonnaise can be made a day ahead.

These burgers have a little bit of everything to offer for the pork lovers. You get the ground pork, the heat and bite of chorizo and the crispness and great flavor you always get from the bacon all in one burger. Throw in the great taste you get from the smoked paprika mayo and you have a great option for a burger indoors or for when you are grilling outdoors. I personally did not have any cheese in mine, but Michelle and Sean both loved the addition of the cheese inside their burgers. You can use whatever cheese you like best, but the Pepper Jack seems to go really well with these burgers.The original recipe from Food Network uses these to make sliders, which I think they would be great for as well if you want a great snack or appetizer for a party.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 15, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Pork, Sandwiches

Tags: chorizo sausage, food network, Pepper Jack cheese, smoked paprika, smoked paprika mayo, smoked paprika mayonnaise, triple pork burger recipe, triple pork burgers, triple pork sliders

Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR

15 Mar

Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR.

If you are looking for something else to make on St. Patrick’s Day besides your standard corned beef and Cabbage, Saveur Magazine has a number of great Irish recipes here that are perfect for you to give a try. Some are quite unique so check them out and see if there’s anything you want cook for yourself this year! I am working today but am hoping to get on later to share some recipes of my own. See you later!

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Posted by MikeG on March 15, 2014 in Cookbooks, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Holidays

Tags: Irish recipes, recipes for St.Patrick's Day, Saveur magazine, St. Patrick's Day recipes

No Sauce Pizza Time – Pancetta, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Pizza

10 Mar

I just came across a bunch of recipes for pizza that do not make use of any tomato sauce so I have wanted to give some of them a try. Sean loves pizza but he does not like a lot of sauce, so making no sauce pizzas is a great option for them. honestly, I find the sauce on a lot pizza overpowering and too acidic for my tastes anyway, so making some pizza without sauce seems like a good idea to me. This recipe from Williams-Sonoma is for a pancetta, asparagus and goat cheese pizza that I adapted for our own purposes since I did not have any pancetta or goat cheese on hand. Bacon substitutes for the pancetta here and I used mozzarella and Parmesan instead of goat cheese for the cheese.

Pancetta, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pizza

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 ounces pancetta or bacon, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 bunch slender asparagus, ends trimmed

1 pound Food processor pizza dough or store-bought pizza dough

Cornmeal, for dusting

6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

4 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced

1/4 pound soft, fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the pancetta or bacon and the red pepper flakes. Saute until the pancetta is browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Cut each asparagus spear into 3 pieces and then cut the thick ends of the asparagus in half lengthwise. Place the asparagus in a small bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss the asparagus to coat.

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface to an 11 or 12-inch oval or round. Sprinkle a rimless baking sheet with the cornmeal. Transfer the pizza dough to the baking sheet. Brush the dough with some of the pancetta cooking oil and the sprinkle the pancetta mixture onto the pizza. Spread the mozzarella cheese over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch plain edge. Sprinkle the scallions and then the goat cheese over the mozzarella cheese. Arrange the asparagus over the pizza. Grate some Parmesan cheese over the asparagus then season the pizza with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the pizza in the oven and bake the pizza until the asparagus is tender and the edges of the crust are brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and let the pizza stand for 5 minutes before cutting it into small wedges or pieces and serve.

The pizza had some great flavor from the bacon and asparagus. I loved the asparagus; it had the same roasted flavor I get when I roast it in the oven and the mix with the bacon and just a hint of red pepper flakes and scallions was perfect. This makes a great appetizer dish, a snack for watching the game or just for something different on Fridays for pizza night. You could easily leave off the pancetta or bacon altogether and make it a vegetarian pie.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for another recipe. There’s still lots of good stuff to come. I am trying a beef stroganoff recipe tonight that I’ll be sharing soon too. until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on March 10, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Pizza

Tags: goat cheese, pancetta asparagus and goat cheese pizza, pancetta pizza recipe, pizza dough, williams-sonoma

There’s Nothing Like a Good Rack of Ribs – Food Network’s Almost-Famous Barbecue Ribs

08 Mar

We all love ribs in our house and I am always looking for a new recipe to try when it comes to making them. The problem I often run into is that many of the recipes are designed for smokers, charcoal or gas grills, none of which I have in my condo. I have been able to adapt a basic way of slow cooking the ribs in the oven and then using different rubs and glazes, which has worked really well for me in the past and which is what I did for this recipe, which is from Food Network for their Almost-Famous Barbecue Spareribs. I’ll post the recipe and method just as they do it and then let you know what I changed as far as method to make it work for me.

Almost-Famous Barbecue Spareribs
For the Marinade:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 4 -to-5-pound racks pork spareribs

For the Rub:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Barbecue Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

For the marinade: Whisk the brown sugar, vinegar, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a bowl. Put the ribs meat-side down on a cutting board. Starting at one end, slip a paring knife under the membrane that covers the back of the rack. Loosen the membrane with the knife, then pull it off. Coat the ribs on both sides with the marinade. Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight.

For the rub: Mix the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, celery seeds, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.

Soak 2 cups of hickory wood chips in water, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium low (275 degrees F) and prepare it for indirect grilling: For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side; for a gas grill, turn off the burners on one side. Cover the grate on the cooler side of the grill with foil.

Drain the wood chips. For a charcoal grill, scatter the chips over the hot coals; for a gas grill, put the chips in a smoker box and place over direct heat. Close the lid and allow smoke to build up, about 10 minutes. Rinse the marinade off the ribs and pat dry with paper towels. Work the spice rub into both sides of each rack with your hands.

Place the ribs, meat-side up, on the foil over indirect heat. Close the lid and cook, undisturbed, until the meat shrinks back slightly to expose a bit of the bone, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Rotate the ribs (keep them meat-side up and over indirect heat), then close the lid and continue cooking, about 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes. (For a charcoal grill, add more hot coals as needed to maintain the temperature.)

Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and chili powder until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in the vinegar, 1/4 cup water, the molasses, Worcestershire sauce, honey, mustard powder, espresso powder, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in the ketchup and pineapple. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes. Whisk in the liquid smoke. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then remove the garlic. (The sauce will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks.)

Baste the ribs generously with the prepared barbecue sauce. Close the lid and continue cooking until glazed, about 20 more minutes. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board. Let the ribs rest a few minutes before cutting them into individual ribs. Serve with more sauce on the side.

Okay, that’s the basics for a charcoal or gas grill. For the oven, I did everything the same except after marinating the ribs overnight and rinsing them the next day, I placed the ribs in a 300 degree oven covered in aluminum foil for 45 minutes. I then took the ribs out, removed the foil and continued to cook them for another 2 1/2 hours, rotating the pan every half hour. After that time, I then brushed on the barbecue sauce and cooked them for another 20 minutes before putting them under the broiler for the last 5 minutes to really crisp up the sauce. That was it and I think it worked really well. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and I really liked the combination that the rub and the sauce gave to the ribs. Marinating the ribs for a day really helped to break down the meat, give it flavor and make it cook even better. I liked the touch of the pineapple, honey and liquid smoke in the sauce to give it added flavor so I would definitely try this one again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe as i still have some good stuff to come. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

1 Comment

Posted by MikeG on March 8, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Pork

Tags: almost-famous spareribs, barbecued spareribs, food network, spare ribs recipes, spareribs recipe

Never Mind the McRib! Try This Smoky BBQ Riburger on Cheesy Garlic Bread

02 Mar

I can honestly say that I have never had the McRib sandwich, as un-American as that may sound. The whole idea of it kind of grosses me out, so I have stayed away from it, however I do like the idea of having a rib sandwich. As much as I would like a rib sandwich, I don’t know if I want to go through all of the trouble of cooking boneless ribs for hours just for a sandwich either, saw when I saw this recipe from Jeff Mauro, the Sandwich King on Food Network, I thought it sounded good and was certainly worth a try. He calls it a smoky barbecued riburger that uses a homemade barbecue sauce and some ground pork to make a burger-type sandwich. Put it on some garlic bread and you seem to have something pretty irresistible to me.

Smoky BBQ Riburger on Cheesy Garlic Bread

For the Chipotle Pineapple BBQ Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 chipotle peppers in adobo
For the Ground Pork BBQ Riburger:
2 pounds ground pork
Kosher salt
For the Garlic Bread:
1 stick melted butter (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
One 32-inch French loaf, split and halved
3 cups grated fresh mozzarella
Dill pickles, sliced on the bias or to your liking, for garnish

For the barbecue sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and the onions and saute until they are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the ketchup, crushed pineapple, molasses, vinegar, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and the chipotles. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the mixture is thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and blend it with an immersion blender until it is mostly smooth. Reserve.

For the pork burgers: Preheat a grill pan or skillet to medium-high to high heat.

Form the ground pork into long and rectangular patties that fit the shape of the bread, keeping in mind that there will be 2 patties per half of bread. Sprinkle the exterior of the patties with salt and place them on a hot grill top for 3 minutes. Flip the patties and cook them for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and baste the patties generously with the barbecue sauce. Flip the patties and continue cooking for about 2 or 3 more minutes, continuously flipping and basting the burgers.

For the garlic bread: Place a rack in the middle of the oven and set the oven to broil. Mix the melted butter with the garlic and brush the mixture on the cut sides of the bread. Top with the mozzarella cheese and place the bread under the broiler just until the edges are lightly crisped, about 2 minutes.

For the sandwich build: After your garlic bread is done, place 2 burgers on each bottom half of bread. Top the burgers with some pickles and the top half of the garlic bread. Slice each portion in half, yielding 4 sandwiches. Serve with the remaining BBQ sauce on the side.

These burgers were very easy to make and tasted great. They offer a nice change from a traditional burger and the barbecue sauce had a nice flavor with the mix of pineapple, molasses, Worcestershire and chipotles. You could certainly skip making the barbecue sauce and use your own favorite bottled sauce instead if that is what you are going for. We all really enjoyed having the burgers on the garlic bread, which seemed to make them even better and I had enough sauce leftover that I can use it for other things like ribs. It’s definitely a recipe worth giving a try. I served the sandwiches with some German potato salad and a new coleslaw recipe I tried, which I will be sharing tomorrow.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow as I will be sharing a couple of side dishes I made with burgers this week – a buttermilk coleslaw with bacon and cornmeal crusted onion rings, both very tasty and easy to do. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!