BBQ Ribs for Two

Ribs are one of those things you want to make for a crowd … right? Heck no! The boy and I had a hankering and decided to make it happen — on a weeknight no less. If you split this into a two-part process: Baking the ribs with a dry rub one night and then grilling the next, it's no biggie. 

This no-brainer recipe—adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe for 8 servings—with a five-ingredient dry rub you probably have everything for on hand and store-bought sauce (I know!) enhanced with the porkie drippings … it can't be beat. Throw in a little vinegary potato salad and pickled corn … you've got yourselves a party for two (with leftovers)! 

BBQ Ribs

Adapted from via Bon Appetit

1 1/4 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2.5 pounds baby back pork ribs (1 rack)
Low-salt chicken broth (optional)
1 cup store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce plus more

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Place the ribs on a double layer of foil; sprinkle rub all over ribs (you will probably have a little bit extra, but too much can't hurt). Seal up foil and place ribs on a baking sheet.

Bake ribs until very tender but not falling apart, about two hours. Carefully unwrap ribs — watch your face for steam! Pour juices from foil into a heatproof measuring cup and set aside to cool. Let ribs cool completely. 

(Ribs can be baked up to three days ahead (the flavor will be more developed, and the cold ribs will hold together better on the grill as they heat through). Cover and chill juices. Rewrap ribs in foil and chill.)

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. 

Remove layer of fat from reserved juices. Add broth or water to rib juices in an equal amount to what juices you have. I was left with just over a cup of juices, so added 1 cup sauce. Whisk well to blend.

Grill ribs, basting with barbecue sauce mixture and turning frequently, until lacquered and charred in places and heated through, 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut between ribs to separate. Transfer to a platter and serve with additional barbecue sauce. 

Lick those fingers! 

A meal worthy of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

No visit with my brother in Winston-Salem would be complete without a good Southern meal worthy of his favorite show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We had dinner my last night in town at Bib's, a classic casual barbecue joint downtown. I went for the basic pulled pork and though I am certainly not a connoisseur, I have tried to make my own and Bib's is, by far, so much better, and probably the best I've ever had. It is not greasy at all — to the point of looking like it might be dry — but one bite and you know it is anything but. It has so much flavor and is tender — mmmm, mmmm, mmm is all I can say. And, as promised by my brother, the hush puppies are unlike so many flavorless balls of fried that you get. These have a strong flavor all their own that is peppery and delicious. The sweet tea, not too sweet and the slaw just right. If you ever find yourself in Winston-Salem with time for a meal, go to Bib's!

The All-American Condiment

Ketchup. Heinz 51. The all-American condiment. Found in every American home.

A couple of weekends ago I was busy reviewing the ingredients and preparing my shopping list for the Tyler Florence pulled pork sandwich recipe I was planning to make from his eat this book cookbook. (Look at that cover — I think I WILL eat this book!) I had my list, but there were a couple of pantry staples I needed to check on:
• dry mustard — check
• cider vinegar — check
• yellow mustard — a staple for some, but we didn't have any. Better pick that up.*
• cayenne — running low, better pick up some more
• brown sugar — again, running low. buy more.
Note the asterisk. This is important.

I made my trip to the store, hurried home and prepared my dry rub. Slathered it all over that pork shoulder. Put that pork shoulder in a roasting pan and got it roasting. Sat back and relaxed, it was the weekend after all and the pork would be porkolating for six hours. Plenty of time. The afternoon was whiled away, enjoying some sun and a couple of beers in preparation for barbecue supper. With one hour of cooking to go, I moseyed into the kitchen to whip up the sauce. It's easy. Here's the recipe:

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 cup yellow or brown mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

I began to combine away: in went the vinegar, then some mustard… but wait… no… it can't be… heavens to Murgatroyd! We had no ketchup. WE HAD NO KETCHUP. I shoved around all those condiment bottles that live on the refrigerator door, making quite a racket: pickles, chili-garlic paste, olives, sweet relish, dijon, grainy mustard, green curry paste, horseradish, capers, black bean-chili sauce, maple syrup, assorted jams, Hellman's AND Miracle Whip (that's a-whole-nother condiment story altogether).

We have lived in this apartment for six months and had no ketchup. We cook a lot. We eat at home a lot. I mean, A LOT. And yet, somehow, some way, we've gone six months without ketchup. No yellow mustard? Okay, understandable. I don't really like it anyway. But no ketchup seemed impossible. I hurried to the computer to see what it would take to whip up my own ketchup. Time—that's what it would take. And we didn't have it. I had been in relaxing mode and now the pork was almost done. Running right alongside my panic and the boy's speedy dash to the store for said missing ingredient, I have to say I felt a little, well … yes, pride. There, I've said it. Is that just plain un-American?