Spicy Spareribs and Red Beans and Rice

My nod to the Mardi Gras celebration of this past week had to wait until Silent Bob and I had a visit from our son Eric. When you make a batch of ribs and a big old bowl of red beans and rice, you need big appetites around! The guys can really put away the goods - and they both love ribs.

These ribs are really easy to make; the key is to really rub them up good with the spices and leave them to soak that spice rub in for several hours. Slow cooking gets them to the 'fall off the bones and into your mouth' stage. The barbeque sauce is a spicy hot blend that is sticky and gooey - truly finger-licking material. The beans and rice make a nice addition to help cool off your tongue from the ribs' spiciness ...

Oh... and a hint: Do line the pans with foil when you get to the barbeque sauce and basting stage. You'll be glad you did when it comes time for clean-up.

Baby Back Ribs - printer friendly

Beans and Rice - printer friendly

Baby Back Ribs

                                                                                                                                           Serves 2 – 4
Ingredients:

2 racks of pork loin ribs (3-4 lbs.)
salt, pepper, paprika, Lawry’s seasoned salt
½ c. water
1 bay leaf
1 pinch thyme

Making the dish:

1. Wash the ribs and pat them dry.

2. Line a long baking pan with foil.

3. Rub the spices all over the ribs and lay them in the pan. Cover closely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 300º F. Remove the plastic wrap from ribs and position them so that the curve of the ribs elevate them off the bottom of the pan. Add the water, bay leaf, and thyme to the baking pan.

5. Cover closely with foil and bake in a slow oven for 1 ½ - 2 hours.

6. After the slow-cooking stage, remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 400º F, and baste the ribs with barbeque sauce.

7. Bake for another 20 minutes, basting ribs every few minutes. Turn the ribs and baste the undersides, continuing to bake for another 10 minutes.

8. Serve with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.

Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients:

¾ c. ketchup
2 tbsp. Asian chili sauce (the really hot stuff)
¼ c. apple jelly
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. honey

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the jelly is melted and the sauce is bubbly and completely incorporated. Reserve some sauce aside for dipping.

Beans and Rice

                                                                                                                                  Serves – 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
a generous ½ c. basmati rice
1 c. plus a bit more chicken broth
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
2 c. rinsed and drained beans (canned black beans or dark red kidney beans work well)
¼ c. flat leaf parsley, chopped

Making the dish:

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until they glisten.

2. Add the rice and stir to brown it.

3. When the rice has brown edges, add the broth, cover tightly, lower the heat to simmer.

4. Taste-test the rice and when it is tender, but NOT mushy, add the beans and tomato. Toss gently and return the cover. Continue simmering until the beans are heated. If the rice is too dry, add just a bit more broth or water to keep it from sticking.

5. To serve, place in a bowl or on a platter and top with fresh chopped parsley.