A July 4th Break

Although we are not doing anything that special for the 4th of July holiday (I have to work the next day.. bummer), I have decided that I'm going to take a break from blogging this week.  I have a pretty busy week ahead of me and just didn't want to put added pressure on myself when it came to my blog posts.  But never fear, I am leaving you with some great ideas for your 4th of July backyard barbecue... or any backyard barbecue for that matter!

Hope you all have a great week and I hope to "see" you all back here next Monday!

Happy Grilling!

Jenn

Pork Back Ribs with Sriracha Barbecue Sauce

Memphis Style Grilled Pork Back Ribs

Feta Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

Stuffed Burgers - aka Jucy Lucy

Grilled Asian Chicken Sandwich with Slaw

Simple Steak Sandwiches with Garlic Parmesan Mayo

Grilled Chili Chicken with Green Onions

Old School BBQ Chicken

Rib-Eye Steak with Herb Butter and Charred Peppers

Beef Short Ribs with Grilled Baby Bok Choy

Grilled Pork Chops with Spicy Pineapple Salsa

Pomegranate Balsamic Pork Chops 

Wasabi Coleslaw

Grilled Potato Wedges with Lemon Vinaigrette

Past July 4th Posts:  4th of July Celebration, 4th of July Ideas - Part One, 4th of July Ideas - Part Two

 

Pork Back Ribs with Sriracha Barbecue Sauce

****I'm taking a much needed break from work and blogging, so this will be my last post until next Wednesday.  Hope everyone has a great week and weekend and I'll see you back here next week!  Happy Cooking!****

Late last year, Mary (Food Floozie) and I had this great idea that we would meet up in Memphis for the annual music and barbecue festival, Memphis in May.  It sounded like a fantastic idea at the time... actually, it STILL sounds like a fantastic idea... but, unfortunately, time and money and life in general stopped us from actually reaching our dream.  Sooooooo, as we put it it.... there's always next year, right?  I mean a dream like that doesn't just dissolve because of a small little set back like that. It's still there, just waiting for us.....  :)

Since we couldn't actually be at Memphis in May, we thought we'd bring a little Memphis in May to you!  Nothing like some good barbecue to get you in the mood.  And this is GOOD barbecue!!  Not your normal bbq, but a mighty fine one at that.  And yes, that's right, I would probably get kicked out of any competition because I don't do my ribs the "proper" way - but who cares, the outcome is still decadent and delicious, so what more do you really need?

And, don't forget to check out Mary's site for some additional BBQ deliciousness!!

Pork Back Ribs with Sriracha Barbecue Sauce
Rib recipe created by Jenn's Food Journey
Sauce recipe adapted from Life's Ambrosia
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 rack pork back ribs
For the rub -
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry hot mustard (you can use regular dry mustard)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
For the barbecue sauce -
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon Srircha
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce; stirring to combine.  Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes; stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  You can make the sauce up to three days in advance, just cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs.  In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dry rub until well combined.  Rub over both sides of the ribs and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Grill method - preheat grill to 275 degrees F.  Set up for indirect cooking.  Loosely wrap the ribs in aluminum foil (I like to add just a little beer in there to keep them moist) and place on indirect heat.  Grill that way for 1 hour.  Remove from aluminum foil and place over direct heat.  Increase the temperature of the grill to 350 degrees F and grill for 20-30 minutes, or until the ribs are cooked through an fall off the bone tender.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 4-5 minutes.  Serve with Srircha barbecue sauce and enjoy!!

Bake and grill method - preheat oven to 225 degrees F.  Loosely wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and place in preheated oven.  Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until the ribs are almost done.  Remove from foil and place on 350 degree F preheated grill for 20-30 minutes, turning the ribs once.  Remove from grill and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Serve with Sriracha barbecue sauce and enjoy!!

One Year Ago:  Wasabi Coleslaw
Two Years Ago:  General Tso's Chicken - My Way
Three Years Ago:  Pasta Carbonara

Dry Rubbed Pork Ribs with Georgia Mustard BBQ Sauce

I love ribs!  Any time I can find ribs on sale, I will pick up at least one slab.  And it's not just the love of eating them either....I love experimenting with different ways of flavoring them, cooking them, and of course, saucing them.  Although I love the way ribs come out when I've done them in the smoker, I have less and less patience these days for that method.  Not to say I won't get that back, I've just been working extremely long hours over the last two months and, honestly, even on the weekends I want quick fixes for our meals.  I've grown to really like the grilling method I have found, so I'll keep doing it that way for now.  You may find a way you enjoying cooking them and use that instead.. that's what's great about cooking - do what you like, not what I like ... unless what I like is what you like, of course :)

I used to really only like my ribs sauced... than I realized how wonderful they can be when they are naked.  Naked ribs can be dipped in any sauce imaginable, so of course, I was an instant convert.  These ribs were really for Chris... he adores his ribs with just a dry rub and some of his favorite bbq sauces are mustard based... so needless to say, these were a big hit!

Dry Rubbed Pork Ribs with Georgia Mustard BBQ Sauce
Dry rub recipe adapted from Chris Lilly
BBQ sauce recipe adapted from About.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 slab pork ribs
For the dry rub -
2 teaspoons Country Bob's seasoning salt
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cumin
For the bbq sauce -
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/8 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dry rub until well combined.  If you need to, trim the ribs of any back silver lining or excess fat.  Rinse and pat dry.  Sprinkle and rub in the dry rub on both sides of the ribs.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over medium heat, add all the ingredients for the bbq sauce.  Stir to combine.  Bring just to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat grill to 300 degrees F.  Remove ribs from plastic and wrap loosely in aluminum foil.  Place ribs in foil over indirect heat and grill for 1 hour, rotating packet at least once.  Remove packet from grill and carefully remove the ribs.  Crank the heat up on the grill to 325 and place the ribs over direct heat.  Grill for 8-10 minutes per side.  Remove and allow to cool before cutting.  Serve with bbq sauce and enjoy!!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Jalapeno Tartar Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Chorizo and Eggs

Sweetly Spiced Barbecue Pork Ribs

I'm back!!!  And what of my 20 year high school reunion?  It was a blast!!  I got to see so many people I was hoping to see.  Catching up on what's been going on since high school and reminiscing about what we did in high school was more fun then I could have even imagined.  I have pictures and stories, but I need some time to weed through it all, so hopefully by next week, I'll have a post giving you a quick run down of my time away.

For now, you'll just have to be satisfied with another yummy rib recipe.  These ribs don't look as mouthwatering as some of my others, but do not let that stop you from trying this.  It's simple and perfect and what's great, you can use any sauce you want with these - they would all be good!  I actually made some more of the Memphis BBQ sauce I made with my last set of ribs.  It was perfection!

Sweetly Spiced Barbecue Pork Ribs
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 slab pork back ribs
1/2 cup beer
1 Tablespoon barbecue sauce

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the pork ribs, beer and bbq sauce until well combined.  Rub mixture over both sides of the ribs, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat grill to 300 degrees F and set up for indirect grilling.  For a gas grill, turn off middle burner.  For a charcoal grill, move charcoal to one side of grill.  Remove the ribs from plastic and place on large squares of heavy duty aluminum foil.  (I cut my slab in half to make things easier)  Mix together the beer and the barbecue sauce and pour over the slab.  Pull the opposite sides of the aluminum foil together and fold to seal.  Seal up both open sides, forming a packet around the ribs.

Place the ribs over indirect heat and let grill 1 hour, turning and rotating packets at least once.  Remove packet from gill and carefully remove ribs.  Place ribs on direct heat (low) for 20-30 minutes or until the ribs are done.  Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy as is or with your favorite sauce!

One Year Ago:  Asian Sloppy Joes
Two Years Ago:  Grilled Tilapia with Butter and Key Lime Juice

Memphis Style Grilled Pork Back Ribs

My last try at ribs was such a huge success, so when I saw more pork back ribs on sale, I did not hesitate to pick up another slab.

I've done a lot of different style of ribs over the last two years.  Some have been big successes, others, not so much.  I believe that I have found the way that works the best for me when it comes to how to cook them.  You may find a different way that works for you and that's ok.  As long as the flavors are amazing and the ribs are cooked right, you can't go wrong.

This time, I wanted to do naked ribs.  Although I still wanted a sauce (of course), I wanted to actually cook the ribs without it - something I have not done before while grilling.  Lucky for me, I have a couple "go to" rib aficionados.  This time I went for the support of a Chris or two.  I found a recipe that Chris at Nibble Me This had posted for Chris Lilly's Memphis style dry ribs and I knew right away what I was going to do.  And I am oh, so glad I did... this was yet another amazing rib recipe... I can't wait to make more!!

Memphis Style Grilled Pork Back Ribs
Adapted from Chris Lilly (by way of Chris at Nibble Me This)
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 slab pork back ribs, membrane removed from back of slab if necessary
1/3 cup beer
1 Tablespoon Memphis BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:
Combine the first 12 ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Apply generously to the front and back of the ribs.  Pat gently to ensure the rub adheres to the meat.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat grill to 300 degrees F.  Remove ribs from place and place on a large square of aluminum foil (I cut my slab in half so it was easier to handle).  Mix together the beer and bbq sauce and pour over the ribs.  Pull the opposite sides of the foil together and seal, forming a packet.  Leave a little room for steam.  Place on grill over indirect heat for 1 hour.

Carefully remove the packet from the grill, remove the ribs and place directly over the fire.  Grill for 20-30 minutes more.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into them.  Serve with Memphis bbq sauce (see below) or your own favorite sauce.  Enjoy!! 

Memphis Barbecue Sauce 
Adapted from Cooking Light
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup ketchup
5 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.  Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Yields 1 cup.

One Year Ago:  Jalapeno Shrimp Pasta
Two Years Ago:  Butterflied Grilled Chicken with Rosemary, Lemon & Garlic

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pork Back Ribs

Chris tells me each rib recipe I make, gets better - this one being the best so far.  He is so wonderful for my cooking ego, let me tell you :) In this instance, though, I have to agree with him.  These are definitely the best ribs I have made in a very long time.  The meat came off the bone perfectly and the flavors were spot on.  What more can you ask for in a good rib?

These are some of my all time favorite flavors blended together to make a deliciously different tasting rib.  If you try it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pork Back Ribs
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 lbs pork back ribs
garlic salt
pepper
3 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce, divided
2 Tablespoon Sriracha, divided
1 Tablespoon mirin
1/4 cup beer
1 Tablespoon honey

Directions:
Season both sides of the ribs with garlic salt and pepper.  Place in shallow dish or resealable plastic bag.  Mix together 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon Sriracha and mirin until well combined.   Pour over ribs and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Preheat grill to 300-315 degrees F.  Remove ribs from bag and place on large squares of aluminum foil.  Mix together the beer and honey and pour over the ribs.  Pull the opposite sides of the foil together and seal, forming a packet - leave a little room for steam.  Grill for 1 hour on indirect heat.

After an hour, carefully remove the packet from the grill.  Mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce and 1 tablespoon Sriracha.  Place the ribs directly over the fire and grill for another 20-30 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce mixture.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into them.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Steak Fajita "Stir-Fry"
Two Years Ago:  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Smoked Balsamic Pork Ribs

It's been a while since I broke out the smoker.  Actually, I haven't had it running since we moved into our new house.  Blasphemy you say?  Well, I agree, and that is why I broke it out two weekends ago.  What better thing to christen it with than ribs, right?  And these ribs aren't just any ribs.. they are smoked AND they are covered with a fantastic balsamic/rosemary rub.  The flavors were amazing.

Don't worry if you don't have a smoker... the flavor of these ribs would be just perfect grilling them or even roasting them in the oven (email me if you want pointers on either way of cooking mentioned).  I might be a little bias though, as I adore balsamic vinegar and rosemary.  It's sort of like chocolate and red wine.. it's like they were meant for each other!

Smoked Balsamic Pork Ribs
Adapted from Epicurious.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 rack pork ribs
For the glaze:
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
For the smoking:
2 bottles of beer (any kind will do)
mix of Hickory and Texas Roadhouse chips

Directions:
Mince and mash up garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.  Stir together with rosemary, brown sugar, vinegar, cayenne, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper.  Rub evenly all over ribs and cover with plastic wrap.  Marinate in refrigerator for 4-6 hours.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to smoke them.

To make the glaze:  Add water, balsamic, and brown sugar to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Store covered until ready to use.

Preheat smoker to 225 degrees F.  Add your wood chips.  Add the beer to the water pan.  Place the ribs in the smoker and smoke for 3 hours.  Remove from smoker and brush some with half of the glaze.  Wrap tightly in foil and return to the smoker.  Continue to smoke for another 2 hours.

At this point, I threw mine on the grill and basted with the glaze, but you can easily just start eating them and use some of the glaze as a dip.  If you grill, preheat grill to 375 degrees, place directly over the fire and grill for about 4 minutes on each side, basting with remaining glaze.  Remove from grill and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Jalapeno Cheddar Grilled Chicken
Two Years Ago:  Caramelized Chicken Breasts with Garlic Rice

Chili Glazed Pork Ribs

I decided to do these ribs in the oven... and unfortunately, they were not fall off the bone delicious.  I am sure I did not back them slow enough or low enough.. but that's ok.. the flavor was still there and that made it at least blog worthy :)  And I promise, the recipe is updated so that you will get the right tenderness if you decide to make this.

***Don't forget to enter the great vanilla bean giveaway!  Click on this LINK to find out all the details.  Giveaway ends Thursday, December 8th at 8pm Pacific time.***

And if my giveaway isn't enough for you, check out the giveaway IndriVanilla has on their Facebook page.. more chances to win more vanilla beans is NOT a bad thing!!

Chili Glazed Pork Ribs
Adapted from the Food Network
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 rack pork ribs
1/2 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 Tablespoons ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
For the glaze (sauce) -
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tablespoon beer

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, thyme, ancho, pepper, and cayenne.  Remove 1 Tablespoon of mixture and set aside.  Rub remaining mixture over both sides of the ribs and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, beer, and reserved rub mixture.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack over it.  Spray with non-stick spray.  Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes.  Carefully remove from oven and brush with sauce mixture.  Cover with foil and return to oven.  Turn oven down to 200 degrees F and continue to bake for another 1.5 hours.  Remove from oven, remove the foil, brush with more sauce and return to oven for 30 more minutes or until the ribs can be picked up with a tong and "bend" at the ends.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.  Cut and serve with any remaining sauce.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Pork Chops with Chipotle Honey Sauce

Beef Short Ribs with Grilled Baby Bok Choy

I don't normally find myself alone for dinner on a Saturday night, but a few weeks ago, Chris had practice in the evening and I was left to fend for myself for dinner.  I actually found this to be sort of exciting.  Not that I don't love cooking for Chris and enjoying our Saturday evenings together, it's just that it's not often I get to cook certain things that I truly like and Chris does not.

Enter the baby bok choy!  Chris does not like cabbage.  Let me rephrase that:  Chris does not like cabbage unless it's in coleslaw.  So, when I was at the store and I saw that they had baby bok choy on sale, I thought why not grab some and see what simple dish I could come up with.

I don't know if the picture actually portrays the meat as being moist or not, but trust me when I say, the meat fell right off the bone and it was moist and delicious..... so moist and delicious, I wish I had more... right now.... mmmmmm!!!!

Beef Short Ribs with Grilled Baby Bok Choy
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 lb beef short ribs
2 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon water
2 teaspoons Sriracha
2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce
drop of sesame oil
2 heads baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise
olive oil  (I used basil olive oil)
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, ginger, and onion powder.  Rub on all sides of the short ribs.  Warp in plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven or grill to 300 degrees F.  In a bowl, combine the soy, water, Sriracha, sweet chili sauce, and sesame oil.  Stir until well blended.  Tear off a piece of aluminum foil big enough to hold the short ribs.  Remove ribs from plastic wrap and place on aluminum foil.  Pour soy mixture over ribs and seal the aluminum foil around the ribs.  Place aluminum packet in oven/grill and cook for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to 250 degrees and cook another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is fall off the bone tender.  Remove from oven/grill and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat grill to 350 degrees (if not already using it).  Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the cut bok choy and season with salt and pepper.  Place directly over the fire and allow to grill for about 3-5 minutes per side.  Carefully remove and serve along side short ribs.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Oven Baked Fish 'N Chips

Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs

A few weeks ago, I was bested by a rack of St. Louis style ribs.  Ok, in all honesty, I was bested by myself and my lack of keeping my grill it's cleanest.  That's right, another 2 minutes to flare up action and this time, the gunk on the bottom of the grill was thick enough that everything caught fire.  (I am holding my head in shame, by the way) I put it all out before it could start anything outside of the grill on fire, but needless to say, it was so intense, it completely ruined dinner.  Lesson here kids, it's so very important to keep your grill clean!!!  The next morning Chris and I spent over an hour cleaning and scraping and everything else needed to get the grill back up in working condition.  Had I taken that time over the weekend before, I would not have wasted a whole rack of perfectly smoked ribs. (UGH!!  That hurt, trust me!!)

But for those of you that truly know me, you know I'm not going to let food get the best of me.  So, the next chance I got, I bought some more St Louis style ribs (at half price again, thank you!!) and gave it another try.  And I am so glad that I did!  These ribs were perfectly cooked and tasted fantastic!  Now, I did something funky when I opened up the smoker and by the time I got the ribs situated, I noticed my smoke had died down.  What does that mean exactly?  Well, it means that I did not have smoke at the most important time of cooking (the first hour), so I did not get that wonderful pink smoke ring on the meat.  But that is ok...the ribs were still smokey and wonderful.  I may not have perfected smoking just yet, but I'll keep practicing, TRUST ME!!

Oh.. and a little shout out to Chris at Nibble Me This for this recipe.  If it were not for his guidance, I definitely would not have had such a wonderful outcome!  Thanks Chris!

Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs
Inspired and greatly influenced by Chris at Nibble Me This
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 rack St Louis style ribs (trimmed - check out this video for tips)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons paprika
1/2 Tablespoon pepper
1/2 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons honey
3 Tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Directions:
Mix 2 tablespoons brown sugar, paprika, pepper, garlic salt, cayenne, oregano, onion powder, sage, and chili powder together in a small bowl until well combined.  Rub mixture over ribs and let rest for 1 hour.

Preheat smoker to 225-250 degrees F.  (I used apple wood chips, but you can use whatever you type of chip you want.)  Place the ribs (bone side down) in the smoker and let smoke for 3 hours.  Don't touch that door to check on them, let them just smoke uninterrupted.

Mix together the honey, butter, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.  Remove the ribs from the smoker and place on aluminum foil (meat side down).  Pour the butter mixture over the ribs and tightly wrap them in the foil.  Place back in the smoker and let smoke another hour.

Remove ribs from foil and reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the drippings.  Mix with barbecue sauce and brush on the ribs.  Finish ribs in the smoker or on the grill - this will take about 20-30 minutes.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Smokey Grilled Pork Chops

Spice Rubbed Ribs with Chipotle-Honey Glaze

I think I have finally perfected the art of grilling ribs.  I don't normally toot my own horn (TOOT TOOT!) but, these ribs were probably the best I have made since I started grilling.  Seriously.  Best ever.  There I said it.

Alright, I didn't create the recipe, but I did execute it superbly, if I do say so myself. These ribs were incredibly flavorful and the meat pulled off of the bone perfectly - and I do mean perfectly.  You see, Chris and I were watching a barbecue competition of some kind on the Food Network and one of the judges said that the sign of a really good rib is that the meat doesn't just fall of the bone, but when you bite on it, the meat pulls smoothly away from the bone, leaving the bone fairly clean.  THAT is what happened with these ribs.

I don't know what else to say about them other than ... they were A-MAZE-ING!!!

Spice Rubbed Ribs with Chipotle-Honey Glaze
Adapted from Bobby Flay
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 Tablespoon Spanish paprika
1 Tablespoon pepper
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Aleppo peppers (can substitute red pepper flakes)
1 rack baby back or pork back ribs
1/2 cup honey
2 Tablespoons chipotle puree (to make puree, place whole can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce into food processor and pulse until pureed)

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the first 9 ingredients together until well combined.  Rinse of the ribs and pat dry.  Rub the mixture all over both sides of the ribs, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for 6 hours.

When ribs are ready to grill, preheat grill to 375 degrees F.  Mix together the honey and the chipotle puree (taste to make sure you have the right heat and sweet).  Remove the ribs from the plastic wrap and place on a sheet of aluminum foil.  Brush half of the honey mixture on the ribs and wrap them up.  Place over indirect heat on the grill and allow to cook for 1 hour.  Remove the ribs from the foil and place over direct heat for another 15-20 minutes, basting with the remaining glaze in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.  Enjoy!
 

One Year Ago:  Grilled Chicken with Yogurt, Hot Pepper, and Garlic

Grilled Chinese Pork Back Ribs

 

I happened to end up at the store during a sweet meat sale and I found pork back ribs for $5.  I could not pass that up.  Plus, it was Saturday, there was boxing on later that night, what goes better with boxing then ribs, right??

Alright...so I had ribs, but the last few times I've done ribs, I've done them in the more traditional way, so this time I wanted the flavors to be a bit different.  On the fly, I came up with this idea.  Now, I'll admit, I think I added a bit too much Chinese 5-spice to the rub, but not to worry, I have changed the amounts and all should be well here.  If you are worried, do something I didn't do and just add a little at a time, taste, add more if needed.

If you love Asian flavors as much as I do, you will definitely want to try this.

Grilled Chinese Pork Back Ribs
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 rack pork back ribs
For the rub -
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot mustard powder (you can use regular dry mustard)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce -
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 Tablespoons ketchup
3 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Sriracha

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the rub.  Rinse the ribs and pat dry.  Rub the rub mixture all over the ribs, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours or over night.

To make the sauce:  In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients and mix until well combined.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Once sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.   Remove from heat and allow to cool.  (reserve a little for dipping if you would like)

When you are ready to grill - preheat your grill to 375 degrees.  Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and grill over indirect heat for 1 hour.  Carefully remove the ribs from the foil and place directly over the heat.  Allow to grill for another 15-20 minutes, basting periodically with the sauce.  Remove and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Creole Cast Iron Fish

Smoked Pork Back Ribs

I can officially say that I smoked our dinner Saturday night!!!  Seriously, I smoked it all...and to tell you the truth, it was WAY easy!  Well besides the waiting part.  (I think I should make Tom Petty's song, The Waiting, my new kitchen theme song.)  I must admit, my first time at smoking was mostly success... I say mostly because I smoked the ribs, which were melt in your mouth good.  They could have given ANY bbq joint a run for their money!  The corn, it had a flavor like I have never had before, and I've eaten a lot of corn.  I mean come on, I'm from Nebraska.  Corn on the cob is the only way I'll eat it....so I know corn.  This was smokey, yet there was a hint of sweet there, but not sweet like normal sweet corn, a different sweetness I can't really describe.  I'm assuming it's coming from a mixture of the hickory chips and the beer I used.  But the one thing that did not turn out well at all were the potatoes.  The recipe I was following said to smoke them for 45 minutes..but the smoker was only set at 225 degrees....and there was no parboiling.  I really didn't think they would come out, but I had to try.  So, I just finished them off by roasting them in the oven.  I'm not going to blog about the failed potatoes...for now...you know I'll have to try it again!  And I'm not going to blog about the corn because...well...it was simple and I followed the recipe to the T.

 

What we need to talk about are the ribs!!!!

Let me just stop right there, I need to tell you something...the smell...omg the smell wafting around the backyard was AMAZING!  And the smoker worked brilliantly!  I would highly recommend this to anyone thinking of purchasing it.**

Like I said in the opening part of my blog, the ribs turned out to be amazingly good.  So good that Chris and I started eating, raved about how wonderful they were, did a few... Oohhhh....this is GOOD's....and then never spoke again until we were finished!  Finger-lickin', melt in your mouth, perfectly cooked SMOKED ribs.  We could have gone to no restaurant that I know of, and gotten such great ribs for the price I spend just buying the ingredients.  Now, I know so many of my readers don't have smokers, so I'm going to direct you to my first post on ribs.  These ribs were done in the oven and then finished on the grill, these ribs could be done the exact same way, just use this spice rub instead of the one in the recipe.  If you are interested the recipe is here.

Anyway, I had such a fun time doing this.  Even if my potatoes did not turn out as planned, I believe this is one of the best meals I've made in a long time.  It was perfect!

Smoked Pork Back Ribs

Adapted from dadgumthatsgood.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/4 Tablespoon chili powder (I used adobo chili powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2lbs pork back ribs

Additional items needed for smoking:
Hickory chips
2 bottles blue moon beer

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together except the ribs.  Rub the mixture on both sides of the ribs.  Allow to rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours but can be done over night. (I let mine sit for 6 hours).

Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees. (It took mine about 30 minutes to reach that temperature.)  While smoker is preheating, take ribs out and let sit at room temperature.  Smoke the ribs for 3 hours.  Remove from smoker and wrap in aluminum foil.  Place back in the smoker and continue to cook for another 1 1/2-2 hours.  Serve and enjoy!!!

 

**Although I won this electric smoker in a giveaway, I was not compensated for my review.  The thoughts and opinions are my own**