Posts Tagged ‘Barbecue’

Juicy steak

We were graciously invited for a grill-out last night.  (Where else can you have a barbecue in March?  Lucky live in Hawaii!)  The host is a poker buddy of AM’s and he made this mean dry rub that he generously coated each steak with before throwing them on the grill.  He also had a pile of Kiawe wood which he threw in the fire.  It has a unique smokey flavor that I have never tasted before outside Hawaii.  Kiawe is a tree species that was brought over from South America in the early 1800′s and is now considered native to Hawaii.

The meat was delicious, especially when it was medium rare.  It was so juicy and well-seasoned.  A few of us who arrived early crowded around the chef to snatch slices of the steak right off the grill.

Perfect medium rare steak

The special dry rub

Kiawe wood

On the grill

Pineapple

There was a garden on the side of the house full of pineapples!  How awesome!  One day I will have my own garden so I can grow all the fruits and vegetables I want.  But I guess for now, I’ll just be happy with my thriving basil plant.

AM's pickled onions

AM had brought over his homemade pickled onions and everyone loved it so much that it was gone before we knew it.  See here for the recipe.  The pickled onions were a great side for the steak with some white rice and a Bud Light.  That’s Hawaiian style right there!

Ribs

I have never been a big BBQ rib eater.  However, every time I go to Houston’s, I always get their Knife and Fork Ribs.  They gave it that name because the meat fell off the bone and you could just gently peel the bone off with your knife and fork thereby leaving your hands clean!  I know, for those BBQ rib purists out there, not eating ribs with your hands and getting sauce slobbered all over your face is probably blasphemy.  But hey, I’m a lady and I like to eat neatly when I’m out!  The Houston’s ribs have probably been my favorite.

Then I went to the Big Apple BBQ Festival on a sweltering NYC June day.  Standing in line with hundreds of thousands of people next to huge BBQ pits and smokers with various smells of barbecue saturating the air really makes your belly scream “I WANT BBQ…NOW!!”  Even with the fast pass, we waited close to an hour for tasty barbecue.  That was probably the last time I had barbecued ribs.

This is the first time I have ever made ribs.  This is also the first time I have ever made barbecue sauce.  I must say that with the assistance of my trusty sous chef, the ribs came out amazing!  I am so proud of the final product.  I know there is probably room for improvement but seriously, it brought back memories of Houston’s.  Boiling the ribs really tenderizes the meat and definitely makes the meat fall off the bones.

In the buff

Secret ingredient

For the sauce

Lots of garlic

The sauce definitely needs lots of garlic.  This is like the icing on the cake.  It took about 10 seconds to chop up a head of garlic in my Cuisinart Smart Stick chopper attachment.  This is the best kitchen tool EV-AR!

Dressed and ready for the oven

The underside with onions

AM suggested adding some onions after we flipped it over for the 2nd round in the oven.  It definitely adds a new level of flavor.  Good call!

BARBECUE PORK RIBS
(Loosely adapted from allrecipes.com)

Serving size: 4-6

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork ribs, preferably baby back
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup apple vinegar cider
5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 head of garlic, chopped
1/2 medium onion, sliced

1. In a large pot of water covering the ribs, bring to a boil on high heat. Lower heat to medium and let simmer for about 1 hour.

2. At about 30 minutes later, heat ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, and liquid smoke in a deep sauce pan. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, reduce to medium low heat and stir frequently. Add garlic and keep stirring until sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven’s broiler (about 500 degrees F). Set oven rack to about 6 inches away from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with foil.

4. Drain ribs and place ribs on baking sheet with meaty side up. Brush ribs with half of the barbecue sauce. Broil in oven for about 9 minutes or until sauce is sticky and brown. Make sure not to burn. Turn ribs over with tongs and brush the other side with the remaining sauce. Add onions on top and brush some sauce on the onions. Broil in oven for about 10 minutes or until sauce is sticky and brown.