Slaughter-House Five Ribs

From America’s Best BBQ: 100 Recipes from America’s Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses, and Restaurants, by Chef Paul Kirk, CWC, PhB, BSAS and Ardie A. Davis, PhB

Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue and Catering, Kansas City, KS

Serves 4 to 8

2 tablespoons white cane sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
2 (2 ½-pound) slabs spareribs

In a small bowl, combine the sugars, paprika, seasoned salt, chili powder, cumin, onion, white pepper, and black pepper and blend well. You can do this ahead of time, cover, and store in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

To prepare the ribs, remove the membrane from the back of the slab and trim any excess fat. Season the slabs all over with all of the rub. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Cook the ribs using the indirect method at 275°F. Jeff says that cooking the ribs at the higher temperature does two things: it renders the fat better, and you get more flavorful ribs. Cook the ribs for 5 to 6 hours, turning them every 2 hours.

The ribs are done when you can easily tear or pull two ribs apart.

—From America’s Best BBQ, Andrews McMeel Publishing

Woods

Natural wood chips and chunks can be added to a fire to impart a smoky flavor to food as it cooks. Alder, apple, cherry, hickory, maple, mesquite, oak, and pecan are commonly used. The chips are soaked in water, drained well, and added to a fire just before putting food on the grill. In kettle grills or gas grills, water-soaked wood chips or dry smoke pellets work best. Large cookers with a firebox on the side take well to wood logs or chunks.

We encourage the use of the hardwoods available locally. In the Pacific Northwest, that would be alder. In the Midwest and South, hickory, pecan, and oak. In the Southwest, mesquite. In the Northeast, maple. Also check for availability in your area of fruit woods such as apple, peach, cherry, and pear. If you’re partial to a certain wood that isn’t local—say, you’re a Texan living in Maine—no problem. Barbecue woods of any variety can be shipped worldwide from a variety of suppliers. Call your local barbecue supply store or search online.

Salade Niçoise with Grilled Ahi Tuna

From Memorable Recipes: To Share with Family and Friends, by Renee Behnke and Cynthia Nimms

I grill fresh tuna (outdoors, or in a skillet grill pan) for this twist on the classic Niçoise salad. Traditionally a high-quality canned tuna is featured, which you can certainly use if you prefer. I also make three different dressings to toss with the different salad elements, so the individual character of each stands out a bit more. Makes 6 servings

2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and halved
½ cup Crème Fraîche–Tarragon Dressing (page 59)
1 pound green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 to 1½ pounds ahi tuna fillets, 1 inch thick
1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce, rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup minced fresh herbs (tarragon, chives, thyme, and/or flat-leaf parsley)
4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges
6 hard-cooked eggs (see page 219), peeled and quartered
¾ cup Niçoise olives or other cured black olives

Tarragon Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon or tarragon mustard
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (tarragon, basil, chives, and/or flat-leaf parsley)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rich Vinaigrette
¼ cup Champagne vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1 egg yolk
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. For the tarragon vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and herbs with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. For the rich vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, and egg yolk in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil to make a smooth dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Steam the potatoes until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle (but not fully cooled), peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch dice. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the Crème Fraîche–Tarragon dressing and set aside.

3. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until just tender but still bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Place the beans in a medium bowl and add the green onions. Set aside.

4. Heat a grill pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (allow enough time for the skillet to fully heat). Add the oil, then add the tuna steaks and cook for about 1 minute per side, until lightly browned and medium. Transfer the tuna pieces to a cutting board, cover loosely withfoil, and let sit while assembling the salads.

5. Arrange the lettuce on individual plates or in the center of a large platter, sprinkle the herbs over, and drizzle with half of the rich vinaigrette. Tossthe green beans with the tarragon vinaigrette. Arrange the green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, eggs, and olives around the edge of the salad(s). Drizzle the remaining rich vinaigrette over the tomatoes.

6. Cut the tuna steaks on the bias into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the tuna in the center of the salad(s), slightly overlapping.

Menu Ideas: Serve with crusty French bread and follow with a selection of French cheeses.

Do-Ahead Tips: All of the salad elements can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before plating. Dress the green beans just before serving, to avoid discoloration.

Tri-Spiced Onion Rings with Horseradish Dipping Sauce

From Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook: More than 100 Easy and Delicious Recipes from the Gluten-Free Chef by Robert Landolphi

Serves 6

Any fan of beer-battered onion rings will love this recipe. I always use a hearty gluten-free beer from Bard’s Tale Beer called Dragon’s Gold.

Horseradish Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon McCormick seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Batter
1 cup white rice flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup gluten-free beer
Canola oil, for deep-frying
2 large white onions, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings and separated

For the horseradish sauce: In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.

For the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Gradually whisk in the egg yolks and beer until a smooth, thick batter forms.

In a large, heavy sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat 3 inches of canola oil until it registers 360°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Dip a few onion rings at a time into the batter and then add to the hot oil, cooking until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the
cooked onion rings to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining onion rings until all are cooked.

Place the onion rings on a platter and serve with a bowl of the dipping sauce.

Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns

From Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes

Makes about 35 buns

These gorgeous buns were always a part of my childhood. They are found everywhere in Finland—and probably all over Scandinavia—in tearooms and houses. Everyone makes their own and they freeze beautifully so you can just pull out a few when a craving sets in. Don’t be put off when you see that the buns need to rise for a couple of hours. You can get the dough together really quickly and then leave it alone without even a glance. The rolling and cutting can be a little tricky the first time you do it, but the second time will be easy.

Bun Dough
1 cup lukewarm milk
½ cup superfine sugar
1 (1 ounce) cake fresh yeast
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 pound plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
5 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ cup superfine sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
5 ½ tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg, lightly beaten

Put the milk and sugar in a bowl and crumble in the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until the yeast begins to activate. Add the egg, butter, cardamom, and salt, and mix in. Add the flour, bit by bit, mixing it in with a wooden spoon until you need to use your hands, and then turn it out onto the work surface to knead. It may seem a little too sticky initially, but will become compact and beautifully soft after about 5 minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean cloth and then a heavy towel or blanket, and leave in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

To make the cinnamon butter, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Divide the butter into four portions and set aside.

Put the dough on a floured work surface and divide it into four portions. Begin with one portion, covering the others with a cloth so they don’t dry out. Using a rolling pin, roll out a rectangle, roughly about 12 by 10 inches and 1/8 inch thick. Spread one portion of butter over the surface of the dough with a spatula or blunt knife. Sprinkle with about 3 teaspoons of the cinnamon mixture, covering the whole surface with quick shaking movements of your wrists. Roll up to make a long dough sausage. Set aside while you finish rolling out and buttering the rest of the dough, so that you can cut them all together.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, or bake in two batches if you only have one sheet. Line up the dough sausages in front of you and cut them slightly on the diagonal, alternating up and down, so that the slices are fat V shapes, with the point of the V about ¾ inch and the base about 2 inches. Turn them so they are all the right way up, sitting on their fatter bases. Press down on the top of each one with two fingers, until you think you will almost go through to your work surface. Along the sides you will see the cinnamon stripes oozing outward. Put the buns on the baking sheet, leaving space for them to puff and rise while they bake. Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle a little sugar over the top.

Let the buns rise for half an hour and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake them for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden. Check that they are lightly golden underneath as well before you take them out of the oven. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature and, when they are cool, keep them in an airtight container so they don’t harden.

Smoked salmon and horseradish cream with crunchy cucumber and caraway seed salad

From The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trina Hahnemann

(Serves 4)

Smoked salmon used to be something special that you would eat only at dinner parties or on special occasions, but this has changed as prices have come down. If you buy a whole side of smoked salmon, you can cut it into three or four pieces and freeze them separately. Freshly cut smoked salmon tastes far better than precut slices, so try to do it yourself.

TEAR THE SALAD LEAVES into smaller pieces. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and then cut it into thin slices. Mix the salad leaves, cucumber, and caraway seeds in a salad bowl.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING, mix the crème fraîche, sugar, and horseradish together, stirring very gently, because if you beat half-fat crème fraîche it becomes runny. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

TOSS HALF THE DRESSING INTO THE SALAD and put the rest into a dish to hand around separately. Arrange the smoked salmon on plates with the dressed salad on the side. Serve with nice homebaked bread, such as caraway seed bread or yogurt and whole wheat loaf (see pages 92
and 48).

10 ounces mixed green salad leaves
1 cucumber
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
12 slices smoked salmon

DRESSING
1 1⁄4 cups half-fat crème fraîche or sour cream
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish, or preserved horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

CORNED BEEF and CABBAGE

From The Berghoff Family Cookbook

Serves 8

Our perfect, but perfectly simple, corned beef was ordered by 5,459 customers in 2005—and not all of them Irish. Because no fat is added in cooking and the broth is its own sauce, this could be construed as a “light” dish.

4 pounds corned beef
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon pickling spices, tied in cheesecloth
Cold water, as needed
1 head green cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges
16 small whole, unpeeled red potatoes
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, for garnish

In a large, heavy pot, place the corned beef, along with any of its brine, plus the garlic and bag of pickling spices. Cover completely with cold water. (Make sure the pot is large enough that corned beef is covered, with 3 to 4 inches of space remaining below the rim.) Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer for 21/2 to 3 hours. The corned beef is done when an inserted fork comes out easily. Remove the meat from the broth and discard the spice bag. Set aside the broth in its pot. Set the meat aside and keep warm.

In same pot with the broth, add the cabbage wedges, potatoes, and vinegar. Simmer over lo heat for 30 minutes, or until the cabbage and potatoes are tender. If needed, add salt and pepper.

Thinly slice the corned beef, cutting against the grain of the meat. Serve in soup plates with cabbage wedges and potatoes, and ladled with broth. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Serrano Ham, Pears, and Haricot Vert Salad with Valdeón Cheese

From Organic Marin: Recipes from Land to Table

Insalata’s, San Anselmo

This is an all-season recipe. In the spring, Insalata’s serves this composed salad with ripe Bosc pears, while in the fall it might use figs or persimmons. Organic arugula or escarole is a great substitute for the frisée, and gorgonzola may be substituted for the Valdeón.

Valdeón Cream
1⁄2 cup Valdeón cheese
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Sherry Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon minced shallot
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons honey1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 paper-thin slices serrano ham or prosciutto
8 ounces haricots verts, trimmed and blanched for 3 minutes
2 firm, ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
Leaves from 1 small head frisée lettuce1⁄2 cup chopped Marcona almonds

For the Valdeón cream: Combine the cheese and cream in a blender or food processor. Blend until just smooth. Stir in the salt and pepper. Transfer the cream to a squeeze bottle. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the sherry vinaigrette: Combine the shallot, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the honey, mustard, and oils. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Assemble the salad by placing 2 slices of ham on each of 4 plates. In a medium nonaluminum bowl, combine the blanched haricots verts, pear slices, frisée leaves, almonds, and 1⁄4 cup of the vinaigrette. Toss gently and mound on top of the ham. Drizzle with the Valdeón cream and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a first course