Barbecue Short Ribs

A labor of love... worth every minute after the first bite! From The Joy of Cooking (c) 1997.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pat dry: 3 pounds beef short ribs, excess fat trimmed. Season with salt, black pepper, dried oregano.

Heat 2 tbl vegetable oil in a dutch oven. Add the ribs in batches and brown on all sides. When finished, drain all but 2 tbl of fat. Add the following and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 10 minutes:

• 2 c chopped onions
• 1/2 c chopped celery
• 1/2 c chopped carrots
• 1/2 c chopped shallots
• 3 tbl chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch of oregano

Add 1 1/2 c beef stock. Bring to a boil and add the ribs back to the dutch oven. Add 2 bay leaves. Bake, covered, until ribs are tender, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make barbecue sauce. Combine in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the sauce comes to a simmer:

• 1 1/2 c ketchup
• 1 c cider vinegar
• 1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1 c packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbl dry mustard
• 4 tbl chili powder
• 1 tbl fresh grated, peeled ginger (or 1 tsp ground dried)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbl vegetable oil

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Once short ribs are perfectly tender, remove and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place the cooked ribs on a roasting rack in a shallow pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Brush with barbecue sauce. Bake until the surface is browned and edges are crispy, 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve with additional barbecue sauce for dipping. And some steamy wet napkins when you're done!

Nuts-n-Bolts

Real prep time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Serves: A party!
Side dish suggestions: none

Supplies:
Large Roasting Pan
Mixing Spoon
Tablespoon Measuring Spoon
1/2 Tablespoon Measuring Spoon
1 Cup Measuring Cup

From the freezer:


From the pantry:
2 lbs Mixed Salted Nuts
6 1/2 oz Corn Chex
10 1/2 oz Box Cheerios
6 1/2 oz Rice Chex
6 1/2 oz Wheat Chex
1 Package Pretzel Sticks
1 Cup Salad Oil
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 T. Garlic Salt
1/2 T. Seasoned Salt

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together in roasting pan. Bake at 250 for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Have fun!

Extra info...
Such a great party mix!

Flank Steak Pinwheels

Real prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 12-16 minutes
Serves: 2-4
Side dish suggestions: Baked potatoes, seasonal fruit, dinner rolls

Supplies:
• Roasting rack
• Baking sheet
• Meat tenderizer
• Toothpicks
• Bowl

From the freezer:
• Chopped spinach (10 oz), thawed and drained well

From the the pantry:
• Garlic, 2 cloves (freshly pressed or minced)

Fresh:
• 1-2# flank steak
• 6-8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 c grated parmesan
• 2 tbl butter, melted

Preparation:
1. Heat broiler. (Use low if you have low and high.)
2. Use the flat side of the meat tenderizer to flatten flank steak into 8 inch by 12 inch rectangle (1#) or 8 inch by 20 inch rectangle (2#).
3. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, bacon crumbles, spinach, and garlic. Spread evenly over flank steak. Sprinkle with parmesan.
4. Roll up steak starting with the long side. Secure with toothpicks and cut in 1.5 inch pinwheels.
5. Arrange on roasting rack on baking sheet. Place in oven 4-6 inches from broiler for 6-8 minutes. Flip over and broil 6-8 minutes longer.

Cook time totals: 12 min for medium, 14 min for medium-well, 16 min for well done. Make sure to do a good job pounding the meat. Break up all the tendons and attachments. Your mouth will thank you!