Category Archives: Technique

Baby Back Ribs

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Average NinjaMmm, yeah!  Baby Back Ribs.  It doesn’t get any better than this!

 

Honestly, I borrowed most of the dry rub from Alton Brown, of Good Eats fame.  Great show.  It will teach you to cook better than any of those BAM shows or the Blue Tortilla guy ever will.

I like his rub and his braise, but Baby Back Ribs should have smoke.  ‘Nuff said on that.

Also?  they are done when the bone wiggle a little, but does not come free without a little effort.  You want your ribs to be tender but have some toothsome feel to them.  Fall off the bone is overdone, though still tasty.  I won’t throw out a fall off the bone rib; I’ll simply adjust my time for the next batch.

 

Ok, the howto.

Put down a bunch of plastic wrap on the counter, making sure it overlaps.  This makes cleanup easier.

Open the pack of Baby Back Ribs and gently rinse them off.  Put them on the plastic wrap, and pat them dry with paper towels.

Evenly spread the dry run on the meaty side.  Rub it in, gently.  The batch of dry rub I’m listing below is good for three racks of ribs.

Baby Back Ribs Baby Back Ribs Baby Back Ribs

 

Put the ribs on the smoker.  Warm smoke them for three hours, at around 160 degrees.

Now get a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil, large enough for one rack of ribs plus about four inches on either end.  GENTLY put a rack of ribs in the foil, and fold up the sides, crimping the top together, plus one of the ends.  Leave the last end open, but a little bent upwards.  Do this for all three racks, but be very careful that the bones on the racks don’t make holes in the tinfoil.

[No photo here.  I seem to miss taking one every single time.]

Now make the braise liquid.  Pour 1/3 of it into each tinfoiled rack of ribs.  Gently crimp the last end.  Put all three of these in your oven on 225 degrees, or back on the smoker at the same temperature.  I use the oven, because I am not a fan of wasting wood to smoke tinfoil.

Cook for another three hours, or until the bones can gently wiggle, but not quite fall off the meat without pressure.

Drain the liquid, carefully.  It’s Hot!

Now you must make a tough decision.  Wet, or dry?  If you like dry, cut them into two bone pieces, serve them and enjoy!  Personally, I like mine painted with my favorite BBQ sauce, then back on the smoker for another half hour.  it sets the sauce and adds just a hint more smoke.  The choice is up to you.  Choose wisely.

Either way, your dinner guests will snarf them up, and you will be sad the next day for no leftovers.  Or don’t invite anyone over, and have a lot for yourself.  or buy a second wire rack for the smoker, and do six instead of three!

Baby Back Ribs Baby Back Ribs Baby Back Ribs

Baby Back Ribs

 

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Baby Back Ribs
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 racks
 
Baby Back Ribs! Awesomacity at it's finest! (yes, it's a real word!) (ok, maybe not, but it should be!) This is enough rub and braise liquid for three racks
Ingredients
  • Dry Rub
  • 8 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ⅜ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • Braise liquid
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
  1. To make dry rub, put ingredients into a zip top bag and shake until well mixed.
  2. To make braising liquid, put ingredients into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for one to two minutes, immediately before pouring into the tinfoil.
  3. Open the pack of Baby Back Ribs and gently rinse them off. Pat them dry with paper towels.
  4. Evenly spread the dry run on the meaty side. Rub it in, gently.
  5. Put the ribs on the smoker. Warm smoke them for three hours, at around 160 degrees.
  6. Now get a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil, large enough for one rack of ribs plus about four inches on either end. GENTLY put a rack of ribs in the foil, and fold up the sides, crimping the top together, plus one of the ends. Leave the last end open, but a little bent upwards. Do this for all three racks, but be very careful that the bones on the racks don't make holes in the tinfoil.
  7. Now make the braising liquid. Pour ⅓ of it into each tinfoiled rack of ribs. Gently crimp the last end. Put all three of these in your oven on 225 degrees.
  8. Cook for another three hours, or until the bones can gently wiggle, but not quite fall off the meat without pressure.
  9. Careful draining the braising liquid, it will be hot. Cut ribs into two bone pieces and serve, or paint with your favorite BBQ sauce and smoke for another half hour, then cut and serve.

 

Hollandaise Sauce

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eggs benedictMy wife and I went through a french cooking phase a few years ago.  We couldn’t get enough of it, so we were trying to make everything we thought we would have a chance of succeeding at.  We made crepes, and learned how to properly saute mushrooms, and we figured out how to make amazing sauces.  One of the best, of course, is the Hollandaise Sauce.  it uses many of the same techniques of other sauces, and even though it is not considered a basic sauce like Bechamel (white sauce), it is still very well worth having in your skill set.

And it isn’t nearly as difficult as people think it is, or make it out to be.

And as a side note, you should check out one of the best cookbooks ever written, and a must have for anyone interested in cooking, the classic that made Julia Childs’ famous for her detail and love of the art, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

 

Start by clarifying the butter.  Skip if you bought it already clarified.  The easiest method is to put it in a large measuring cup and microwave it on high for 30 seconds, then check it (do not stir or mix it).  Add another 20 seconds and check each time until the butter is not only melted but has separated into white parts and partially clear parts. (and yes, you can use less butter if you need less sauce).

Hollandaise sauce Hollandaise sauce

Skim the white parts off the top with a spoon, and set the clear parts aside (do not worry about the stuff on the bottom; when it is time to use it, just stop pouring before the stuff on the bottom comes out).

Hollandaise sauce Hollandaise sauce

Make a double boiler by putting about an inch of water into a pan, and a bowl over it, with the bowl not touching the water.  Put egg yokes, lemon juice, water, and salt into the bowl.

Hollandaise sauce Hollandaise sauce

Turn on the heat to a low or medium-low setting, and slowly whisk the eggs mixture.

Hollandaise sauce Hollandaise sauce

Keep whisking it until the eggs thicken a little bit, to the point that you can see the bottom of the bowl after the whisk passes by, and slowly fills back in. This may take 5-10 minutes, depending on how hot you have the stove. Remove from heat, and continue to whisk since the bowl will still be warm.

Hollandaise sauce Hollandaise sauce

Set the bowl on the counter on top of a dish towel so it won’t move around. While still whisking, drizzle in a little bit of the clarified butter, and whisk it in. Continue to drizzle a little bit at a time, as you mix it into the sauce.

Hollandaise sauce Hollandaise sauce

Add all of the butter, slowly whisking it in, but do not add in the white stuff at the bottom of the butter.  If it becomes too thick, finish adding all the butter, then add a half or full tablespoon of water and whisk it in to thin it a little.

Hollandaise sauce Hollandaise sauce

Serve immediately over eggs, fish, or vegetables.  Or over crepes.  Or toast up some English muffins, and add some slightly fried ham and poached eggs, and have Eggs Benedict (which is amazing!)

Hollandaise Sauce eggs benedict

 

 

 

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Hollandaise Sauce
Author: 
Recipe type: Sauce
Cuisine: French
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 cup
 
Rich creamy buttery and slightly tangy sauce for eggs, fish, or vegetables
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup butter (two sticks), clarified
  • 3 egg yokes
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • dash of salt
Instructions
  1. Clarify the butter if it isn't already. The easiest method is to put it in a large measuring cup and microwave it on high for 30 seconds, then check it (do not stir or mix it). Add another 20 seconds and check each time until the butter is not only melted but has separated into white parts and partially clear parts. Skim the white parts off the top with a spoon, and set the clear parts aside (do not worry about the stuff on the bottom; when it is time to use it, just stop pouring before the stuff on the bottom comes out).
  2. Make a double boiler by putting about an inch of water into a pan, and a bowl over it, with the bowl not touching the water. Put egg yokes, lemon juice, water, and salt into the bowl. Turn on the heat to a low or medium-low setting, and slowly whisk the eggs mixture. Keep whisking it until the eggs thicken a little bit, to the point that you can see the bottom of the bowl after the whisk passes by, and slowly fills back in. This may take 5-10 minutes, depending on how hot you have the stove. Remove from heat, and continue to whisk since the bowl will still be warm.
  3. Set the bowl on the counter on top of a dish towel so it won't move around. While still whisking, drizzle in a little bit of the clarified butter, and whisk it in. Continue to drizzle a little bit at a time, as you mix it into the sauce. Add all of the butter, slowly whisking it in, but do not add in the white stuff at the bottom of the butter. if the sauce ends up too thick, finish adding all the butter, then add a half or full tablespoon of water and whisk it in thin it a little.
  4. Server immediately, or put back on the pan of water (with the stove off), and stir occasionally.

 

Brine your Chicken

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This post isn’t about a specific recipe, per se.  It is about a technique for making your chicken turn out awesome.  Every time.  And it’s simple to do:  brine your chicken.

Got your attention?

Basically, you make a brine out of water, salt, and sugar (salt water is called a brine, but the sugar brings it home).  Then you put the chicken in the brine.  but all that into the fridge, and wait.  Take it out, drain the brine, cook the chicken.

It’s that easy.  It doesn’t matter if it’s thighs, breasts, backs, or wings.  And it doesn’t matter if you are pan searing, grilling, baking, microwaving, smoking, of just taking a blow torch to it.  The chicken will turn out better.  Pork chops will, too (although they take longer in the brine), but this post is about chicken.

The issue I have with cooking chicken (and pork, too, sometimes) is that you have about five seconds of perfectly cooked chicken.  Not undercooked where you will kill someone, and not overcooked where it turns into dry tasteless junk.  If you don’t take it off at just the right time, you end up with bad food.  When you brine the chicken, it adds salt and flavor to the chicken, but it also adds water.  You end up with chicken that now has about a minute, sometimes more, of perfectly cooked, not over dry, amazing food.  A little bit of planning, and everyone will know what a great cook you are.

OK, the rules.

 

1 gallon water.

1 cup salt.

1/2 cup sugar.

 

Mix that all together until the salt and sugar is dissolved.  Put in the chicken.  Put it in the fridge.  If it is a normal chicken breast, give it 45 minutes.  If it is one of those monster chicken breasts from Costco, give it an hour and a half. You know the ones, four inches wide, six inches long.  They are wonderful, but size makes a difference about how long it is in the brine.  (and yes, the pork chops will be longer, an hour for a normal 1/2 inch thick chop, and up to four hours for that monster one inch thick chop at Costco).

Oh, and if you want to just leave it over night, just half the salt and sugar, and you should be fine.

And if you don’t need that much brine, just keep the ratios.  Half gallon water, half cup salt, quarter cup sugar.  It’s that simple.

Now go!  Brine some chicken.