Pork Ribs

Ribs again? Yes. Last week I stumbled on a rack of beef ribs, which was rare. And they were great. But beef ribs are a little shy of that satisfying bite. Great flavor, yes, but not a lot of meat. I will note that I took two of them, shaved the meat and made a killer beef rib mac-and-cheese that lasted several lunches. But it did leave me with a hankering for a good rib. So for this Sunday’s dinner I did my classic St. Louis Rib. I looked through my previous recipes, and it didn’t show up (I will share my recipe blog soon). This is my non-smoker recipe on a gas grill. STEP ONE The rub. I mix powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt (very little to almost none), black pepper, dried basil and cayenne pepper to taste. For ribs I like cumin, but my...

Don’s Classic Pizza

While I have written up various pizzas in the past, I wanted to get down my classic pizza, and more importantly, my home-made sauce. To make the sauce I saute a small amount (1/4 cup?) of minced sweet onion in a splash of olive oil inside a sauce pan. I toss in a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic right before the onion caramelizes and cook it through briefly, it’s important to not let the garlic burn. Then I toss in about half a cup of lean 90/10 ground chuck. Break up the meat and cook till crispy brown. Blot off any grease if there is any. Pour in one 16 oz can of Tomato sauce, if you have a no-salt added can, even better. Toss in a bay leaf. Stir in a handful of fresh oregano if available. If not, 2 tablespoons of dry is good. Add basil and parsley to...

Rack of Beef Ribs

I’m no stranger to ribs. Actually, when the temperature begins to rise, ribs can often be found on my grill. But, usually they are pork ribs…Baby Back or St. Louis and usually seared and smoked. And I’m no stranger to beef short ribs either. But at the store this week I found a rack of beef ribs on sale. I had not cooked these before. From my experience of cooking (or over-cooking) beef short ribs, I did a little research and proceeded. Tonight is a beef rack-of-ribs with a harvest crunch salad topped with cheddar cheese and Kalamata olives and a ranch dressing. The key to the ribs is the rub. So I did my usual… Garlic Powder Fresh ground pepper Cayenne Pepper Garlic Powder Onion powder Paprika Sea Salt (lightly) Tony’s Cajun...

A simple white wine garlic reduction sauce

Last Saturday’s night meal…a garlic, white wine reduction caper sauce on top of iron skillet pan seared sea scallops and egg noodles. This is a VERY simple meal, but with great flavors and all the ingredients are usually around. In a small skillet or sauce pan, saute in butter some capers, and if you have them shallots, or thin sliced onions. Add minced garlic for a minute to bring up the flavor, and then pour in some dry white wine and a the juice of a lemon. For this I had the last of a bottle of chardonnay that I use for cooking. Turn the heat down and reduce the liquids to about 53.25% (about half). In the skillet pan sear the scallops. I have done this before with a quick bath of 18 year old balsamic vinegar, and it is wonderful. I served this on...

Grilled Lobster and a SW Corn/Blackbean Salad

Very simple, very tasty meal tonight. Combining a little South West with a little East Coast for a light dinner. Maine lobster with a corn/pepper/tomato salad. A great Mother’s day meal for all of the wonderful women who raised fantastic kids. I miss my mom every day. I had the honor of seeing both my kids Savannah Foley and Pepper Fauxley today. Bonus note, I used my cilantro and parsley from the garden and there was still a healthy amount left, which is great this early in the season. The result was fantastic. Another home run. Ingredients 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained well 1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed according to package instructions 1 cup chopped tomato (Roma, cocktail, grape, etc.) 1 cup seeded and chopped orange bell pepper...