This is the recipe for my award-winning ribs. That's right, Award-Winning. These babies took second place at the 21st Annual Rib-A-Thon. It's one of my more advanced recipes, taking two whole days to prepare. But if you are serious about your ribs...and if you love a good Old Fashioned cocktail...it will be totally worth it, I promise.
The Rub
1 T. sea salt
1 T. smoked salt
1 T. paprika
3/4 t. garlic powder
1-1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. black pepper
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
The Sauce
2 bottles of root beer (all-sugar, not the kind with corn syrup)
2 T. Tabasco brand hot pepper jelly
1 bay leaf
4 oz. HP brand steak sauce
1 t. Jamaica Me Crazy brand Jamaican spice blend
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
juice and zest of 1 Valencia orange
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 t. Angostura bitters
1 C. Buffalo Trace bourbon
1 C. unrefined sugar
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 C. Simple Truth brand catsup
1 T. Lea & Perrins brand Worcestershire sauce
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until reduced in volume by half. Then combine 1 tsp. corn starch with 1 jigger of bourbon, and stir in to the boiling mixture. Cook for 5 more minutes, then remove from heat. Pour through a strainer and let cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
The Ribs
1 rack of baby back ribs. Be picky: you want lots of meat AND lots of fat on those bones.
1/2 C. chicken stock
The Procedure, the Day Before
1. Make the spice rub
2. Rinse and clean the ribs, removing any silverskin that might still be attached, and cutting them into halves. Pat dry.
3. Rub the dry spice rub into the ribs, being sure to evenly coat each half. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Make the sauce.
The Procedure, the Day of the Cookoff
1. Remove the ribs from the plastic wrap, and place in a shallow baking dish meat-side up. Let them rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until they are room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
3. Add the chicken stock the the pan, then tightly seal the top of the shallow baking dish with a double layer of aluminum foil.
4. Braise the ribs slowly at 275 degrees for 2-1/2 hours. Do not even think about opening the oven.
5. Remove the ribs from the oven, uncover them, and transfer them to a broiling pan meat-side up. Allow the ribs to rest uncovered for 20-30 minutes. (Save those drippings. You won't need them for this recipe, but they make an excellent base for soup or chili.)
6. Light the broiler.
7. Brush the meat side of the ribs with an even coat of glaze, taking care to cover them completely. A saucing bottle and a silicone brush are invaluable.
8. Roast the ribs directly under the broiler for 3-6 minutes, or until the glaze begins to sizzle and caramelize.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until the ribs are glossy, dark red, and caramelized to your liking (I recommend at least twice.)
10. Place the ribs meat-side down on a cutting board, and cut between the bones into serving portions.
Serve immediately with extra sauce for dipping.
Monday, September 05, 2016
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Whiskey Apple Pie
This recipe is a modified version from chef Alton Brown, of Food Network fame. It is easily the best apple pie I've ever had, and I've made it for the last three Thanksgivings in a row (in one variation or another.)
Whiskey Apple Pie
Crust:
6 oz. unsalted butter, cubed
2 oz. vegetable shortening, cubed
5 to 7 T. whiskey or applejack
12 oz. all-purpose flour (about 2-3/4 cups)
Extra flour for dusting
1 t. salt
1 T. granulated sugar.
Filling:
3 to 3-1/2 pounds of apples (a mixture of Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious, about 6 large apples.)
2 T. shredded fresh quince
1/2 C. sugar
3 T. tapioca flour
1 T. whiskey or applejack
2 t. fresh lime juice
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground coriander
For the crust:
Place the butter, shortening, and whiskey into the refrigerator for at least one hour.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar by pulsing a few times. Add the butter and pulse 5 or 6 times until the texture is mealy. Add the shortening and pulse another 5 or 6 times until everything is incorporated.
Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle in 5 tablespoons of the whiskey. Replace the lid and pulse 5 or 6 times. Add more whiskey as needed, and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Divide the dough in half (by weight), wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
For the filling:
Peel and core the apples. Slice into 1/2" thick wedges. Toss all of the apples with 1/4 cup of the sugar, place into a colander set over a large bowl, and allow to drain for 2-3 hours.
Transfer the drained liquid to a small saucepan, place over medium heat, and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Set aside to cool. Toss the apples with the remaining sugar, tapioca flour, whiskey, quince, lime juice, salt, and coriander.
Making the pie:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove one half of the dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough onto a lightly-floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9-1/2' to 10" deep-dish pie pan. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary.
Place the apples into the unbaked pie shell in concentric circles starting around the edges, working towards the center and forming a slight mound in the center of the pie. Pour over any liquid that remains in the bowl. Roll out the second pie dough as the first, and place it over the apples sealing the edges and poking the pie bird through the top crust.
Brush the pie with the reduced apple juice, carefully avoiding the edge of the pie. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake it directly on the floor of the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer it to the lower rack and bake it for another 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked but not mushy. Remove and allow to cool.
Whiskey Apple Pie
Crust:
6 oz. unsalted butter, cubed
2 oz. vegetable shortening, cubed
5 to 7 T. whiskey or applejack
12 oz. all-purpose flour (about 2-3/4 cups)
Extra flour for dusting
1 t. salt
1 T. granulated sugar.
Filling:
3 to 3-1/2 pounds of apples (a mixture of Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious, about 6 large apples.)
2 T. shredded fresh quince
1/2 C. sugar
3 T. tapioca flour
1 T. whiskey or applejack
2 t. fresh lime juice
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground coriander
For the crust:
Place the butter, shortening, and whiskey into the refrigerator for at least one hour.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar by pulsing a few times. Add the butter and pulse 5 or 6 times until the texture is mealy. Add the shortening and pulse another 5 or 6 times until everything is incorporated.
Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle in 5 tablespoons of the whiskey. Replace the lid and pulse 5 or 6 times. Add more whiskey as needed, and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Divide the dough in half (by weight), wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
For the filling:
Peel and core the apples. Slice into 1/2" thick wedges. Toss all of the apples with 1/4 cup of the sugar, place into a colander set over a large bowl, and allow to drain for 2-3 hours.
Transfer the drained liquid to a small saucepan, place over medium heat, and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Set aside to cool. Toss the apples with the remaining sugar, tapioca flour, whiskey, quince, lime juice, salt, and coriander.
Making the pie:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove one half of the dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough onto a lightly-floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9-1/2' to 10" deep-dish pie pan. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary.
Place the apples into the unbaked pie shell in concentric circles starting around the edges, working towards the center and forming a slight mound in the center of the pie. Pour over any liquid that remains in the bowl. Roll out the second pie dough as the first, and place it over the apples sealing the edges and poking the pie bird through the top crust.
Brush the pie with the reduced apple juice, carefully avoiding the edge of the pie. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake it directly on the floor of the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer it to the lower rack and bake it for another 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked but not mushy. Remove and allow to cool.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Killer Bee #2
I've been trying to craft a honey-wheat beer for a couple of months now. The one I have my heart set on at the moment is a weissenbock, sort of a higher-gravity hefeweizen that I'm calling Killer Bee. "Killer" because it's final ABV will be above 7%, and "Bee" because it is made with lots of honey.
What can I say? I love the taste of honey.
Well, the first batch didn't work out so well. So I made a few adjustments to both the ingredients and to the process, and now I have:
KILLER BEE No. 2
Batch size: 5 gallons
Mash:
6.5 lbs. Light wheat malt
4.0 lbs. Brewer's 2-row malt
2.5 lbs. Cara-Wheat malt
0.3 lbs. Flaked wheat
0.5 lbs. Rice hulls
2.5 lbs. Honey*
Mash water: 4.2 gallons
Hops:
1.0 oz. Hallertauer @ 60 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade @ 6 min.
Yeast:
Wyeast American Wheat 1010
*Add the honey during the last 10 minutes of the boil, 4 minutes before adding the Cascade hops. Boiling the honey longer than 10 minutes will fade its flavor.
-----
OG: 1.076
FG: 1.018
IBU: 19.308
SRM: 19.44
ABV: 7.5%
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Yep. It's Time.
I've put this off for too long. This page is rebranding, as an online recipe book. It's time for me to be a little more outward-focused.
Thanks for reading.
-Trav
Thanks for reading.
-Trav
Monday, April 12, 2010
My Next Batch
Last month, I met my friends Aaron and Mike over at the Green Dragon Pub, and I tried a "Dubble Hefeweizen." I can't remember which brewery it came from (there are like a million of them here in Portland), but I remember it was delicious. Dark, rich, high-gravity...
So I thought, hmm, I should make some of that.
And then the wheels started turning in my head a bit, and I started thinking about wheat beer and all of the things that taste good with it. Honey is one of my favorite flavors in fermented beverages, for example, and it goes great with wheat. So after tweaking things around a bit, I ended up with this.
-----
Double Honey Wheat
(Double Hefeweizen)
Water:
5 gallons
Malt:
1.50 lbs. Dark Wheat Malt
2.50 lbs. White Wheat Malt
0.25 lbs. Flaked Wheat
5.50 lbs. Pale Malt (Brewer's 2-row)
1.00 lbs. Munich Malt
0.50 lbs. Crystal Malt 40
0.50 lbs. Rice solids
Sugars:
1.50 lbs. Mesquite honey
Hops:
1.00 oz. Hallertauer Gold (@60 min.)
1.00 oz. Tettnanger (@30 min.)
Yeast:
Wyeast American Wheat 1010
Statistics:
OG : 1.064
FG : 1.015
IBU: 36.225
SRM: 13.32
ABV: 6.3%
-----
The hard part will be finding some mesquite honey; it's out of season right now, and even when it is in season it is rare. If I can't find it, I will just have to go with pure wildflower honey. Which will work, but the beer won't taste as honey-y.
With a little luck, I'll start this batch up this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out.
EDIT: I had to dial this recipe back quite a bit. The previous version (if you saw it) had a finishing ABV of 9.9%, which I think would be too high to bottle. (If I had a keg and CO2 system, it would be a different story...but with that much alcohol, I doubt I would have enough healthy yeast to give it adequate carbonation. I'd have to use wine yeast.)
This version is a straight-up "double" brew, which uses twice the ingredients for a single batch of regular hefeweizen. I'm not sure I can call it an "imperial" now.
So I thought, hmm, I should make some of that.
And then the wheels started turning in my head a bit, and I started thinking about wheat beer and all of the things that taste good with it. Honey is one of my favorite flavors in fermented beverages, for example, and it goes great with wheat. So after tweaking things around a bit, I ended up with this.
-----
Double Honey Wheat
(Double Hefeweizen)
Water:
5 gallons
Malt:
1.50 lbs. Dark Wheat Malt
2.50 lbs. White Wheat Malt
0.25 lbs. Flaked Wheat
5.50 lbs. Pale Malt (Brewer's 2-row)
1.00 lbs. Munich Malt
0.50 lbs. Crystal Malt 40
0.50 lbs. Rice solids
Sugars:
1.50 lbs. Mesquite honey
Hops:
1.00 oz. Hallertauer Gold (@60 min.)
1.00 oz. Tettnanger (@30 min.)
Yeast:
Wyeast American Wheat 1010
Statistics:
OG : 1.064
FG : 1.015
IBU: 36.225
SRM: 13.32
ABV: 6.3%
-----
The hard part will be finding some mesquite honey; it's out of season right now, and even when it is in season it is rare. If I can't find it, I will just have to go with pure wildflower honey. Which will work, but the beer won't taste as honey-y.
With a little luck, I'll start this batch up this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out.
EDIT: I had to dial this recipe back quite a bit. The previous version (if you saw it) had a finishing ABV of 9.9%, which I think would be too high to bottle. (If I had a keg and CO2 system, it would be a different story...but with that much alcohol, I doubt I would have enough healthy yeast to give it adequate carbonation. I'd have to use wine yeast.)
This version is a straight-up "double" brew, which uses twice the ingredients for a single batch of regular hefeweizen. I'm not sure I can call it an "imperial" now.
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