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| BOOK REVIEW |
Reviewed by Cheri Sicard It’s barbecue season and if you’re ready for the ultimate cookout food, then you’re ready for "Ribs: A Connoisseur’s Guide to Barbecuing and Grilling" by Christopher B. O’Hara (with mouth watering photographs by William Nash). This is the quintessential rib guide. You’ll get not only recipes for just about every rib variation available as well as spice rubs, marinades and mops, but also a tutorial guide to one of America’s favorite foods. After covering the necessary tools, equipment, smokers and barbecues, you’ll learn the basics such as the various types of meat, getting the coals started and the best cooking methods before graduating to preparing the meat and the essentials of marinades and dry rubs. O’Hara even includes a glossary of the best bottled barbecue sauces, in case you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to make your own. While ribs may be a classic of American cuisine, we hardly have the lock on this wonderful dish. Not to worry, countries around the globe are well represented in O’ Hara’s recipes, from Cantonese Pork Ribs to Jerk Rubbed Island Style Ribs to South American Barbecue Sauce to Korean Bulkogi (beef short ribs). Of course, you’ll also find recipes for American classics such as Texas Style Ribs, North Carolina Ribs and Kansas City Ribs, as well as a host of original variations like Citrus Barbecued Ribs, Stovetop Ribs and even ribs made with Dr. Pepper! The recipes and techniques in this book can turn you into a barbecue master, much to the delight of hungry friends and family. If you enjoy outdoor cooking, this book is a must (unless you’re a vegetarian)! Sample Recipe The following text and recipe was re-printed with permission from Ribs by Christopher B. O'Hara with photographs by William Nash, published by The Lyons Press, 2000. Texas-Style Baby Back Ribs The first, most important step in making authentic Texas-style ribs is the mop. The mop (so called because it usually applied with the household apparatus of the same name) is basically a marinade, basting sauce, and dipping sauce in one. Real Texas barbecue masters are used to mopping several dozen chickens, slabs of ribs and briskets at a time so they need an actual string mop to handle the task. You can use one of those kitchen glassware scrubbers to get the miniaturized effect. Store extra sauce, refrigerated for future use.  This Texas-style mop can also be used on poultry or other meat dishes, especially brisket. You will need: 3 large racks, baby back ribs, excess fat trimmed and membrane removed 1 bag medium-size mesquite chips (for outdoor grills) Marinade & Dipping Sauce 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 C unsalted butter 2 medium-sized white onions, finely chopped 6 medium-sized shallots, finely chopped 10 large cloves garlic, pressed 3 C pureed tomatoes 1 can (12 oz.) tomato paste 1 can (12 oz.) beer 12 oz. water 6 tablespoons vinegar 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce juice of 1 lemon 6 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons dried mustard powder 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if desired) salt and pepper to taste Mop 1 can (12 oz.) beer 1 C reserved marinade Yields 6 Servings Ribs and About 8 Cups Sauce Heat a large saute pan on a medium-high flame and add the olive oil. After the oil is heated sufficiently, add the butter. Saute the onions, garlic and shallot until transparent. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients (pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 can beer, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice), and heat until simmering. Once simmering, add the dry spices, stirring in gradually. Let this mixture simmer for at least 30 minutes. When finished (taste it - you may want to sweeten it with more sugar or spice it up using more cayenne pepper), reserve 1 cup of the sauce for your mop, and at least 1 cup for dipping sauce. Place the ribs in a shallow baking pan and cover with remaining sauce. Try to fully submerge the ribs and place sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper directly atop the meat, so as to eliminate air. If the ribs are not totally covered, rotate them periodically. Marinate for a minimum of 12 hours. For the mop, mix 1 cup reserved marinade with 1 can beer in a bowl. Cook ribs by using the indirect method or a smoker. The author recommends smoking these ribs with water soaked, medium sized mesquite chips. That smoky mesquite flavor is the signature of Texas-style barbecue. Highly recommended. |
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About the Author: Cheri Sicard is the editor of FabulousFoods.com, a comprehensive online cooking community. She lives in Los Angeles, California. |
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Let's Get Cooking!
