Rib Fest 2007!!

How lucky we were the the 4th Annual Ribfest was almost in our own backyard! We arrived at 11:00 AM with empty stomachs and a master plan: go to each booth and get ribs, only ribs. No cole slaw, no corn bread, no potatoes. Nothin' but ribs. Fortunately, each vendor sold a 3-rib taster.





First stop- Desperado's. Despite their banners and trophies, the ribs were a little tough and not particularly memorable for flavor. On to the next!





Blazin' Bronco was the next stop. These ribs were much more tender than the first, but the best thing about them was their flavor! Not too smoky- the flavor was just right. Good sauce!





Porky-N-Beans' ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender (which won big points from my partner), -but- the flavor wasn't as right-on as the last tested ribs. Too much sauce, too.




Fat Fred's won major points for being the first to offer moist towelettes, we were already a mess from using only the cheap napkins from the other vendors. We were also slipping into such a food-induced haze that I forgot to snap a picture of these before we sampled them. The nice lady who waited on us gave me a Fat Fred's sticker, a string of green beads and shared the secret to making the best ribs in the world at home. She explained that Fat Fred's can't make them that way because it's impossible to make thousands using the secret method, but that she makes them that way herself. Fat Fred's ribs were very tender, but much too smoky. Some people like a heavy smoke taste... we aren't those people. On to the next!




Smoke'n Dudes Barbecue Co. hails from Bensalem, PA, just North of Philadelphia. Their ribs were so average that we started wondering if we were getting "ribbed out"- would any ribs taste as perfect as the ones we tasted at the second vendor? Smoke'n Dudes does win kudos for offering moist towelettes. Incidentally, I did buy a dry rub from this company- not that I think they used it on these, but because I want to make ribs with a dry rub when I make the "secret weapon" rib recipe shared with me by the Fat Fred's lady.





Next stop, the Australian BBQ Team. We expected big things from these ribs because this tent had the longest line and the most trophies! As I stood in line for 30 minutes (TLMM went to get the beer), I was hoping these ribs would be worth it. The way the sauce was baked into the rib was nice, it wasn't messy. The ribs had a sweetish taste with a little spicy kick which we didn't care for, but which might appeal to someone else. Not our favorite. Also, the bones of these ribs were a little different from all the other vendors. Were they spare ribs instead of baby backs? We didn't really take the time to ponder that, there were more ribs to be tested!



I forgot to take a picture of the ribs from Hillbilly's, they were tender and very flavorful. Nothing bad about them, just not the best. Were we losing it? Could we recognize a good rib at this point in the day, after having tried so many? We weren't sure, but we did know one thing- we weren't giving up yet!





Sonny's had the best selection of sauces- we tried a key lime sauce, a mild and a hot sauce. All were good, but these ribs were just too smoky for us. We had more to try and our eyes were nearly glazed over as we waddled to the last booth, Pig In or Pig Out. They do their cooking in this locomotive-shaped cooker - pretty neat- huh?

Finally, the last booth was a small and inconspicuous, without banners and trophies. Pig In or Pig Out is a Florida business based in Palm Beach County. They offered ribs, just ribs, not drenched in sauce or cooked in any rub that masked or detracted from the flavor of the meat. These ribs were plan as day, tender and perfect. The pork flavor was all you could ask for from a rib. You could have picked a favorite sauce from that booth, or from any other, dipped these ribs in it and had a winner. We both agreed that these were, hands down, the winners of the day- and, thankfully, the last stop!

Luckily there were other things to walk around to see at the Ribfest- tables of crafty things, t-shirts, a horse show, an antique car show- and walk is what we needed to do. We walked, and walked until.....finally....we decided to have just one more thing that would make the perfect end to the perfect day.



Watch for my next post, "Lady from Fat Fred's Secret Rib Recipe"...and the eggs.

Eggplant Caviar

The second recipe I tested from The Art of Simple Cooking was Eggplant Caviar. Very much like baba ganoush, sans tahini and olives. This would make a great appetizer, it has a super fresh taste with just a hint of garlic.



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 2 medium eggplants in half lengthwise. Sprinkle the cut surfaces with Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper and olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until soft. Test for doneness at the stem end; it should be very soft. (This took me a good hour and 15 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool.





Scrape the flesh out of the skins into a bowl and stir vigorously to loosen into a puree. Add:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled and pounded into a puree
2 to 4 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro (I used 2 of chopped parsley)

Mix well and taste, adding more salt and lemon as needed. (Mine needed no more lemon, but I did need to adjust the salt).

Variations!

Use 2 tablespoons chopped mint in place of parsley or cilantro.

Add 1/2 teaspoon crushed toasted coriander seeds. To toast, heat whole coriander seeds in a heavy pan over medium heat until slightly brown. Crush in a mortar and pestle or under a heavy pan.

Add a pinch or two of dried chile flakes **(I did this one- recommended!)

For a smoky flavor, keep one eggplant whole and char it over hot coals or the open flame of a burner until tender. Cut in half, scrape out the flesh, and combine with other ingredients.

Serve it with pita wedges or pita chips, or just about any type of cracker. It's different, it's tasty. You can make it a little spicy with the addition of some chile flakes. I would put this out as an appetizer with other middle eastern style snacks like hummus or stuffed grape leaves. Mmm. Now I'm making myself hungry, I'll have to go try a bite...and the eggs.

Beef Stew!

It's a chilly 75 degrees today in South Miami, making beef stew the logical choice of recipes to test from Alice Waters' cookbook, The Art of Simple Food. This was the best beef stew I have ever tasted. It's also the first time I took the time to do it right, and I was surprised at how well that paid off!

Season generously, a day ahead if possible, 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes with fresh ground pepper and salt.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan (I used my cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Add 3 slices of bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook until lightly brown but not crisp. Remove the bacon. Add the meat, browning well on all sides- do not overcrowd the pan, do as many batches as necessary (I did 4 or 5).



Put the browned meat into a heavy pot. Pour off most of the fat, lower the heat, and add:

2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters (I found fresh pearl onions at the market and used those)
2 cloves (stick them into onions)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks (I used baby carrots)
2 sprigs each of thyme, savory and parsley (I couldn't find savory so I left it out)
1 bay leaf
A few peppercorns



Cook until slightly browned and add to the beef in the pot.



Return pan to the stove and raise the heat. Pour in 3 tablespoons brandy. This step is optional, but I never miss an opportunity to add liquor to my food). Add 1 3/4 cups red wine. Cook that until it has reduced by 2/3, making sure to scrape up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this over the beef and vegetables. Add:

3 diced tomatoes, fresh or canned (I used canned)
1 small head of garlic, separated into cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 thin strip of orange zest
2 cups beef stock (or chicken broth)





Check the level of the liquid; it should be at least 3/4 of the way up the cubes of beef. Add more if necessary. Cover the pot tightly and cook at a bare simmer on the stovetop, or in a 325 degree oven for 2-3 hours, until the meat is tender. Turn off the heat and let the stew settle for a few minutes and skim any fat off the top. Discard the bay leaf, cloves and peppercorns (or just caution your dinner companion as I did since I was unable to find the spices). Taste and adjust for seasoning. Waters suggests to serve the stew sprinkled with a mixture of 1 tablespoon chopped parsley with 1 or 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine. I didn't use a garnish.

Now, my favorite part of her recipes.... the variations! Here are Waters' suggested variations for Beef Stew:

Stir in 1/2 cup small black olives with their pits 30 minutes before the stew is finished. If using pitted olives, add them after the stew has finished cooking.

Use 3/4 cup white wine instead of red. Only reduce by half.

To make pot roast, keep the meat whole- bottom round or brisket can be used as well as chuck. The liquid should come only halfway up the roast. Increase cooking time by 1 hour.

Soak 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms in 1/2 cup hot water for 10 minutes. Drain, chop coarsely, and add to the stew along with 2 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste instead of tomatoes. If the mushroom liquid isn't too sandy, substitute some of it for the broth. Omit the orange zest.

A good tip: Thicken a thin sauce with a mixture of one part flour stirred together with one part soft butter. Whisk this into the boiling sauce bit by bit, cooking each addition for a minute before going on to the next; you want just enough to give the sauce a little body.

As this stew cooks, you won't believe the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. When it's finally time to eat, sit down, dig in and enjoy. If it's the best beef stew you have ever tasted, I'll try not to say I told you so...and the eggs.