Feels like summer, tastes like summer: easy oven ribs and homemade hushpuppies

Here we go, trying to get back to blogging recipes on a more regular basis.

After getting back from a week away in Denver and Colorado Springs, my fridge was completely empty. We picked up a few essentials from the Safeway and I was delighted to find first: that baby back ribs are on sale for a few weeks and second: that sweet corn season has officially started.

I had to dig around in the bins for a bit to find these good ears, but they were miraculously ripe and delicious.

After a week of dry heat in Colorado, the humidity of DC was a bit of a rude welcome home gift. This entire dinner was so satisfying and simple to make.

RECIPE: Easy Oven Ribs

2 lbs baby back ribs
3 TBS rib rub (or make your own: garlic, brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt, etc)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

* Preheat oven to 350 F
* Pat both sides of the ribs liberally with the rib rub and wrap loosely in foil.
* Place on a sheet pan and bake for 45 minutes.
* After 45 minutes, open the foil pack and brush both sides of the ribs with sauce. Wrap the foil back around the ribs and bake another 45 minutes.
* After 90 minutes total baking time, unwrap the foil and baste the ribs with sauce a second time. Leave the foil pack open and return the ribs to the oven, increasing heat to 450 F. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes.
* Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

RECIPE: Homemade Hush Puppies


1 1/4 cup each white and yellow cornmeal (or 2 1/2 cups of which ever you happen to have on hand)
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 TBS salt
1 heaping tsp cayenne powder
1/2 cup finely minced onion
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1-2 quarts vegetable or canola oil for frying

* In a small saucepan, heat one quart of oil slowly over medium heat.
* While the oil is heating up, whisk the dry ingredients together.
* In a separate bowl whisk together milk and eggs. Add to dry ingredients, allow to rest 5-10 mins.
* Test heat of oil with a drop of batter - it should begin sizzling and frying immediately.
* Use a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop to drop balls of batter into the oil, fry 6-8 minutes until golden brown.
* Cool on a paper towel, serve with honey butter.

Korean barbecue ribs (Kalbi)

One of the biggest challenges I've had since I've moved back to Minnesota is finding the perfect cut of beef for bulgogi. In Washington, I shopped at HMart, a Korean grocery store. Finding beef for bulgogi was easy -- it was presliced, and you could buy some that had been marinated by the ajummas in the store.

Here? It's another story. Most of the beef I've gotten for what I consider to be a reasonable price, then sliced myself, has a) been sliced too thick and b) ended up kind of tough.

What is readily available in the Asian markets nearby, however, are short ribs -- the meat used to make Korean kalbi.

I cut the slabs into individual sized pieces, then marinated them over night with a sliced onion and a ton of garlic. Then, into the grill pan they went.

 

I was thrilled with the way these turned out. The meat was juicy and charred from the grill pan. I served the galbi with the fried onions and enoki mushrooms.

And Korean food isn't complete without kimchi, but I didn't have any on-hand, so I threw together a sort of quick "faux" kimchi -- mixing together homemade quick pickles, daikon radish, spring oninos, some rice vinegar and gochuchang. Super tasty.

RECIPE: Kalbi
1 lb short ribs, cut into individual pieces
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
8-10 cloves garlic, smashed or sliced
1 bunch scallions, chopped (dark green parts only)

Whisk together liquids and pour over kalbi in a large plastic bag. Mix in onion, garlic and scallions. Marinate at least 2 hours, up to 24.

Heat a grill pan over high heat, then reduce to medium. Grill ribs 2-3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Grill 1 bunch enoki mushrooms per person and toss with onions. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve.


RECIPE: quick "faux" kimchi
3 pickling cucumbers, cut into half inch pieces (the short, fat ones. But you could also use the long skinny seedless japanese ones)
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp rice vinegar
Equal amount of pickled daikon radish (called dan-muji), about 1 round piece, 5 inches long, also cut into half inch pieces
1-2 TBS gochuchang
white and light green parts from the scallions used in kalbi marinade

Mix the sugar, salt and rice vinegar and pour over the cucumbers. Allow to "pickle" for at least 15 minutes, up to a few hours. Drain, then taste after 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary. (If they're too salty, give 'em a quick rinse)

Mix pickles with daikon and stir in gochuchang. Sprinkle with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve with other banchan (Korean side dishes) and barbeque.