Bring on the Ribs

So, who doesn’t love ribs?! And there are zillions of recipes out there to please any taste buds! Here are few of the favorites we’ve tried.
Braised Short Ribs &
Cranberries
1 T. peanut oil
Salt & pepper
4 beef short ribs (each about 1 lb.)
1 onion, peeled & chopped
1 carrot, sliced
2 celery stalks, cut up
2 lg. shallots, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries (or Craisins®)
1 1/2 cups dry red wine

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Generously season the ribs
with salt and pepper, and then brown them on all sides.
Transfer the ribs to a plate and cover with foil. Add the
carrots, celery, garlic and shallots to the Dutch oven —stir
occasionally until softened. Return the ribs to the pot and
add the wine and enough water to cover the ribs. Cover and
bake for one hour at 350 degrees or on the stovetop on low.
Turn the ribs and bake for an additional hour or until the

meat falls off the bones. Add the cranberries and cook for half an hour. Skim off the fat and serve hot. Serves four.
Super Short Ribs
1 T. olive oil
4 1/2 lbs. beef short ribs
2 onions, quartered
1 (8 oz.) can pineapple chunks w/syrup
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can beef broth
1/2 cup bottled chili sauce
1/4 cup honey
3 T. Worcestershire® Sauce
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or similar heavy pot. Add the ribs and brown well on all sides by turning frequently. Add the onions, pineapple and syrup, broth, chili sauce, honey, Worcestershire Sauce and garlic —stir to coat. Cover the pot and bake for one hour. Uncover and bake for an additional hour. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Serves four to five. (Tip: This can be cooked in the crock-pot after browning.)

Bourbon Country Ribs
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup water
1 T. sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 T. minced fresh ginger
1 hot chili pepper (habanero or poblano)
seeded & minced
1 t. minced garlic
1 3/4 lb. country spareribs
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup ketchup
1 T. oil

Place the bourbon, water, vinegar, ginger, chili pepper and garlic in a large Ziploc bag —toss the ribs in this to coat and marinate one to two hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the ribs and pour the marinade into a saucepan —bring this to a boil and allow it to reduce — about 10 minutes. Add the molasses and ketchup, and cook until thickened. Meanwhile in a skillet (or Dutch oven), sear the ribs on all sides to brown —pour the sauce over the ribs and place them in the oven, covered. Slow cook for an hour, turning halfway through the baking time. Serves four.

Weeknight BBQ Ribs
3-4 lbs. spareribs
1 onion
4 whole cloves
2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground pepper (or 4 peppercorns)
1/4 cup molasses
1 sm. can crushed pineapple (un-drained)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
2 T. soy sauce
1 onion, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Stick the cloves in the whole onion and place in a saucepan along with the ribs, salt and pepper —cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the ribs and place them in a foil-lined pan. Prepare the sauce by combining the molasses, pineapple, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, onion, salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the ribs and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until crunchy brown. Serves four.

Here’s an appetizer rib recipe that’s great:
Ginger Spareribs
2 lbs. pork spareribs, 2” pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 lg. ginger slices
4-5 scallions (a whole bunch), chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sugar
1 T. chopped orange peel
1 T. minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. vegetable oil

Combine the ribs with the soy sauce, ginger and scallions in a Dutch oven. Cover with water and then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the ribs are cooked. Cool and drain. Meanwhile, whisk together the broth, sugar, orange peel, ginger, garlic and three tablespoons of soy sauce in a bowl. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Stir-fry the ribs in the orange-broth mixture for about five to eight minutes —until heated through and glazed. Serves four as an appetizer or two as a main course.