Spare Ribs Adobo- Lupe's Style

I love spare ribs adobo and my wife Lupe does a fantastic job of cooking it. She has her own twist on this island favorite by adding a potato and tomato sauce. All I can say is you have just got to try this out. You won't regret it.

Here is the recipe....

Spare Ribs Adobo

Ingredients

1. 1 rack of spare ribs cut into 3 inch pieces.
2. 1 cup soy sauce (Kikkoman).
3. 1 cup apple cider vinegar.
4. ½ medium onion, diced.
5. 4 cloves of garlic, minced.
6. ½ to 1 tsp ground black pepper.
7. 3 bay leaves.
8. 2 to 3 tbsp of olive oil or just enough to cover the bottom of the pot.
9. 1 large potato cubed cut into ½ inch cubes (optional).
10. 1 small can of tomato sauce (optional).

Directions

1. Cut up, rinse and drain the spare ribs
2. Cut the onions and garlic
3. Heat oil in pot over medium heat.
4. Sauté the onions and garlic.
5. Add the spare ribs, turn heat to high and brown the spare ribs.
6. With the heat remaining on high add the rest of the ingredients except the optional items.
7. Crumble up the dried bay leaves when adding.
8. Cook about 20 minutes, then add the cubed potato and tomato sauce at this time if you are going to use them.
9. Cook another 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked but not disintegrating.

The spare ribs should be cooked but not falling off the bone. Just firm enough to stay on the bone.

Serve with lemon finadene http://guamfirehousecook.blogspot.com/2011/05/lemon-finadene-guam-bbq-dipping-sauce.html and white Jasmine rice.

Try this recipe with and without the optional items. It is really great tasting either way.

I hope you enjoy.

Until next time....

Santa Maria Style BBQ...the real story.

A lot of folks out there wonder what is all the hoopla about Santa Maria Style BBQ. It is a very basic direct grilling method than originated back in California during the Spanish rule. But that was then. This is now...

This program, produced in Santa Maria Ca., covers the history, preparation, and cooking of Top Block as told by the pioneer's of Santa Maria Style BBQ. It also covers tri tip, which is not the original Santa Maria Style BBQ. Thank you to Ike Simas of the Santa Maria Elks, and Gary Vierra of Phil's Ol' Butcher Shop in Grover Beach, Ca.

Produced by TSM Productions; Santa Maria, Ca.

I want to thank all those who were responsible for making this video.

Here is the web link:  http://youtu.be/I22FodX885c

Until next time....

Want moist BBQ'd birds? Then you need to brine them....

My good buddy and favorite Cajun, Coshon DeLusher from Drunken Turkey.com, is Guest Blogging here with this great article on Brining Your Birds. If you truly want a moist bird, whether you bake it, smoke it or grill it, you've got to brine it.

Coshon explains all about brining the Coshon way.

                Coshon DeLusher

What is Brining?
First things first. Let me bore you with the technical definition of brining. Brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in brine before cooking. Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation. The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells, but the cell fluid has a higher concentration of other solutes. This leads salt ions to diffuse into the cell, whilst the solutes in the cells cannot diffuse through the cell membranes into the brine. The increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water from the brine via osmosis. The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its protiens. The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix that traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from dehydrating.


The Container
The first step in brining is to get a container to hold chicken or turkey totally submerged. It can be a large plastic bag, tupperware or even an ice chest. Whatever you choose, make sure that it will hold all of your brine solution overnight so that the mixture will have time to soak into the meat. If you chose to use an ice chest be sure that the ice does not mix with the brining solution as this will water it down as the ice melts. Also make sure that the container is large enough to totally surround your bird. I've  found the easiest and cleanest container to use is an ice chest. I use ziplock bags filled with ice to keep the container cold. The bags serve as a divide preventing the ice from melting into your solution.


The Solution
A basic brining solution consists of salt and water, but you can opt to add chopped onions, parsley, thyme, and even lemons. The typical brine consists of one cup of salt for each gallon of water. I prefer using Kosher Salt over your typical table salt because it has a cleaner taste and contains no iodine like table salt. Start by determining the amount of liquid you are going to need. To do this take the turkey or chicken and place it in the container you are going to use. Once you know how much liquid is needed start by boiling two cups of water for each cup of salt you will need. Once it boils add the salt and stir until dissolved. Add other spices and herbs and then combine it with the remaining liquid. The brine should always be cold before you add the meat so you should refrigerate it before you add the meat. You don't want the brine cooking the meat.  It is important that no part of the meat be exposed to the air. Saltwater brine will kill bacteria and keep the meat from spoiling but it doesn’t work if part of the meat is sticking out. 


Refrigerate
A basic equation for how long to let your bird brine is one hour per pound. It s mportant that the whole thing be kept cold. The specific amount of time will vary of course.  Remember that the longer you brine the stronger the flavor will be. If you over brine you could end up with some very salt and strong meat. I usually start brining before I go to sleep and night and take it out when I wake up. I typically never let my meat brine for more than ten hours. There is an extra step after removing the bird from your refrigerator that you may want to try. Brining makes the meat moist therefore the skin stays moist also. Some people like there turkey crispy on the outside. If you prefer this then you need to remove the bird from the container and wrap it in foil. Place the meat back in the fridge and let sit for at least another 8 hours. This allows the skin to dry resulting crispier skin. 

Brining has come a long way. It seems like more and more people everyday are taking the traditional salt solution and spicing it up! After all it just makes sense. If your going to treat your poultry so that it turns out juicy, why not have it soak up a little flavor too! For your next beer can bird try and incorperate the flavors into the brine. Stay consistant with your flavors. From the brining process all the way to when you pull it off the grill, your ingredients should be an integral part of every step. Add beer to your brine! The beer you use to get your bird drunk should be present in the brine also. Beer adds flavor and actually tenderizes the meat. Hell we've even heard of using the left over water from a crawfish boil as a brining soloution. Below are some brining solutions that may give you some ideas on how to prepare your next drunken bird.

Coshon's Lemon Pepper Brine

drunkenturkey.com

1 gallon of water 

4 teaspoons kosher salt 6 bay leaves 
2 tablespoons black peppercorns 
3 large rosemary sprigs 
1 small bunch of thyme 
1 small bunch of parsley 
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons garlic powder 
2 tablespoons onion powder 
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 

Add all the ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil for 5 mins. Let cool then add your chicken. Refrigerate overnight.

Thanks for all that showing and explaining Coshon. And for all you folks out there don't forget to visit Coshon's Drunken Turkey website at...http://drunkenturkey.com/index.html.

Until next time....

Creamy Coleslaw

We always have to have sides with our BBQ. Creamy Coleslaw is a good one to have. This coleslaw can stand alone or on top of the good ole pulled pork sandwich.

Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 medium head green cabbage, cut into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips (about 9 cups)

½ of a small head red cabbage, cut into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips (about 3 cups)

3 medium carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)

¾ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1 tablespoon  apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons  sugar

½   teaspoon  salt

½ cup of sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

In a very large bowl combine cabbages and carrots. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper; stir into cabbage mixture. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Mix the two right before serving.

Makes about 10 cups


Until next time....

BBQ at Leon Guerrero Beach, Inarajan, Guam

To view this post click here:  http://bbqguam.blogspot.com/2011/06/bbq-at-leon-guerrero-beach-inarajan.html