Best-Ever Barbecued Ribs for Dad's Day!

Bill buys his ribs from the local butcher ~ they’re perfectly trimmed and meaty.  

He had the butcher cut a rack of ribs in half and bought another half, making 3-half racks, being more manageable in cooking on the grill.

I know there is a plethora of barbecue sauces at the grocery store, but I’ve yet to find one that rivals making my own from scratch.  It's easy to make, it tastes better, I know exactly what's in it; why buy bottled?

There’s nothing like smoky juicy ribs ~ they smell and taste like summer all the way ~ great for any Dad on Father’s Day!

Let’s grill now! 


Best-Ever Barbecued Ribs
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1½ racks pork ribs
1 cup Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce*

Method:

Preheat gas grill.
Place ribs bone side down in the center of the cooking grate over direct medium low heat, making sure they are not over a direct flame.
Grill until meat is tender and has pulled back from the ends of the rib bones, about 1 hour.
Start basting the ribs 15-20 minutes near the end of cooking time, turning and basting the meat frequently.
Serve

*Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method: 

Place all ingredients in a saucepan, combine well and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer until, dark, thick and richly flavored, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the sauce to a glass jar and store in refrigerator; it will keep for several months. 


ENJOY! 

Here's wishing 

my hubby, Bill 

and son, Matt 

a very 

Happy Father's Day!

And the same goes for 
all you dad's out there!

Lazy Man’s Ribs and Brrrrrrr!!!!!!

I’m telling you, it’s so cold in Chicago-land this morning, that our neighbors’ snowman is begging to come inside to get warm…

Our thermometer here in Cary, registered -15 degrees this morning.  That’s 15 degrees BELOW 0, with a wind chill of -40 degrees! 

Not to mention the 30” of snow we’ve had so far this winter, with about a foot of it on the ground now. 

Ice is cracking on the roof ~ the sound is akin to a gun being fired from above ~ a loud, very quick bang.  An eerie, eerie, creepy scary sound, for those of you not familiar with it --- particularly when it happens during the middle of the night.  

But the sun is shining… These ribs were definitely the comfort food that was needed here.  My younger son, Matt, gave me The Taste of Home Cookbook, for Christmas.  It’s packed with great recipes:  Lazy Man Ribs, by Allan Stackhouse, Jr., being one of them.  

 

It has to be about as close to perfect for a rib recipe that I have come across.  He says some friends have suggested he bottle the sauce and sell it to the public.  I get that, as the sauce is so distinctive ~ a savory, tangy sauce!

It looks like a lot of ingredients below, but do not omit or substitute ingredients, especially the molasses and liquid smoke.  I will gladly make this sauce for pulled pork, chicken and so forth.  These ribs are easy to make, juicy, falling off the bone tender, and in 2 words:  sensationally scrumptious!  

Lazy Man’s Ribs
 Adapted 

Ingredients:

3 pounds pork baby back ribs, cut into eight pieces
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup ketchup
½ cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup cider vinegar
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Liquid Smoke

Method: 

Rub ribs with Cajun seasoning.

Layer ribs and onion in a 5-qt. slow cooker.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, orange juice, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, paprika, garlic powder and Liquid Smoke.
Pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender.

5 Servings

Deeelicious!!!

Hope you’re warm and cozy wherever you are!

Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork

There are probably as many recipes for slow cooker pulled pork as there are celebrity chefs…

And, this recipe for it is a cinch ~ easy, easy, thanks to the slow cooker. The pork cooks for hours in its penetrating smoky, slightly sweet, spicy sauce, until it’s falling-apart tender, and you can pull it into shreds with a fork. 

As a bonus, it fills your house with mouth-watering aromas ~ you will be drooling!

Why spend all day cooking when the slow cooker can cook this scrumptious dish for you, vastly cutting your kitchen time?

Before

Voila!

Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork

Ingredients: 

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed

1 onion, sliced thin

2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

½ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons liquid smoke

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

8-10 soft hamburger-style buns

Method:

Trim pork and place in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Spread sliced onions over top.

In a medium bowl, combine next 10 ingredients and stir well.

Pour into slow cooker, set on low for about 8 hours, or until meat shreds easily.

Place on buns and serve.

Mouth-watering delicious!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes! 

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sliders and “Thanks” to an Italian Cook

Isn’t miniature food the greatest? 

If you like pulled pork, you’ll really like this pulled chicken!  It’s a quick way to cook a dish that’s traditionally slow-cooked.  I especially like the fact that they’re sliders, on mini buns; the perfect size and not so messy to eat.  

Use boneless chicken breasts that have been simmered in salted water, cooled and shredded.  Or, for a simple, readily available solution, cut up a rotisserie chicken from the market to speed up the process.

I’m not big on sweet sauces, so this tangy sauce with a tablespoon of brown sugar, cider vinegar, spices, and a little ketchup, hits the spot.  Bill thinks this is the best barbecue sauce ever and I concur! 

Switching gears, I want to take time to thank Claudia @What’s Cookin’ Italian Style.  A short while ago, she had a giveaway for 2 photography books:  Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson and The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Great Photography by Shawn Frederick and Bill Gutman.

I knew I could benefit from these, so entered the contest and was the lucky one winner!  These are two excellent books for anyone who finds the concept of photography confusing, like I do.  The information takes the mystery out of picture taking, by offering great tips in achieving better photos.  I am studying the books and am happy to be learning more about photography! 

Please ~ go over for a visit at Claudia’s blog:  What’s Cookin’ Italian Style!  She has fantastic Italian recipes that will make your mouth water.  She occasionally talks about her Italian family and makes you wish you were seated around her dinner table for her friendliness and her great cooking ~ just like her mother’s, I imagine!

If you like your cooking “heart healthy,” she has another terrific blog with good and healthy recipes, plus info for you @Blogs Got Heart.

Thanks so much, Claudia, for the photography books and your excellent blogs!

Now, here’s the chicken slider recipe:

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sliders

Ingredients:

½ cup ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast

8 sliders mini buns (I used Pepperidge Farm)

8 Vlasic dill pickle ovals

Method:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken to ketchup mixture; combine well.

Cook 2 minutes or until chicken is heated thoroughly. 

Spoon 3 tablespoons chicken mixture on each bottom half of bun, top with pickle and top bun half.

4 servings (2 sandwiches each serving)

Yum!!!  Excellent barbecue sauce for sliders!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind Of Cooking.  She has unique tips on Tuesdays and yummy recipes every Friday!

Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken

This “fix it and forget it” slow cooker chicken is a hearty dish that is made for cold wintry days.  I saw this recipe in the January issue of “Southern Living” magazine and had to give it a try. 

It’s a simple tasty dish that makes an easy meal.   I doubt that the bourbon would make much difference if omitted.   The mix of vinegar, brown sugar and ketchup gave the chicken an appealing tangy flavor, with the lemon adding piquancy.

This resulted in very tender chicken that shredded easily.  The next time I make it, I will do exactly that:  Prepare the chicken, cook it in the slow cooker and when done, remove the chicken, let it cool slightly, discard the bones and lemon, shred the chicken and serve it on buns for delicious slow-cooked barbecued chicken sandwiches!

Ready to simmer

Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons salt

1½ teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon pepper

3 pounds cut-up whole chicken*

½ cup cola soft drink

1/3 cup ketchup

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 lemon, sliced

Method:

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

Sprinkle over chicken.

Place chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Whisk together cola soft drink and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

Slowly pour mixture between chicken pieces (to avoid removing spices from chicken).

Place lemon slices in a single layer on top of chicken.

C0ver and cook on HIGH 5 hours or on LOW 6½ to7 ½ hours, or until done.

Transfer chicken pieces to a serving platter; discard lemon slices.

Skim fat from pan juices in slow cooker.

Pour juices over chicken; serve immediately.

6 servings

*Pam’s note:  Use a whole chicken or your favorite pieces.  I removed the skin from all of the chicken---no fat to skim from pan juices.

As Southern Living says, “take comfort in this!”

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda, at My Kind of Cooking!  She’s hosting a great giveaway now ~ one of her cookbooks and cute kitchen towels.

Marinated BBQ Pork Chops

I hope you all had a good weekend and enjoyed the warm weather like we did.  Our yard is now being blanketed with leaves and we've been having exceptionally nice weather for the last week ~ weather like we should’ve had in June!  It’s absolutely gorgeous out there this fall with all the different colors of leaves on the trees.

But now for the reason of this post:  saucy pork chops.  We really like pork chops and I prefer mine thick and juicy; saucy and tender.  

Pork is leaner and healthier than it used to be but may not contain enough fat to remain succulent ~ this is when marinating comes to the rescue.  This is a simple marinade that is not too sweet.  It’s easy to make with ingredients you most likely have on hand.    

This BBQ marinade makes some sticky and delicious chops.  I bet your palate will fall in love with these saucy chops!

Marinated BBQ Pork Chops 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup cider vinegar

½ cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon celery seed

4 (6-ounce) pork chops

                

Method: 

Stir together first 10 ingredients and mix well.

Place pork chops in a plastic bag and spread sauce over all sides.

Marinate in refrigerator for1 hour or overnight.

Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Drain and reserve marinade.

Place chops in skillet and brown on both sides.

Add reserved marinade.

Cover pan and simmer on low heat until chops are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes. 

Carolina-Style Barbecue Chicken Breasts

OK, I know there are endless recipes for chicken on the grill but, you really should try this one ~ it really attracted me!  Maybe it was the “mustard” that caught my eye.  Or, maybe it’s because of the word “Carolina.”  I love, love the “Carolina’s” and envy you if you reside there!

We looked at homes, and fell for one, in the Greenville, South Carolina area before we retired.  Due to some circumstances of elderly relatives here, we decided it was best to stay put.  And now we have our first grandchild, Matthew, who is 5½ months old and South Carolina is just too far from him.  Here is a photo of him since some of you have kindly asked about him:

Matthew at 5 months

As for the chicken…

This grilled chicken is about the best I’ve ever eaten.  According to the recipe in Food Network Magazine, they only have to marinade for about 10 minutes.  (Their recipe is for chicken thighs).  

I’m a “mustard” addict and this is a perfect mustard marinade.  It’s loaded with the good flavors of apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and as much hot pepper sauce as you dare to use. 

Grill and serve the chicken with some reserved sauce, tomato salad and maybe a pasta side-dish.  Now, that’s good summertime eating!

Carolina-Style Barbecue Chicken Breasts

Adapted

Ingredients:

½ cup Dijon or yellow mustard

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup packed Splenda Brown Sugar, or regular

1½ tablespoons dry mustard

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoons McCormick’s Seasoned Pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Method:

Prepare grill.

Whisk the yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, dry mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Toss the chicken with about one-third of the sauce in a large bowl until coated.

Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Put ¼ cup of the remaining mustard sauce in a small bowl for basting and reserve the rest for topping.

Grill the chicken, basting occasionally with the sauce, until well marked and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees, about 12-15 minutes per side.

Serve with the reserved mustard sauce.

I will be trying this on wings the next time!  Yum!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.  She’s having a Double Giveaway now!

Easy Barbecued Chicken

I really like chicken when it’s cooked on the grill, not that I actually do it ~ Bill is the master of that.  It always turns out delicious and he says the secret to basting it is to not add the sauce until near the end of the cooking time or else the chicken will burn before it is cooked through.

This is a recipe I use frequently for the basting sauce.  It makes grilling the chicken quick and easy as it does not need marinade time.  It turns out juicy delicious every time!

The sauce is a cinch to throw together; tasting spicy with a little heat, making for a good barbecued chicken meal.  And it might be worth it to make extra chicken to have on a sandwich the next day or to toss in a salad. 

Easy Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon hot sauce

½ teaspoon garlic powder

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Method:

Place chicken on grill and cook a few minutes on each side until no longer pink.

Mix remaining ingredients and baste chicken near end of cooking time.

Serve

ENJOY!!!

Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!