I’m having a great time this summer trying out all kinds of different ways to grill and BBQ foods.
Earlier on I posted my secret rib recipe.
Well, I have another one now and the title of this post should give you a clue.
I finally decided to try ribs on my grill without precooking them and rubbing them instead. In doing so I discovered 2 things.
1. It’s easier
2. They taste even better
Granted, you have to like your grilled meats boldly flavoured and I’m not talking about just drowning then in some BBQ sauce or smoking them with some exotic or raunchy woods.

The other neat thing about rubbing your ribs is that there is really no wrong way to rub the ribs. Essentially you can just o through your pantry or cupboards and see what you’ve got that makes any sense. After that, and providing you have some stuff to play with, you can impart your ribs with a variety of flavours and call them “Cajun”, “South Western”, “Mediterranean”, “French Prevençal” or whatever depending on what you are going to mix up for the occasion.

Here is my ZenGourmand version:

Makes about 250ml (1 cup) which is enough to rub 2 rack of baby pork back ribs.
50 ml (4 tblsp) fresh rosemary leaves, ground up in a mortar (crushed if all you have is dry)
50 ml (4 tblsp) fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped (use dry if you don’t have fresh)
50 ml (4 tblsp) freshly cracked black pepper (use ground white if you want to be more French)
5 bay leaves, crumbled as fine as you have patience for
8-12 juniper berries* (this can be a challenge to get unless you pick them yourself or try your healthfood store)
25 ml (2 tblsp) ground cumin
25 ml (2 tblsp) salt

Now mix this all up thoroughly. If you are making this ahead of time, or if you are multiplying the recipe to last you all season, place the ingredients in a jar of appropriate size, close with a tight fitting lid, shake it well to thoroughl blend all the seasonongs and store at room temperature.

If you are going to do the ribs the same day, take your ribs and rub your creation onto them on both sides and on the ends, patting them to make the rub stick. Don’t be shy, use lots.

If you are in a hurry, you can proceed to grill your ribs right away but if you want a more sensational taste and have the time, place them in suitable dish, cover them with foil and “marinate” them in the fridge for 4 hour or more. Just remove them sufficiently ahead of time to let them come up to room temperature before tossing them on the grill.

So now we get to the grilling part.
Does your grill have a smoking chamber? Great. Soak a good load of your favorite wood chips (mesquite, hickory, chipotle), and load up the smoke chamber. Keep enough chips soaked and ready to toss in the smoker over the time it takes to cook the ribs, about 1.5 – 2 hours.
Fire up your grill full blast on the side with the smoker only. Get the smoke happening but then keep the grill at 180 C (350 F). Put the ribs on the grill and slowly cook for 1.5 – 2 hours depending on your grill. After about 30 minutes, start basting (mopping) them with a suitable and complimentary BBQ sauce (try to match the smoke and the sauce to the ingredients). For the ZenGourmand rub, use mesquite chips and a mesquite sauce or chipotle chips and chipotle sauce.
This accomplishes two things.
1) It prevents your ribs from drying out
2) It gives the an additional flavour attitude and a nice looking glaze

<>Don’t forget to turn the ribs once in a while and top up the smoker.
The ribs are ready whee they look read and the meat wiggles from the bone.

Enjoy

There are as many ways to do ribs on the grill as there are grills, I’m sure. Maybe you don’t need yet another recipe because yours is the all-time award winning recipe handed down from generation to rib eating generation.

Well, I’ve tried dozens of them and ended up cooking up my own secret recipe. Needless to say, the secret changes every time I make ribs on the BBQ, but the main theme stays the same.

Here goes…

Get yourself some ribs. Back, side, baby back, beef, frozen or not; whatever turns your crank. The recipe does 2 racks approximately, so adjust quantities to suit. Make sure the ribs are at room temperature when you start.

Preheat your stove or BBQ to 180 C (350 F).

While it’s heating up make up this fabulous marinade:

6 cloves garlick, smashed
2 small onions, minced and sauteed in butter
2 bay leaves, whole or crumbled
45 ml (1.5 oz) maple syrup
45 ml (1.5 oz) Ketchup
2 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1 lime, juice only
3 tblsp red wine vinegar
150 ml (2/3 cup) Chipotle/Beer BBQ sauce
150 ml (2/3 cup) Beer, preferably dark
3 tblsp brown sugar
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, more if you like your ribs on fire
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Mix the whole thing up and baste your ribs with it on both sides.
Place the ribs bone up in a roasting pan or other fire proof dish just big enough to hold them.
Pour remaining marinade over ribs and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 – 1.5 hrs. in the preheated oven or on the grill.

Once cooked, cool and remove from the marinade, retaining the marinade.

Now grill the ribs over medium heat or even indirect heat depending on the kind of grill you own, turning and basting the ribs a couple of times until done, about 20 minutes max. If you have a smoke box, by all means put it to good use as well.
While the ribs are on the BBQ make the dipping sauce by reducing the marinade in a small saucepan until it sticks to the back of a spoon.
Serve ribs and sauce with your favorite sides and enjoy with a decent glass of red or your favorite brew.

Mmmmmm….

Yesterday I hinted on releasing my secret recipe designed to make the “Baby Spinach & Carrot” salad a superior culinary Zen Gourmand experience.
Take a deep breath because here it goes…

This is to make a salad for an enlightened couple (that’s 2 people resonating on the same page; adjust to suit actual number of gourmands):

We start by preparing my secret vinaigrette.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, saucier or other suitable vessel add:
2 tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar
2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 (preferably 2 or even more) cloves of Garlic, pressed (use a decent Garlic Press or chop really fine)
1 tbsp of Ketchup
1/2 tsp of Honey
1/2 tsp of Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp of fresh, carefully picked and chopped Thyme leaves (if available, otherwise use dried)
1/2 tsp of fresh, carefully picked and chopped Tarragon leaves (if available, otherwise use dried)
Whisk these ingredients together to make a homogenous vinaigrette.
Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

Now on to the salad.

Gently scrub and peel 2 medium sized carrots.
Coarsely shred or grate these carrots.
Take 1 good handful of washed, dried and chilled baby spinach.
Artistically arrange the leaves on a plate.
Arrange half the grated/shredded carrots in the center of the spinach using up about 2/3rd’s of the available spinach-estate.
When I feel particularly in tune with the Universe, I arrange the spinach and the carrots in a Yin-Yang pattern – quite attractive too, actually.
Repeat to make 2 plates.

Serve with my secret vinaigrette on the side.
Offer fresh ground pepper.
Optionally, and only if you are within your prescribed weight range and free of any other contra-indications, offer to liberally grate some really tasty Parmigiano Reggiano on top of this creation.
It will double the benefits of the the iron and vitamins in this salad by sheer psychological subversion – trust me.

Enjoy.