Jack Daniels Honey Ribs & Grilled Peaches

November 5, 2011: LSU #1 vs. Alabama #2. It was an epic gameday. For the first time in history, the #1 and #2 teams of the same conference faced each other during a regular season game. Tickets were going for over $500 a piece, with prime seats selling for $10,000 each.


Naturally, I wasn't willing to pay $375 for a ticket like one of my roommates, so I decided to stay home and get stuff done. But of course, gameday was not as productive as I would have hoped. Instead, I slept in, and then started brainstorming my epic meal. What was I going to cook? As if it was fate, my mom called while I was looking through my "Grill It!" cookbook to tell me about an amazing rib recipe one of her friends had just told her about. So, naturally, that's what I decided to cook. Ribs with Jack Daniel's BBQ Sauce and Honey with a side of Grilled Peaches. Mmmm, that sounds good. 


THE RIBS

1. Buy Ribs at the grocery store and cut them into two pieces to make handling easier.

2. Season the ribs with some salt, pepper and either Tony Chachere's (or another Cajun spice) OR salt, pepper, garlic powder and spice (like cayenne pepper).

3. Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. They need to be wrapped VERY tightly.
-- I wrapped them first in an overly large piece, folding it over itself, rolling it up and crumpling it to seal the ribs.
-- Then I used another normal-sized piece to wrap around it, just to make sure it was perfectly sealed.

4. Put the ribs in the oven for about 2 hours at 325°. The time depends on how many ribs you are cooking.
-- It is smart to put a baking sheet with a piece of foil over it on the rack under the ribs. They may (as mine did) drip, and you don't want juice accumulating in the bottom of your oven. I learned this the hard way.


5. When your ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven and set aside. 
-- While they are cooking, you can make the sauce and light the grill. 


THE RIB SAUCE

6. Combine 1/2 stick (4tbsp) butter and 3-4tbsp honey in a small saucepan. 
-- Heat on medium until the butter is melted and stir until it is well combined. 
-- Pour in 1c of Jack Daniel's Original No. 7 Recipe Sauce. Heat and stir until well combined.
-- Add more honey to your taste (but read the next step before adding more).
-- Set aside to use later.


7. Combine 1/4 stick (2tbsp) butter and 2 tbsp honey in another small saucepan.
-- Heat on medium until the butter is melted and stir until it is well combined.
-- Once your ribs are cooked, cover the ribs in this butter and honey sauce. I used one of the grilling brushes to paint the sauce onto the ribs. 


THE GRILLED PEACHES

8. Pit two peaches and cut into slices. I had about 8 slices per peach, but my peaches were HUGE. Don't make them too thin, but not too fat. 
-- Sprinkle the peach slices with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Not too much, just drizzle!


THE GRILLING

9. Take everything outside to grill! Remember earlier on, perhaps while your ribs are still in the oven and before you make the sauce, to start the grill. Some take longer than others to start. The grill that I use particularly sucks, so I started it about 30 minutes before I wanted to use it to make sure it lit (thanks Cottages...).
-- Put the ribs on the grill without the BBQ sauce (covered in the butter/honey sauce only). Let them cook for about 10 minutes, depending on your grill. 
-- Then brush the BBQ Sauce (infused with honey and butter) onto the ribs. Let them cook for another 10 minutes or so. 
-- Be sure to make sure they don't overcook!
-- Put the peaches on the grill, starting on one side. They do not take long at all too cook. Depending on your grill (remember, mine particularly sucks, so I didn't time them), the cook time will differ.
-- Cook on each side until they have grill marks and start to become a somewhat soft. Flip them over, and cook for the same amount of time.
-- Watch your peaches and make sure they don't get too squishy!
(NOTE: There is also sausage in the picture...I figured why not grill some sausage while I had the grill going!)


ALL DONE! (Om nom nom...)

Enjoy your ribs and peaches, preferable with a nice brew (I chose Shiner Bock - thanks dad!) and an epic game on the TV. Friends and good music would be a nice alternative. 

Happy grilling!


-Soo Coco

P.S. GEAUX TIGERS!

Cupcakes!

I. Love. Cupcakes. End of story.

One evening during rush workshop I was bored at home so I decided to make cupcakes. I made devils' food with my home-made butter cream icing that I got from the almighty Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. I have altered it a bit, I've done it a couple times, including on my dad's birthday cake. But it's very fluffy and yummy!

Here's what I do....

Cupcakes:
-- I just simply use the boxed cake mix. Its super easy and you don't have to by excess of ingredients.
-- I do make sure to make it super fluffy. I don't beat it with a whisk, weird I know. I use a fork and beat it with a wide/high stroke for a while, making sure it gets enough air into it.
    -- I really don't know how long I do it, I just beat until it looks very fluffy
-- I fill the cupcake pan with cupcake cups and then fill them between 3/4 and the rim of the cup. Sometimes I don't make 24 cupcakes, but if they're just for the house, it doesn't really matter anyway.
-- Cook as instructed.
-- I take them out and cool them on a wire cooling rack so that the bottoms don't get soggy.


Icing:
- Before I even begin making the cupcakes, I take out all of my ingredients for the icing. It sucks to realize you don't have enough eggs or butter and have to go to the grocery later. The butter also needs to soften, so it's good to put it on the stove/by the oven while the oven is preheating.


This is my modified recipe:
-- 4 large egg whites
-- 1 1/4 cups sugar
-- 2 to 2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into chunks
-- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


-- Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a simmer. Set a heatproof mixing bowl on top of the saucepan and combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl. Whisk them constantly until everything has dissolved and the mixture is warm. It won't get clear, but it you will see a consistent murky white color without random dots of undissolved sugar.
-- If you have a standing mixer, attach the bowl to the mixer. If you don't, you can use a hand mixer. Use the whisk attachment (if you have one). Beat the egg white and sugar mixture on high until it is white, fluffy and makes hard peaks. Note that you don't want it to be stiff, but you want the peaks to somewhat stand for a second. (The recipe says this takes about 6 minutes. It depends on what mixer/attachment you have).
-- Switch to the paddle attachment (if you have one; if you're using a handheld, you can keep on the same pieces) and add the butter a couple of tablespoons at a time with the mixer on medium-low. Be sure you beat all of the butter in after each addition.
    -- Sometimes it will appear to separate - that's okay. Just set your mixer on high and beat until it is smooth again.
-- Once all of the butter is in, beat in the vanilla. If you're adding color, add it now.
-- Reduce to the lowest speed to get rid of any air bubbles. Then stir with a rubber spatula until the frosting is smooth.

Once your cupcakes are cool and your frosting is made, you're ready to ice! I usually put the icing in a plastic bag with one of the corners cut off. I "pipe" the icing on in a spiral/circular motion, starting on the outside, working inward and finishing off with a little peak in the middle. 

-Soo Coco