T'is the Season to be Porky

I received the best cooking compliment of my life this past weekend when my grampa Ziegler asked me to make more food for his freezer because he loved what I had stocked it up with before I left from our last visit.

Grampa became ill a few months ago so Mom and I visited and we made a bunch of freezable food for him to nuke for meals so he didn't have to do any cooking.

I pulled out my "traditional" go-to recipes.  Karl hates chicken noodle soup - but he loves mine. And, he isn't just saying it - I can tell when he comes back for thirds.  These recipes are inexpensive, stretch and are pretty darn easy - also make good dishes to bring to people who just had a kid or are layed up for some reason. 

I made my grampa Ribz, Chicken Noodle Soup and some other things.  I am going to post the ribz and follow up in a few days with the chicken noodle soup - so you can make something (if you want) when it's either hot and sunny or cool and dreary. 

In Honor of Grampa!

Ribz

I literally made this from what I had on hand at Grampa's house which was next to nothing so I was super surprised!  Hopefully the only thing you need to buy is the ribz and you have the rest on-hand

-One rack of Baby Back Ribz - I have used Hormel OR Sans Club a few times but lately I have noticed they don't turn out fall-apartie like so use them if they are affordable and avaiable but if you can go to the butcher even better! 

-Three Cups of Chicken Broth

-Two Cups of OJ

- Mustard

- Lawrey's Season Salt and Garlic Salt

- One Onion quartered

- Sweet Baby Rays BBQ (or what ever you like)

- Heinz 57 Sauce

-*Preheat oven to 275 or 300 if your oven won't go that low

-Season the ribz, smear a bunch of mustard all over the ribz - a nice thick coating

-Place ribz rib side up aka meat side down -in a large backing dishs (you might need to cut the rack in half).  I like to use the disposable lasagna pans so I don't have to clean up.

- Fill the pan with 3/4 Chicken Stock or Broth and 1/4 OJ.  You want to cover up the ribz as best as you can w/o over-flowing the pan. 

- Cut up the onion and float it in the broth/OJ/Ribz

- Cover a cookie sheet with tin-foil and place the backing pan on that so that if you over-flow or it boils over it won't hit the bottom of your oven

- Cover the rib pan with foil - do it as tight as you can!

- Cook for at least 3 hours - 3.5 if you can especially if at 275

- Remove from oven and place onto the foiled cookie pan meat side up

-Squirt a bunch of Heinz 57 on the ribz (both sides) and then your bbq sauce

- Increase oven heat to 425 and put ribz back in the oven until the sauce is caramelized and crunch but not burned.

Eat!  They should be super fall-apartie

*you can do this on your grill too if you are able to control the heat and are willing to baby sit your grill for three hours.  You can also do it in a slow-cooker and then finish it off on the grill or in the oven to crisp it.

Micro Vert Sil 'Vous Plait! Translation Issues

Looks like I am going to have more time to blog... hopefully this is a good thing!

to take a chance or not to take a chance

I called Trader Joes because I seem to recall them having cheep Micro-Greens.

When I called the customer service desk (god forbid I should actually drive down Randolph un-necessarily!) I felt like I was asking them for preparation -h. The gentleman who answered the phone asked me about 5 times to repeat myself until I think he got it MICRO-GREENS tiny little lettuce leafs.  Then I was on hold for a reallllly long time.  When he came back he said yes they have Greens.  To which I had to confirm - they are micro-greens right?  And he hesitantly said yes we have greens.  In a pretty heavy accent.  No problem with that... but I am a little worried that this might not have translated over just right....

So-a I am going to chance it and drive down the block.  Heck - who can pass up a two dollar container of micr-greens.  It will match my new unemployed micro piece of tuna~!

Tuna and Micro-Green Amous Bouche

1/4 lb. sushi grade tuna
Sarachi hot sauce
Avocado
Micro Greens
*Amouse Bouche spoons

Salt and Pepper the Tuna
Sear the tuna for exactly 1 minute on each side
Slice into 1/4 by 1 inch slices

Lay down a small amount of micro-greens on the spoon
Lay down a small slice of avocado
On top of that put the tuna
dot a small amount (I mean small) of Sarachi

Eat.

This is even better on a larger scale!

*You can find these spoons at most Asian grocery stores for about a buck.  I found mine at the little store across the street from Joe's sports stop in Fridley but I am sure they are at other places.  I have seen them at Sur La Table as well as a few other cook-shops but they are usually a little more spendy.  But they do make a pretty cool appetizer serving piece so it might be worth the investment.