Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs, Crisp English Potatoes and Salad

Thank you for all inquiring if I am OK.  Can you believe, I have actually been eating out.  Since returning from VA for the NY, I have mostly been dining out.  None were significant to be writing home about.  Yesterday, I actually cooked a lot, but do to the rain; we could not cook the ribs and the other appetizer I made from my new Barefoot Contessa Cookbook I made as it could be frozen and then cooked when company comes over.   I will report on the Crab appetizer when it is actually served.  In the middle I made an excellent soup with all leftovers from the freezer.  How can I blog about that as it is not reproducible.  Yesterday I was going to have ribs on the grille.  I developed this desire watching a Paula Deen segment on TV.  Tonight Jim once again managed to burn the dinner to death on the grille.  I will never again make a gilled recipe unless I do the grilling. I bought him the world’s most expensive grille thinking it would help his cooking.  Not!

These are probably wonderful if you have a person to take the responsibility to actually man the grille.  This recipe is from The Deen Brothers, Dry Baby Back Ribs. 

Ingredients:

1 T paprika

1 ½ t dark brown sugar

1 ½ t finely grated orange zest

1 ¼ t salt

¾ t ground cumin

½ t ground black pepper

¼ t cayenne pepper

4 # baby back ribs, cut in 2 rib portions

Directions:

1.       In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients except the ribs.  Rub spice mixture all over the ribs.  

2.       Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate ribs for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. 

3.       Preheat the grill to medium heat.

4.       Arrange the ribs on the barbeque and grill for 40-45 minutes, turning with tongs occasionally until meat is tender and crisp on the outside, not burned black.

I made a simple salad and these potatoes from my new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.  They were great and I watched them and did not burn them up. 

Ingredients:   

2 ½ # Yukon potatoes, unpeeled

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 oz. pancetta, 1/2” diced (I used bacon)

2 T EVOO

¼ C minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1.       Cut the potatoes in quarters if you are using small potatoes or in 1” chunks if you are buying big Yukon’s. 

2.       Place in a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with water by 1” and add 1 T of salt. 

3.       Cover and bring the water to a boil. 

4.       Uncover, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.  I did this earlier in the day, drained and kept covered on the stove until I needed to finish.  (Great for Company)

5.       BC asks you to grasp the pot with the lid on and shake the potatoes vigorously for a full 5 seconds to rough up the edges.  I did this and it made no difference.  However when watching Dr OZ tonight and learning that if you cannot open 3 jars of pickles in a very short time, you are probably a candidate for a stroke, I am more likely to have a stroke than open a jar of pickles.

6.       When ready to cook heat the oven to 425 degrees.

7.       Place the pancetta or bacon on a roasting pan and roast for 5 minutes.

8.       Add the drained potatoes, EVOO, 1 t salt, and ½ t pepper to the pan and toss with a spatula.

9.       Roast the potatoes and pancetta for 45 minutes, tossing occasionally until browned and crisp. 

10.   Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper, serve hot. 

We did have a very good malbec, Salentein, 2005.  Too bad about the burned ribs.