Beer Baked & Grilled BBQ Ribs

I have been making ribs for over 25 years and came up with this strange method after watching my wife’s father (Ted) making ribs in his “Prairie House” Restaurant. Of course I changed quite a few things but the result is that everyone loves them. Note: steps 1 & 2 can be done ahead of time if you don’t have an afternoon.

Ingredients:
3 Racks of Baby Back Pork Ribs (Do not use any other kind of ribs!)
Salt & Pepper
6-8 cans or bottles of beer (I usually use stuff that people have left at my house which I don’t like.)
A big roaster
A big cookie sheet
A cake pan

Sauce:
I used to make it from scratch but found a great one in the store:
Mix the following:
18 ounce bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbeque Sauce (Any flavor)
½ can of Guinness (Drink the rest)
1 tablespoon of celery seed (optional)
1 teaspoon Wright’s Hickory Seasoning Liquid Smoke

Directions:

Step 1
Cut up ribs into 1 or 2 ribs using a kitchen shears or sharp knife. If you don’t own a kitchen shears buy one – you won’t regret it.
You don’t have to cut up the ribs – but I found it easier to serve them this way.

Step 2
Lay riblets on cookie sheet and bake the riblets in the oven set at 400 degrees until they are brown (do not over cook. )
Flip them half way through.
Salt & pepper at the halfway point.

Step 3
Arrange riblets in the roaster as tightly as you can.
Pour the beer on them. If they are completely covered with beer and you have any left – drink it.
Bake them until the rib bones are sticking out about ½ from the meat. They should be tender. You may have to check them every 20 minutes. This usually takes about 1 to 2 hours. You do not want to over bake them as they will then be very hard to grill. If this happens make pulled pork sandwiches.

Step 4
Get grill ready for indirect heat and crack open a Guiness or Sam Adams Honey Porter. With charcoal you can either stick it in baskets to the sides or have it only in the middle. The objective here is that once you put sauce on the riblets – you do not want direct heat or they will catch on fire.
If you are using a gas grill – set burners on low.
Take riblets out of roaster and put in a cake pan. (Throw beer down the drain.)
Place riblets on grill and warm them. (Remember not directly on the heat.)
Brush sauce on riblets flipping them every 5 minutes
Repeat flipping & brushing on sauce until they look done – you will know because you will want to try them out.

Bake at: 400 degrees
Time: An afternoon
Serves: 6 (1/2 rack per person)

Jon

"Dirty" Potatoes

These "Dirty" Potatoes go great with my “Dirty” Grilled Chicken or my Beer Baked & Grilled BBQ Ribs. I came up with the recipe after making "hobo" dinners for my kids where you put hamburger, chopped up onions & potatoes in tin foil and throw it on the grill. After making them on the grill and burning them many times, I found it easier to make them in a pan in the oven.

Ingredients:
5 Pounds of Potatoes
1 to 2 large Onions
1 lb of Bacon
1 (5 to 8 ounces) package of shredded or grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper

You will also need a big lasagna/cake pan/roaster that will hold the 5 lbs of potatoes cut into pieces.

Directions:
Cut bacon strips in ½ inch pieces and fry up.
Cut Onion(s) into small pieces.
Discard excess bacon grease and set aside.
Peel and cut potatoes into approximately ½ inch squares.
Cut Onion(s) into small pieces.
In pan, mix potatoes, onions, bacon pieces & parmesan cheese.
Salt & Pepper to taste.

Bake for 60 minutes, mixing them up about every 20 minutes. When they are done - put them under the broiler set at low to brown the top. You need to watch them as they can burn easily. I usually mix them up some and brown them again.

Bake at: 350 degrees
Time: 60 Minutes
Serves: 8

Jon

"Dirty" Grilled Chicken

This is the best grilled chicken ever. I actually came up with the recipe through trial and error. It is also one of the easiest things to grill.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 pieces of chicken per person (more if you want leftovers)
Since my family only eats drum sticks - I combine the following for 12 drumsticks:
1/2 bottle (8 ounces) Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (I have used other brands and still like Paul Newman's the best)
4 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons Crushed Dry Rosemary (Can be omitted if you don't like Rosemary)
You can always add more or less based upon taste.

Directions:
Start grill (I use charcoal but a gas grill works fine.)
When grill is ready -crack open a Guinness
Grill chicken at least 45 minutes turning every 5 minutes until chicken is almost done.
As a rule, breasts take the longest followed by thighs, then legs and finally wings.
This is when you brush on the sauce. I usually now place the chicken on a part of the grill where there is no direct flames as the sauce will burn. It probably is time to start your second Guinness now also.
Flip chicken and brush more sauce on. Continue until the chicken looks dirty - hence the name "Dirty" Grilled Chicken.

Time: Grill at least 45 minutes

Jon

Crusty Salt Baked Potatoes

I got this recipe from some restaurant but I don't remember where.

Ingredients:
1 potato per person (I usually use Idaho baked potatoes)
Sea or Kosher Salt
2 tin foil squares large enough to wrap the potatoes

Directions:
Wash the potatoes and cut out the eyes out on the potatoes
Lay potatoes on tin foil squares
Shake Sea or Kosher Salt over potato
Wrap potato in Tin Foil
Put directly on middle rack in oven

Bake at: 400 degrees
Time: 60 Minutes

Jon

Bill Blass' Meatloaf

That's right - this recipe was given by the late designer, Bill Blass, to be included in the now defunct Harold woman's department store in Minneapolis "Good Taste" cook book for the United Way. As always I have taken the liberty to put my own spin on it. My kids love it. It is great with the Crusty Salt Baked Potatoes.

Ingredients:
3 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs (I use Ritz Crackers)
1 small can V-8 juice
1 bottle chili sauce
1 tablespoon melted butter
salt & pepper to taste
(I also add a little of celery salt)
1/2 cup chopped onions (I use dried ones when I don't have any in the house)
1/2 cup chopped celery (I omit as I am the only one who likes celery)
1/2 package of bacon cut in pieces

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except: chili sauce & bacon.
Form into 1 or 2 loaves. (I make 2)
Place in baking pan.
Pour chili sauce over the top and lay bacon pieces on the top and sides of loaf or loaves.

Bake at: 350 degrees
Time: 60 Minutes (Can be longer)
Serves: 6 - 8

Jon

Welcome to "Our Wives Won't Cook" Blog!

This is a blog for guys who like to cook and whose wives won't, don't or can't cook!

We have known each other for 20 years and do the majority of cooking for our family and friends.

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Jon & Scott