Barbecued spareribs II (p. 505)

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Ribs are so much cheaper in Iowa than they are in Colorado. Incredibly cheaper. I stumbled upon spareribs for $1.99 a pound! So cheap. I thought they would be perfect for Barbecued spareribs II (p. 505).

The ribs were St. Louis-style spareribs, which means that the "rib tips" have been removed. You can always tell the difference between sparerib types because SLS spareribs always look squared off. Back ribs (or baby back ribs) are from the more dorsal part of the animal, closer to the spine, while the spareribs are from further down, closer to the belly. (And there in your meat science education for the day)

I rubbed the ribs with southern barbecue dry rub and refridgerated them for a few hours:



They went into a roasting pan:



I popped the ribs in the oven for about 35 minutes (less than TJOC asks for), flipped them, and baked them for another 40 minutes:



These ribs were DELICIOUS. They were fork tender, flavorful, and amazing. In the past, I never really understood eating ribs that were "dry" (cooked with just a rub) rather than "wet" (cooked with barbecue sauce) but these were absolutely amazing. In fact, they were so good that we ran right back out and got another rack of them for a future meal.

So what are your favorite type of ribs? Pork or beef? Spareribs or back ribs? Do you like rib tips or consider that a marketing ploy? Inquiring minds want to know!

Pan-roasted pork tenderloin (p. 503) and Herb pan sauce (p. 547)

Josh and I couldn't find a ham on sale for Easter (our preferred holiday dish) so we bought what I thought at the time was a pork tenderloin. And (this is extremely embarrassing as someone in the meat industry like myself) it was not a pork tenderloin, it was just cut to resemble one. I should have payed more attention (although, in my defense, Josh actually is the one who picked up and put it in the cart).

I decided to make Pan-roasted pork tenderloin (p. 503) and I made sure to make it in a non-nonstick pan so I would have pan drippings. I seasoned my pork "tenderloin", adding it to a skillet with butter and olive oil. I seared it on all sides and then lowered the heat to cook it.



I realized at this point (while the outside was overcooking and the inside was still raw) that because my pork "tenderloin" was not actually a tenderloin, it wasn't the correct size so I split it for more even cooking:



An easy method for tenderloin preparation, it would undoubtedly have been better with a real tenderloin.

The best part was that the tenderloin gave me terrific drippings for Herb pan sauce (p. 547). I added shallots to the pot and cooked them until softened. At that point I added chicken stock and stirred and scraped to get the browned bits up:



I added Dijon mustard, Cognac, and bay leaves and kept stirring until the gravy was slightly thickened. I added heavy cream and cooked until the gravy was reduced by half:



Stirred in parsley:



And was done!

I love gravy. I love all sauces. I always forget about delicious gravy. This gravy was shallot-y, and pork-y, and all things great. It was incredibly easy, too, and you could leave out the heavy cream if you didn't want those extra, super tasty calories. Until recently I've been afraid to make my own gravy because it seemed difficult (you always hear stories about lumpy gravy) but it really isn't. Try it if you haven't!

Sweet-and-sour brisket (p. 481)

I actually had heard from multiple people that the Sweet-and-sour brisket (p. 481) was one of the best recipes in TJOC. And, yet, I wasn't excited at all to try it because it didn't sound very good to me. I stumbled upon a really cheap brisket at the grocery store and thought it would be the perfect time to try out the recipe I had heard so much about.

I browned the brisket (which had been spread with minced garlic and black pepper). While that was happening, I scattered sliced onions around the meat. I cooked the dish until the onions were very brown and then added red wine and beef stock. After a minute I scraped up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and stirred in chili sauce, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and a bay leaf:



The whole thing went in the oven for almost 3 hours.



The brisket was allowed to cool in the pan and then popped in the refrigerator overnight. The next day I removed the bay leaf, sliced the meat, returned the meat to the sauce, and reheated in the oven (believe it or not, that's in the recipe):



Sorry for the hideous picture (yes. even I know this picture is awful).

The brisket was delicious. Tender, flavorful, and amazing. The recipe makes quite a bit and heats up easily, making it a great option for a dinner in which you aren't completely sure when the guests are arriving (like when people are traveling in). I made it again for a graduation supper after this original time and it was a hit with everyone. I think the "sweet and sour" title is a bit of a misnomer. The sweetness comes from the sugar and the sour from the vinegar but it's really not that sweet or that sour. Plus it's not Asian-inspired at all, which I always expect from something called "sweet and sour". This is one of those rare dishes that even though most picky would like--the sauce is simple yet full of nuanced flavors. Make it the next time you have a brisket!

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Swiss steak (p. 482) and Meat pan gravy (p. 546)

I've always had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about Swiss steak (p. 482) but it's completely due to my mother. Apparently mom got sick on Swiss steak as a child and has not only never been able to eat again but also never wanted to see anyone else eating it (in fact, I think even saying "Swiss steak" makes her a little sick). So I think the only time I've ever had Swiss steak has been in a TV dinner.

The recipe looked simple. I rubbed garlic on a bottom round steak, then pounded as much flour...



...into my steak...



as it would hold.



This was problematic because every time I hit the steak, flour went everywhere. It made a huge mess. Does anyone have a solution for this problem? I will say, the dogs were grateful for the mess, because they were trying to convince me that flour all over the floor was the most delicious thing ever.

I browned the pieces, which wasn't easy because they didn't really fit in the pot:



I added chopped onion, carrot, and celery (no bell pepper due to my hatred of bell peppers). The tomato was optional so I didn't include it, even though Wikipedia insinuates that the tomato makes the Swiss steak.



At this point I realized the whole thing was supposed to go in the oven. Crap. I transferred it to my ovenproof pot and popped it in the oven. It went from this:



To this:



Time for the Meat pan gravy (p. 546). I removed my meat from the pot.



I poured off all but a few tablespoons of drippings and whisked flour into them:



I then added back my pan juices (I didn't have to add anything because I had exactly a cup of pan drippings):



I simmered the gravy until it was thickened:



The whole thing was delicious! The gravy was absolutely perfect. No lumps, the perfect thickness, and easy, what more could you want? I'm usually really intimidated by gravy making so this was good for my self confidence.

The Swiss steak was surprisingly good! It's a good method for using a economical piece of meat but still having a tender end-product. I made mashed potatoes and it was a hearty, cheap, and tasty meal that resulted in terrific leftovers.

Random fact:
"The name does not refer to Switzerland, but instead to the process of "swissing", which refers to fabric or other materials being pounded or run through rollers in order to soften it." (Wikipedia)

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Country-style ribs baked in barbecue sauce (p. 505)

I found country-style pork ribs at the grocery store that were perfect for Country-style ribs baked in barbecue sauce (p. 505). I only had two pounds of them, though, so I made a half recipe.

I combined homemade barbecue sauce and orange juice:



Placed my ribs in an ovenproof baking dish (these awesome things are from Tupperwear and have lids!):



And poured the sauce over the top:



They were baked for three hours:



Then turned and baked for one more hour:



The picture is dark but they weren't burned. These were absolutely delicious! They were tender enough to fall off the bone and infused with a perfect barbecue flavor. Of course, after I finished the ribs, I found another set of them in the refrigerator, which meant I could have made a full version of the recipe. If you are intimidated about making ribs at home, start with this incredibly easy recipe.

Beef Stroganoff (p. 476)

I've been putting off making Beef stroganoff (p. 476) because if I have a nice steak, I want to eat it as a steak, not as stroganoff. I've had a lot of mediocre stroganoffs in my life and I'm pretty sure I've never had a particularly good version of it. I happened to get a great steak on clearance and I decided to make a half recipe of the stroganoff so I could knock it off the list.

I sliced the steak into thin strips, seasoned them, and browned the meat in a little olive oil:



Watch it closely--thin strips of meat brown REALLY quickly. I removed the meat to a plate:



I melted butter in the pan and added a chopped onion. Once the onions were softened, I added sliced mushrooms:



I added two cups of beef stock, a little bit of Cognac (too good of Cognac for this dish, all I had was Courvoisier) and simmered it for about ten minutes. I finally added sour cream, Dijon mustard, and a little more salt and pepper.



I added the meat back in and cooked the whole concoction until it was heated through:



I didn't have any egg noodles for some reason, so my beef stroganoff sat on top of elbow macaroni.

I don't know how I felt about this dish. I didn't love it. It was okay, sort of boring. I thought the sauce needed to be a lot thicker. The beef was extremely delicious and tender. It heated up extremely well.

Random facts:

• Beef stroganoff became popular in the 1940's, partially due to it's ability to be kept in a chafing dish (which was a newly popular invention), (Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, p. 292)
• The first major wave of Russian immigrants to the US followed the Russian Revolution in 1917. These were mostly Russian aristocracy and they brought stroganoff and blini with them (Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, p. 511)

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Beef stew with mustard, herbs, and white wine (beef daube)

Dad had a chunk of beef that was perect for stew meat. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your approach) I've managed to make most of the TJOC stew recipes already. One of the only ones I had left was Beef stew with mustard, herbs, and white wine (beef daube). TJOC says that "This is a refreshing change from the heavier flavors that we associate with beef stew". I wasn't particularly excited about this recipe because I LIKE the heavier flavors that we typically associate with beef stew.

I seasoned some flour (love the bowl--Michelangelo always was my favorite):



I cut the meat in to cubes, dredged the cubes in the seasoned flour, and then browned them in olive oil.



I added dry white wine to the pot:



The wine was brought to a boil and then simmered until it reduced by half. Dijon mustard was whisked into the wine (TJOC loves Dijon mustard, it's in about half of the recipes in the book). I then returned the beef to the pot, along with a can of tomatoes, sliced onions, garlic cloves, and bouquet garni:



We simmered the dish over low heat for a couple of hours. When the meat was tender, we removed the beef, onions, and tomatoes to a platter (a rather annoying step):



The stock was boiled again until it was reduced to a third and slightly thickened:



Everything was then added back to the pot:



The stew was good but not great. It was definitely lighter than typical stew. If you don't love onions, look at other stew recipes because this one isn't going to work well for you. It was jam packed with onions and oniony flavor. I personally don't feel this recipe was worth the effort, especially when the beef stew recipe is so amazingly delicious.

Random facts:

• According to Wikipedia, a daube is a French stew with beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic, and herbes de provance, so this actually was relatively authentic.
• In certain areas of France, bulls killed during bullfights are typically used for daube (Wikipedia). The picture on Wikipedia looks far more delicious than what I made.
• Wikipedia also states that there is typically a day between each step in the daube, making the authentic recipe even more inconvenient than TJOC's version. No thanks.

Iced coffee (p. 32), Iced coffee Viennese (p. 33), and Microwaved bacon (p. 509)

Rachel pointed out that it would be a good time to make some coffee drinks. I don't drink coffee. I truly think am the only person in the world who doesn't know how to make a decent cup of coffee. I would much rather have a nice can of Coke first thing in the morning or a nice unsweetened iced tea than coffee. I do have a coffee pot but it is 100% operated by People Who Like Coffee.

We started with Iced coffee (p. 32). Rachel made the coffee, which we sweetened with a little sugar syrup (I really recommend making sugar syrup and keeping it in the refrigerator--it mixes much, much easier into cold drinks than sugar). She added some cream and ice and there it was:



Good if you like cold coffee. Repulsive if you do not. We took one of the iced coffees and turned it in to Iced coffee Viennese (p. 33). Essentially we added some rum to the coffee and topped it with whipped cream:



Now there is a decent cup of coffee! That's very possibly my opinion because I don't actually like coffee, so I add a gallon of cream and a pound of sugar to it on the odd occasion I drink it--and the alcohol is definitely an improvement--so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Rachel does like coffee and she liked both drinks.

I seriously don't like microwaved bacon. In fact, I would rather not eat bacon than have microwaved bacon (well, that's not totally true, but I won't eat the volume I would normally eat of bacon cooked other methods). Regardless, I had to make TJOC's Microwaved bacon (p. 509)

We laid our bacon on a whole pile of napkins:



We covered it so it didn't splatter all over and microwaved the bacon:



Eventually it was done.



Microwaved bacon never gets acceptably crisp for me. I like crisp bacon. It's probably fine if you don't or if you are going to crumble it in other dishes, but I find that making it's bed of napkins and checking it constantly annoying. I would rather just pop it in the oven.

Random fun facts:

• In the US, bacon refers to cured and smoked pork belly. This can vary in other parts of the world (personal knowledge)
• Bacon has moved from a breakfast food to a condiment in the last fifteen years. The belly is now often the most valuable cut of a pig (personal knowledge)
• The inventor of the decaffeination process, Ludwig Roselius, was convinced excessive caffeine intake killed his father (The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, p. 137)