For Valaree

Well, the latter half of the month of July and the first half of August came and went, and nary a post was to be had. Thank goodness for Lindsay breaking our dry spell and posting last week about ribs; now, we’re out of excuses.

But while I’m on the topic of excuses, allow me to share mine. My friend Sally put it perfectly when she said this summer I’m currently living my own version of Four Weddings and a Funeral, although, to be frank, if I could give it my own title it would be Six Weddings and a Non-traditional Memorial Service. Kyle and I were the first to get married in our group of friends, and last year ours was the only one we attended. 




The Sutherlands



A few months after we said “I do,” our friends started dropping off the singles scene quicker than a pack of summer bees dipping too close to a pool and ultimately falling in. And here we are. Over the last three months, we’ve been up and down the state of California, with each celebration unique in its own way, and differing from others in ways greater than the fact that there was a new bride and groom each time. A mini-montage of photos devoted to each couple seemed appropriate:



The Brewers



The Barcelonas



The Piersons



The McNeices



(Yes, I realize this is only 4 weddings... There are still 2 to come!)

Sadly though, it’s not the weddings I plan on speaking of today, although they were all lovely in their own right. My best friend’s mom, Valaree, died on July 9th unexpectedly, and I felt it only appropriate to devote a post to her. Why? This woman lived for cooking, eating and feeding as much as I do, and dare I say I owe a bit of my personal zest to her?

The thing I love about food, and I realize I’ve mentioned this before, is that it has an uncanny way of bringing people together. Food truly is about family and life and love because it nourishes. Valaree had a natural way in the kitchen, and she was one of the first people to demonstrate to me that going the extra mile, whether it be with ingredients, prep work or time needed to prepare a delicious feast, really does make all the difference. If you cook with love, your food is going to taste better. It’s common sense, really.

Honestly, there were many specialties I would gladly race over to her house for, and I could talk about her Caesar salad or her Greek shrimp and rigatoni (probably for hours), but it’s her salsa I feel obliged to share.

Valaree knew how much I loved her tacos and always extended an invitation to me if she was whipping up a batch. Brittany (my best friend) would call me up, and about 20 minutes later, I would arrive at their house panting and drooling with pupils dilated. The tacos themselves were pretty basic aside from the salsa, which itself is simple being made up of only five ingredients. One of the ingredients, however, was secret, and I like to think that Val would be ok with me sharing it with you today: it was beer. Dark Mexican beer, actually.

The beer has a way of not only infusing itself into the flavor of the rest, but also highlighting each ingredient on its own. I would be lying if I said I couldn’t polish off an entire bowl of this stuff. In one sitting. With just a spoon and a smile.

The salsa always tasted better in the summertime because, well, tomatoes are in season. Thus, I felt it only right to spend a ridiculous amount of money on some amazing heirloom tomatoes to honor Valaree and her dish. I would like to mention I would not have spent $9 on them (to my husband, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry… Yes, I realize we’re on a budget!), but we live in an apartment and are not able to grow our own.

These tomatoes made me groan with delight and they made it my best batch of her salsa yet (I say my best batch because I’ve never been able to make it taste quite as good as she could).

So please, celebrate one of the best fruits of summer and the life of a passionate woman all at once. Think of Valaree, make some salsa and have a taco. I’m sure she’d want you to.

Happy Eating,

Elizabeth

Valaree’s Salsa

10 roma tomatoes, chopped (any tomato will do if amount is comparable)

½ cup cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup dark Mexican beer (Dos Equis is delicious, but Negro Modelo is good also)

¼ teaspoon sugar

½ cup red onion, chopped

Juice of one lime

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients. Let sit it in the fridge for a couple of hours to really help the flavors blend.

Valaree’s tacos

Corn tortillas, fried until crispy

Ground beef cooked with garlic and a little salt and pepper

Valaree’s salsa

Guacamole (to make guacamole, combine mashed avocado, pressed garlic and salsa)

Shredded cheese (cheddar and jack are excellent)

Shredded lettuce

Ketchup

Assemble tacos with tortilla on bottom and other fixings inside. Top with a couple dabs of ketchup.*

* Really? Ketchup? Yes, really. It sounds disgusting, I agree with you, but it adds just a hint of sweetness and is scrumptious. I cannot vouch for the fact with all tacos, however.



My well-used copy of the recipe Valaree once wrote for me.



Mmmm... Ribs!

There are some foods that you always have a hankering for. It varies person to person, as many crave chocolate, French fries, or pizza. Or if you are me (and Pat) you die for finger lickin’ good ribs.  Even though this summer has been unseasonably cool (even for San Francisco), I still feel the need for a good ol’ backyard barbeque.  But what to cook?  Burgers are always a crowd pleaser, fish tacos are fun… but there is nothing quite like ribs that are tender and falling off the bone.  

My friend Pat had been requesting we make ribs for months, but I never really felt quite confident enough in my barbequing skills to make ribs good enough to impress.  It was when I was discussing methods of barbequing with my friend Nat when I realized that this grill master would be the perfect companion to show me the way to the perfect rib.

Nat has a wealth of knowledge about grilling, and offered me a slew of recipes to choose from. After comparing various methods, I could not decide which to choose. And thus, the rib-off was born.  It came in the form of a goodbye party for a friend.  Nat and I decided to make two types of ribs, and have the crowd decide which they favored.  Nat’s ribs are no walk in the park, but the end certainly justifies the means. Both begin with the same rub, but the grilling methods are very unique from each other. Nat smokes his ribs for hours on a charcoal grill, whereas rib recipe #2 are steamed cooked on a gas grill. When the votes came in, most people preferred Nat’s ribs to the competition.  I was in agreeance for their juicy, smoky meat that was falling off the bone.

I recommend starting by first making the rub recipe. Then, rub the rub on the ribs and set aside in the refrigerator to let the flavors penetrate. Then begin to prepare the grill, and continue to follow the directions.

Just a couple of tips before you begin the journey: (1) It will take all day, so begin early in the morning to avoid eating at 11 o’clock at night. (2) Read all of the directions before you get started—there are a lot of steps. (3) Equip yourself with a lot of foil. You may even need a whole roll to make the ribs successfully. (4) You need a basting brush or large paint brush. We like this one, as can be thrown in the dishwasher and it is easier to clean. You also need a spray bottle. (5) If you do not have a table/tray attached to grill, set up a table next to it or nearby. (6) In terms of ingredients, exact amounts and quantities don't matter. Trust your judgement and cook without limits!

Happy Eating,
Lindsay

Nat’s Rub

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup non-iodized table salt*

1/8 cup brown sugar, dried*

4 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon onion powder


Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well.

*Brown sugar can be dried by leaving it on a baking sheet for a few hours or throwing it in a warm oven.  
*Nat recommends starting with 1/2 the salt and add more to taste.  

To build a charcoal fire:


I pretty much knew what I was getting myself into when I was emailed this illustration of  "the plan." It actually does a pretty good job of visually mapping out what to build. This particular process is what you use to steam the ribs, and is the technique Nat uses for his ribs.

To begin, make sure that the grate is flat in the bottom of the grill. Laying 2 or 3 fire bricks up on their side (available at most hardware stores), section off half of the grill.  Fill one half of the grill with a layer of unlit charcoal so that it fills the grill about halfway. Top with 5 or 6 fist sized wood chips, such as oak, cedar or applewood.

Next, prepare the bbq chimney. Roll five sheets of newspaper longways, and coil them on the out edges of the bottom of the chimney, making sure to keep the center of the chimney clear.

Set the chimney upright and fill with coals. Put the chimney in the empty side of the grill, and light the newspaper with a long match or lighter.  

Once you see the white ash forming on the coals at the top of the chimney, dump the hot coals on top of unlit charcoal and wood chips in the grill.  Fill a small aluminum pan with cool water and place this on the bottom grate opposite the charcoal. Put the top grate on top of the coals and the top on the grill so that it may heat up.  This method of lighting the coals on the top is called the Minion Method.  The coals on top will slowly ignite those below them and allow for a long, uninterrupted cook time.  (Ribs can be added right away at this point).

Nat's Ribs

An easy way to remember his method is to call it the 3-2-1 method (smoke three hours, steam for 2, finish in sauce for one). 

3 or 4 racks of pork ribs

Rub recipe

Jug of apple juice

Bbq sauce*

An entire roll of foil

Spray bottle

Pat dry the each side of the ribs with a paper towel. Check ribs to see if there is an extra membrane, which is a tough clear layer running over the bones along the bottom of the ribs. Do this by running a butter knife under the membrane to loosen it, starting at the end of one of the bones. If there is an extra layer, it will lift so that you can pull it off in strips. If it is too slippery to grip, try using a paper towel to properly grasp it. Cut the rack of ribs in halves or thirds so as to fit on your grill. Sprinkle each side of the ribs generously with the rub. As the ribs cook, their juices will run off a lot of the rub, so do not be afraid of being heavy handed.  Refrigerate ribs until ready to grill.

If you have a rib rack, using one to cook the ribs will yield the best results. Otherwise, lay each rib rib-side down on the grill, layering slightly if need be. Cover with lid. In order to let the ribs slowly smoke, the grill should always be kept between 250 and 300 degrees. To lower the temperature, you need to reduce the amount of oxygen getting inside the grill. To raise temperature, open vents to let more oxygen in. Keeping an eye on the temperature, let the ribs smoke for 3 hours.

The next step is to steam the ribs in individual packets, working one set at a time.  Tear off pieces big enough to completely wrap each rib--enough for each set of ribs.  Stack foil in a pile on top of each other to work most efficiently. Set one rib down on a piece of foil. Spray generously with apple juice, and securely wrap in the foil. Set aside and continue to spray and wrap each rib.  Once all ribs are wrapped, place all of the packets back on the grill, continuing to maintain the 250-300 degree temperature. Let steam in grill for 2 hours. (If you need to stack the packets, there is no need to rotate.)

Pull apart one packet to check and see if done. The meat should be pulled down about an inch from the top of the bone; when pulling two bones apart, you should feel the meat resist slightly before tearing away. 

If done, take all of the ribs packets off of the grill. Prepare a bowl of the bbq sauce to set next to grill. As you unwrap each rib, use a basting brush paint each side with bbq sauce. Place each sauced rib back on the grill, and let cook for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from grill, let cool 5 minutes, and serve!

*We used Sweet Baby Ray's, but any barbecue sauce of your choice is acceptable.

Nat's smoked ribs are on bottom, Matt's steamed/boiled on bottom.

Matt's Ribs

3 racks of ribs

Rib rub

6-pack of beer* 

2 onions, roughly chopped

Handful of fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stems

5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Aluminum roasting pan

Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 350-400 degrees (medium-high heat).

Pat dry the each side of the ribs. Check ribs to see if there is an extra membrane, which is a tough clear layer running over the bones along the bottom of the ribs. Do this by running a butter knife under the membrane to loosen it, starting at the end of one of the bones. If there is an extra layer, it will lift so that you can pull it off in strips. If it is too slippery to grip, try using a paper towel to properly grasp it. Cut the rack of ribs in halves or thirds so as to fit on your grill. Sprinkle each side of the ribs generously with the rub. As the ribs cook, their juices will run off a lot of the rub, so do not be afraid of being heavy handed.

Place the ribs into the roasting pan. Cover with the onions, rosemary and garlic.  Pour enough beer into the pan to fully cover the ribs.  Cover with foil, leaving a small opening in the side to let out steam as the ribs cook.  Put the roasting pan on the grill, and cover the grill. Leave to cook for 1-1.5 hours. 

After 1-1.5 hours, take the pan off grill.  One rack at a time, take out of cooking liquid. Brush both sides with bbq sauce and put on grill. Repeat with remaining ribs. Cook on grill over high heat for 5-10 minutes. Remove from grill, let cool 5 minutes, and serve!

*Although we used what we had on hand, I highly recommend using a good quality beer. As with cooking with wine, make sure it is a beer you would drink. Anchor Steam is a good choice.