Beef ribs are big, meaty and perfect for grilling.
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the house and into the summer air.
ANNABEL COHEN
Special to the Jewish News
I
f you're looking for something alittle different to
grill this season, go for the ribs.
To me, beef ribs look like something out of
The Flintstones. I always think of Fred Flintstone
eating those enormous ribs at the drive-in as the open-
ing theme song plays. Fred can keep his tyrannosaurus
treat; you'll find beef ribs to be big, meaty and perfect
for summer grilling. Their exaggerated size make ribs
fun, and messy, to eat.
Beef ribs seem to intimidate many people, but don't
be. Here's how to get started. First, make friends with
your butcher. Order the ribs uncut — that is, not split
down the middle (horizontally) as they often are pre-
cut. Have your butcher remove the outer layer of
membrane (under the ribs, not the meaty side), or
remove it yourself. Start at one end of the rack and use
a sharp knife to lift a portion of the membrane. Then,
simply pull off the remaining membrane (like a piece
of Scotch tape) from the ribs. It takes about one
minute to do this. Then proceed with your recipe.
While some like to partially cook ribs before grilling
or barbecuing to cut the cooking time, the recipe
below skips this step for ease and better flavor. The
thing to remember, though, is that beef ribs are tough.
They need a longer cooking time for tenderness.
Though you can adapt this recipe for short ribs, the
longer and more visually stimulating beef ribs are so
much more fun.
Another plus when cooking beef ribs is that you can
make them in advance. Keep them warm in the oven
while you prepare the rest of this meal, including
herbed new potato kebabs. A lively Asian salad of Napa
cabbage flavored with lots of cilantro, and a fresh, sim-
ple summer berry pie round out menu.
Eating beef ribs en masse is a bonding experience.
After you've shared the experience of sticky fingers and
barbecue sauce from ear to ear, you're forever closer to
your dinner compatriots. Remember to keep plenty of
moist Towelettes or napkins at the ready. You and your
lucky fellow eaters will be shouting "Yabba-dabba-
door before the meal is through.
BARBECUED BEEF RIBS
10 pounds beef rib racks (about 24 meaty ribs)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups chili sauce
2 T. vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. ground cumin
2 t. dried mustard powder
1 t. .dried thyme
1/2-1-t. cayenne pepper
Heat grill to medium-low, since the ribs must be
cooked very slowly for the first hour. Sprinkle the ribs
with salt and pepper to taste. With the grill hood down,
g rill the rib racks, meaty sides up, for 1 1/2 hours, turn-
ing every 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients and
whisk well. Brush the ribs lightly with the sauce and
continue to grill the ribs for 1 hour or more, turning
occasionally and brushing with more sauce, until the
ribs are tender.
Remove the ribs from the grill, and let stand for a few
minutes before slicing into individual ribs. Makes 6-8
servings.
GRIT J ED HERBED NEW POTATO KEBABS
The potatoes must be small or these kebabs will take
foreveer to cook. If you can find only large potatoes,
halve or quarter them first.
8-10 bamboo skewers
32 small, unpeeled, red-skinned potatoes, uncut
(fewer, if using larger potatoes)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 T. dried parsley
2 t dried dill
1 t oregano
2 t. dried rosemary
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black ground pepper
1 T. granulated garlic
Soak the skewers for 2 hours or more in a dish of
water.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the whole pota-
toes (if you're using large potatoes, cut them in half or
quarters first). Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes and
drain well. Skewer the potatoes on long (10-inch or
longer) skewers, about 3-4 potatoes on each one.
Heat grill to medium. Combine the remaining ingre-
dients in a bowl and whisk well. Place the potato kebabs
on the grill and brush them lightly with the olive oil
mixture. Cook the kebabs, turning occasionally, and
brushing with the herbed oil, until they're cooked
through, about 30-40 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at
room temperature. Makes 8 servings.
ASIAN CABBAGE SLAW WITH GINGER-
PEANUT DRESSING
Sala&
2 pounds Napa or Chinese cabbage (1 meditun
head)
2 cups Chinese peapods or snow peas
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews
1 cup small diced celery
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 T. minced ginger
5/31
2002
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