"baby back ribs" news and stories

Chili's, Photo: TheTruthAbout..., Flickr.

Just when you finally got that jingle out of your head. ...

Chili's Grill & Bar is reviving the old "I Want My Baby Back" ad campaign in an attempt to revive the chain's declining sales over the past year.

Along with the return of the deep-voiced chorus, the restaurant is emphasizing the "Welcome to Chili's!" front-door greeting by staff and changing the way it prepares its burgers and ribs. Rather than using the old mesquite flavoring, the ribs will be slow-smoked over pecan woodchips and the previously pre-formed hamburger patties will be hand-pressed on site. The ribs will be the same price, but the burgers will cost slightly more.

"In conjunction with bringing these new ribs and burgers in, we thought it would be appropriate to bring back the jingle." Danielle Smith, a Brinker International Inc. spokeswoman, told Slashfood. "To get the fans interested again because the jingle is iconic."

In an effort to meet growing consumer demands for smaller portions at casual dining restaurants, T.G.I. Friday's has announced the inception of their new 'Right Portion, Right Price' menu. The items will be sold at a reduced price all day, every day, rather than just at select times or for select people, like how Seniors menus currently are.

On the new menu they have introduced six new entrees which will fall between $6.99 and $8.99, including such dishes as Asian-Glazed Chicken with Field Greens, Half-Rack Baby Back Ribs, and Bistro Sirloin Salad. Two of their menu items - Dragonfire Chicken and Shrimp Key West, also fall into their 'Better For You' category, which contains items that total 500 calories or less and have less than 10 grams of fat per serving.

After hearing about the extreme eating debate recently, I'm hoping more restaurants adopt this plan, especially for those of us who find it hard to finish a large plate of food and don't want to simply order a salad every time we go out.

Source

I think that ribs are best when they are falling apart and so tender that you almost need a spoon to eat them. I know that many people prefer ribs that have some chew to them, but I never liked the feeling that I was gnawing at a bone. For me, meltingly soft meat is the way to go. A slow cooker is the perfect way to achieve this outstanding texture because it keeps the meat perfectly juicy as it cooks at a low heat. All you need to do is buy some baby back ribs, cut each slab in half to make sure they fit in your cooker and peel off the silverskin (silvery white connective tissue on the underside of the ribs). Then, simply layer the ribs with barbeque sauce and set the timer. I use 3-4 pounds of baby back ribs in my 5-quart slow cooker, though it could easily hold more. Refer to your manual for the exact capacity. I cook them on high for about 5 hours or low for 6-8. Towards the end of the cooking time, it is best to test them with a fork just to be certain the meat is done.

You can use any barbeque sauce for a recipe like this one. The homemade sauce recipe below has a nice tang to it and it goes very well with pork. I like to use dry spices in barbeque sauces because they’re always on hand and they flavors meld well as the sauce cooks.