On last night's episode of Top Chef, judge Tom Colicchio arrived at a Chicago Bears game wearing a Bears jersey, a scarf, and a beret. Honestly, it doesn't get more Top Chef than that. The show loves to engage with people and local foods of the cities where it tapes, but in the end its really just about whose pineapple is grilled to perfection and whose liver coconut slaw (don't worry -- not a real dish) doesn't have enough seasoning. You can't help but love it.
Obviously, I knew that you could order semi-prepared foods and have them delivered to home from a variety of sources, whether that's getting steaks from Omaha Steaks or a Crab Boil in a Box. However, I have never seen Korean food, particularly galbee until I spied it in this season's Dean & Deluca catalog!
Sure, I know there are online sources for ordering various Korean and other Asian foods like kimchee, tofu, and I am sure that they will send marinated galbee, bulgogi and other Korean BBQ meats. I just found it amusing that Korean galbee was popular enough to be included as part of a package from Dean & Deluca called the Rib Feast in which the other ribs are all American ribs - St. Louis, Country Spareribs, and Beef Ribs.
Non-U.S. TV commercials often make me howl with laughter. The latest spot from Canada's Boston Pizza sounds equally hilarious from the description I just read in Nation's Restaurant News. Unfortunately I couldn't find a clip of it anywhere.
Here's how it goes. The voiceover says that the Clarks have gargantuan hands. Soon we see that such appendages aren't exactly, um, handy. Mr. Clark slams his grotesque finger with a hammer as he tries to put together a birdhouse and Mrs. Clark can't seem to put in her contact lens. And poor junior can't put any of his hard-earned coins into his piggy bank.
The solution for their woes is of course heading to Boston Pizza where those hands prove to be more useful. While noone would blame you for thinking that spot shows them eating pizza with their gigantic mitts, that's not the case. Seems their oversized meathooks prove perfect for holding a full rack of ribs.
And just what are ribs doing in a place named Boston Pizza? I'm not sure, but my meat-and-fire-loving alter ego, Joey Deckle, wouldn't set foot in such a place with 10-foot hands.
We've already featured a book by Steve Raichlen about how to grill, which covers all the basics you need to know about grilling, but Raichlen's newest book covers everything you need to know about grilling ribs. Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs is all about what Raichlen describes as "the most perfect morsel of meat known to man." To make sure everyone can appreciate this truth, he cooks every kind of rib in just about every way you can imagine, with 75 recipes that utilize techniques like direct grilling and spit-roasting and flavors from all over the world. His meticulous, easy-to-follow style ensures that recipes like "First-Timer's Ribs" and "The One Rib Recipe Everyone Should Know" are guaranteed success. And that's saying something, since ribs are not always the easiest piece of meat to cook well.
In addition to the meats, which range from pork ribs to fish ribs, there are also celery ribs (for vegetarians) and banana, uh, "ribs" to wrap up a meaty meal.
The name Steaks, Chops, Roasts & Ribsjust about says it all when it comes to this cookbook. It's a book from the editors of Cook's Illustrated and, true to form, it is a book that cuts right through any fluff and tells you what you want - and need - to know about cooking these cuts of meat. The detailed instructions will walk you through buying, prepping and cooking meat, even if it's your first time, and they will shed light on questions that plague even experienced cooks, such as how long and appropriate resting time is and which type of cut is the best for pan-searing. The recipes have been tested until they are virtually fool-proof, a standard that Cook's Illustrated's exhaustive recipe testing strives to guarantee. There are no show-stopping illustrations and, though some variety is given, you would do best to look into one of their other cookbooks to diversify your cooking; there is no question that this is a great primer on meats that will allow you to cook any cut with confidence.
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.
Slow cookers are one of the most useful appliances you can have in your kitchen, even more so if
you don't enjoy cooking or you have a busy schedule that keeps you running around and not working over the stove. You
can toss together a soup or meat dish in the morning in about five minutes and when you return from work in the
evening, you'll have a hot, home cooked meal waiting for you. In addition, everything cooks together, which means that
you'll only have one pot to clean. Some recipes will call for the meat (or even vegetables) to be browned before adding
them in, but this is almost never really necessary.
Slow cookers cook foods for long periods of time at low temperatures. Modern slow cookers often have an automatic
shutoff or a super-low "warm" setting that will protect both your food and your home when you are not around
to watch, so they are safe to use any time, unlike the stove or the oven. They are ideal for cooking lean
or inexpensive pieces of meat because they trap juice and steam as they cook the meat, allowing the meat to become
moist and tender, preventing it from shrinking or toughening. The long, slow cooking process also allows flavors to
meld and blend, making it an ideal way to cook soups and stews, too.