Oven-Baked Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

 Fall-off-the-bone tender ribs, slathered with a spicy homemade barbecue sauce, are irresistible. I wanted to cook these babies on the grill last week, but a thunderstorm forced me to cook them indoors in my oven. Sigh~
I had 2 racks of ribs I wanted to cook, but when it started raining, I put 1 rack in the freezer to save for another time. I don't have a dry place to grill when it is stormy. But ribs cooked in the oven are certainly very tasty too. The color is off in my photos, as the sun came out again when it was time to take pictures, so I took them out on my front porch. For some reason, the ribs look almost black, but they were not.

 I use a rub and sprinkle it all over the ribs, cover with plastic wrap, and keep in the refrigerator for a few hours. This time I prepared them in the morning, and cooked them later in the afternoon, for about 3 hours total. Barbecue sauce is applied the last 30-45 minutes of cooking to ensure a spicy, sticky glaze. Baby back ribs are delicious prepared this way, they just won't have the fresh smoked flavor of the outdoor grill. We still love them though. Easy to prepare, you will need about 2 1/2 - 3 hours cooking time. 

Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs
From Lynda's Recipe Box

1 or 2 racks of Baby Back ribs
about 1 tablespoon rub, either your own mix, or a purchased rub-recipe below)
liquid smoke-about 2 teaspoons
Barbecue sauce- I used this homemade version

Directions:
1. Rinse the ribs with cold water. Dry them well with paper towels.

2. Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. To do that, loosen the membrane at one corner with a paring knife. Using a paper towel, or a kitchen towel, take hold of the membrane and slowly pull it off. For a picture, go here. Rub a little liquid smoke over the ribs. Sprinkle the ribs with the rub. Place on a baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge for 8 to 24 hours. ( I have skipped this step before, and cooked the ribs right away, and you will still have really tender ribs. But waiting longer gives the rub flavors longer to penetrate the meat.)

3. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from the ribs, and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place ribs fat side up on baking pan. Cover pan well with aluminum foil, or wrap the ribs in foil, either way. Place baking pan with ribs into the oven and bake for
 2-2 1/2 hours.

4. Remove the ribs from the oven. Pull back the foil and insert a paring knife between the bones into the thickest piece of meat. If the knife goes in easily and the meat feels tender, then the ribs are ready for the BBQ sauce. If the ribs need more cooking time, cover with the foil and cook for 30 more minutes.

5. When done, remove the ribs from the oven. Pour off any accumulated juices. Brush BBQ sauce liberally all over the ribs. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place ribs back in oven, uncovered. Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning the ribs over once, until the sauce is sticky. Baste again if desired and remove from oven. Let ribs rest about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

For an easy rub, I mixed together 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Or use a purchased rub, if desired.

Tangy Glazed Pork Loin

 I love a good pork loin roast. If done properly, it will be very moist and tender, and with this wonderful glaze it will become heaven on a plate!  My husband and I practically licked our plates clean with this roast. The glaze is made with vinegar, soy sauce and sugar, so it's rich, sweet and tangy. The sage and garlic from the rub add wonderful flavor also.
My pictures don't do it justice, as the day was so dark and stormy, so there was not good light anywhere. But the taste was fantastic and that's what matters. This Tangy Glazed Pork Loin is a company worthy roast dinner.

 I found the recipe from Kay at the Church Cook. I don't know if you have visited her blog, but she cooks huge quantities of food for her church family, but usually gives the recipe for family size meals too. Her pictures and recipes are drool-worthy. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. I think you'll really like it!

Tangy Glazed Pork Loin
From Kay @ The Church Cook
Recipe from Ann Voskamp's book, The Spirit of Food
(I have not read this book)
NOTE: The recipe was for a 5 pound roast, but I used a small 2 1/4 pound roast for just my husband and I. Therefore I halved the recipe.

Ingredients:
For roast and rub-
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
about a 2 1/2 pound pork loin roast, trimmed of any silver skin or tough membrane

Glaze ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar - I used white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Let roast come almost to room temperature before roasting. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place roast in a roasting pan. Mix rub ingredients together and sprinkle or rub all over the roast. Place pork loin in the oven and roast uncovered. About 30 minutes before the roast is done, you will baste it with the glaze several times. My small roast was done in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the roast cooks to  at least 145 degrees F. Mine went to 150, or a tad more, which was perfect for us.

To make glaze:
Stir together glaze ingredients in a sauce pan. Cook over low heat stirring until it thickens, remove from heat. Baste roast with glaze several times during the last 30 minutes of baking.
When done, remove pork loin from oven and tent loosely with foil. Let the meat rest about 15-30 minutes, before cutting into it. If using a much larger roast, let it rest longer.  Add some more glaze before carving. Enjoy!

Try my other pork roasts!
Orange-Glazed Pork Loin Roast
Adobo-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Aspargus, Ham and Fried Egg Stacks for Brunch

 I have news today. I have purchased my own domain so I am now Lynda's Recipe Box dot com! I had thought about it for awhile and am glad I did it. Those of you who have subscribed to my site should not have any trouble recieving my posts, according to Google, but if you do, let me know.
Now to the food. Boy was this small meal delicious. I've made it for breakfast and for dinner lately when I was alone for a meal. My husband hasn't been interested so far, but that just leaves more for me! So easy to put together and it tastes fantastic. My egg looks rather bad because I spooned hot butter over the top of it when it was cooking. I wasn't thinking how it would look in pictures, but trust me it tasted great. I'd been lazy making breakfast lately, giving in to a bowl of cold cereal for several weeks. I guess I finally got hungry for a good morning meal again after reading Larry's breakfast posts. I've been looking for different ways to prepare asparagus when I came across this idea. It was love at first bite. It will be my lunch tomorrow also. I hope you'll give this Asparagus, Ham and Fried Egg Stack a try.

Asparagus, Ham and Fried Egg Stacks
from Lynda's Recipe Box- the idea came from here

No recipe needed really. I put about an inch of water in a skillet and brought it to a boil. Cook the asparagus in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes, until crisp tender, then drain. In a skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon butter and lightly brown ham. Remove ham, reduce heat and add 1 egg to skillet. I cooked it sunny side up so the yolk would be runny and I think that's the best way, but cook it anyway you wish. Place ham on plate and stack with the asparagus and egg. Salt and pepper to taste. I'm sure you can tell I like pepper. Enjoy this meal any time of day!
What are some of your favorite ways to prepare asparagus?

Bacon and Brown Sugar Wrapped Smokies

Do you need an appetizer idea for the football games this weekend? I made these over New Years and had trouble getting a picture because family members were getting impatient to get some. Sausages, bacon and brown sugar- what's not to love. While they aren't going to be the healthiest appetizer, they definitely will be devoured as they are very addictive. We couldn't stay out of them! Here's the recipe.

Bacon and Brown Sugar Wrapped Lil Smokies

1 package Lil Smokies sausages, beef or pork - I used Hillshire Farms Beef sausages
bacon slices, cut into thirds
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
toothpicks

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut your bacon slices into 3 equal portions. Wrap each sausage with a piece of bacon and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sausage and bacon. Scatter the brown sugar over the sausages. I made sure there was a little heap of brown sugar on each one. Place into the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the whole pan of sausages is bubbly. Remove pan from oven. Place a toothpick in each sausage and place appetizers on a serving tray. These will delicious either hot or room temperature. Enjoy!
NOTE: Most recipes I've seen for these say to put toothpicks in the sausages before baking, but they get very messy, so I tried waiting until after they were baked and the sausages did just fine.

Sauteed Pork Chops with Caramalized Onions and Balsamic Vinegar

Thank you for the comments and prayers for our tornado ravaged area this week. Clean up in Joplin is going to take such a long time but we are amazed at all of the volunteers that have come from all over to help out. There's been so many tragic stories that we heard, but also some with happy endings. I will share some of them soon. One thing is for sure, people have really pulled together to get things done.

And now, something delicious to eat! Pork chops are a wonderful meat to have on a weeknight, and if you add caramelized onions that have been drenched in Balsamic vinegar, you've got a delicious entree fit for any occasion. I made these tasty chops last week and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. My husband however decided that he's not overly fond of balsamic vinegar, but he ate them anyway. I will make these again and just keep the onions for myself! The chops were tender and moist since I used bone-in chops and the addition of the onions and balsamic was was different and delicious. I hope you'll give these a try!

Sauteed Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions and Balsamic Vinegar
adapted from Fine Cooking

2 bone-in pork chops about 1 inch thick
1/2 of a very large onion- I used a Vidalia onion
2-3 tablespoons oil
about 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Dry pork chops with paper towels and score the fat in about 3 different places (see note). Then season both sides with salt and pepper.
Thinly slice the onion and add to the heated skillet. If the onions brown too fast or begin to burn, turn down the heat. It should take about 15-20 minutes for them to caramelize. Remove the onions to a bowl.
Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and add the pork chops. Cook until brown and flip over. I used a paring knife and cut close to the bone to check doneness. If tit looks red, the meat is not done. These took about 4 minutes per side. Remove chops to a plat and tent with foil. Add the onions back to the skillet and pour the balsamic vinegar over them. Stir until incorporated with the onions and vinegar is slightly reduced.
Plate the pork chops and top with the balsamic onions. These are wonderful served with mashed potatoes, rice, or some Oven Roasted Potatoes with Herbs. Enjoy!

NOTE: When bone-in chops cook, the fat around the edge will draw up and the chops will not lay flat during cooking. To remedy this, I always cut through the fat in about 3 places with a paring knife. Just cut though barely, and the chops will lay perfectly flat whether you are pan searing or grilling and the meat will brown evenly.

Slow Cooker Ham with Brown Sugar and Pineapple

I've been experimenting again. Sometimes I think I have such a great idea and I won't quit thinking about it until I just follow through with it. Sometimes it turns out well, sometimes not. This method turned out very good! We loved the ham cooked this way.
I decided to try cooking a ham in my crock pot, thinking it would make an occasional Sunday dinner a bit easier. I don't want to be sitting in church and wondering if the ham in my oven is burning, so thus the crock pot reasoning. If I cook Easter dinner this year, I want it to be easy. I want a great meal, and I want my day of rest too! Ha Ha!
Technically, the crock pot did work. I knew that other people use it for ham, but I hadn't tried it. Also, I love an orange glaze on ham, but decided to try pineapple this time. I had the idea of using crushed pineapple, so I poured a can of it over the ham, added some brown sugar, (I wanted to add some maple syrup but was out), and let it cook away. Son number 1 stopped by to pick up my little granddaughter, and couldn't resist carving himself a hunk of ham. He declared that it had great flavor. Really great flavor.
My husband and daughter said it was good also. Me? I have to admit that the combination of the brown sugar and pineapple was delicious. It cut through the saltiness of the ham quite nicely. Here's the experiment; I thought I'd try cooking down the juices and the crushed pineapple to use as a chunky sauce. It was very rich, way too rich, and it was hard to skim all the fat off of the chunky pineapple broth. I won't try that again. The next time, I'll just cook the ham in the pineapple and brown sugar, and leave it at that. The ham was very flavorful and it was so easy. I will not thicken the sauce next time. So, using the slowcooker did work for me, I just need to tweak my method some. Here's what I did this time. I'll update this post when I am completly satisfied with the outcome. UPDATE: 3-23-12- we still love the ham cooked this way. Don't mess with making a sauce, but you can spoon the pineapple over the sliced ham if desired, but it really doesn't need it.

Slow Cooker Ham with Brown Sugar, Pineapple Sauce
 1 6-9 pound ham- I used a fully cooked Pork Shoulder Picnick Ham half
 1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in unsweetened juice, or 2 cups of pineapple juice
 1/2 cup packed, light brown sugar

Place the ham in slowcooker cut side down. Pour the can of crushed pineapple over it along with the brown surgar. Cook covered for about3-4 hours on high, or 5-6 hours on low.  Since I used a fully cooked ham it mostly just needed to be heated, but I like it cooked a bit longer for tenderness. Just don't overcook or it will be dry. Here's how I made the too rich sauce;  pour it into a sauce pan and let set untill the fat separates and rises to the top. Carefully skim all the fat off the pineapple mixture and discard. Bring the mixture to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until it is reduced and somewhat thickened. Serve along side the ham. So, the results of my experiement? I will use my slow cooker for ham again. But don't thicken the sauce. So, cook your ham in the slowcooker with brown sugar and pineapple. It will be delicious. But don't make my sauce!
Have you tried using the slow cooker for ham and were you happy with the results? I could use some ideas!

NOTE: If you don't use a fully cooked ham, cooking time will be longer. Also, make sure the ham you buy will fit into your slowcooker.

Skillet Lasagna

I needed a quick, hearty and tasty meal last night. My husband had been shoveling snow a big part of the day, and I had helped some also, so I wanted something easy to prepare. I had been wanting to make Skillet Lasagna for a while, and I had most of the ingredients needed. The original recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, so I was reasonably sure it would be good. It was; this lasagna has a wonderful Italian flavor! The whole dish is assembled and cooked in a large skillet and ready to eat in 30-40 minutes, depending on how fast you are. All the flavor of a delicious lasagna, but this dish is so much faster to prepare. The recipe calls for a mix of ground beef and ground pork. I replaced the pork with Italian sausage since I had it on hand. It added great depth of flavor to this dish. You gotta try it! Here's the recipe that I found at Apples and Twinkies.

SKILLET LASAGNA

adapted from Apples and Twinkies and Cook's Illustrated

3 cans (14.5 oz.) whole, peeled tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 medium garlic cloves, pressed- I only used 2

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes- I used a pinch

1/2 pound of ground round beef

1/2 pound ground Italian sausage

10 curly edge lasagna noodles- it is NOT recommended that no-bake noodles be used

1/2 cup (2 ounces) mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

pepper to taste

1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 cup full fat ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Pour the 3 cans of tomatoes into a blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Heat oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet. Add diced onion and salt and cook until softened; stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meats; break up the meat as it cooks. Drain grease from skillet if needed.

Break the lasagna noodles into 2 inch pieces and scatter over the meat in the skillet. Pour the tomatoes over the noodles and sprinkle with the dried basil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (I used a stainless steel skillet, so I stirred the lasagna a couple of times to keep the noodles from sticking).

When done, remove the pan from the burner. Carefully stir the mixture together, taste and add pepper to taste; more salt if needed. Lightly stir in half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheeses over the top. Spoon the ricotta cheese in spoonfuls over the lasagna. Cover skillet with lid and let the cheese melt. I added some chopped fresh parsley also. Serve with some garlic bread and salad if desired. My husband and daughter loved it-it got 2 thumbs up, so I'll be making it again often. Let me know if you give this a try!

Lasagna Rollups - Adapted from Ellie Krieger

I love a good lasagna. With pasta, and a good, flavorful sauce covered in cheese, what's not to love? I finally got around to making Lasagna Rolls and they were wonderful! I made the sauce the day before I wanted to serve this dish, to save time and let the sauce develop even more flavor. To make the rolls, the ricotta and spinach mixture is spread along each lasagna noodle, and then topped with some of the tomato sauce.

Then roll the noodles up and place in a baking pan. I'm not really sure if this is any faster than layering the lasagna, but it's still a great idea. These rolls are so pretty and pack a punch of flavor. The original recipe calls for portobello mushrooms, but my daughter hates mushrooms, so I used some Italian sausage instead. Next time I'll make these when she's not home because I love mushrooms! But, the sausage gave the sauce more flavor, so I was happy. The sauce needed a bit more flavor, but that was easy to remedy. Whether you use mushrooms, or sausage, you'll enjoy this dish! I hope you'll give it a try. Here's the recipe.

LASAGNA ROLLUPS

adapted from Ellie Krieger

Make the sauce first.

Sauce ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

about 8 ounces Italian sausage (original recipe uses 12 ounces diced portobello mushrooms)

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes with juice

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, or, 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh (I used fresh)

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

2 teaspoons sugar- my addition

In a large pot, heat the oil and add the sausage and onion and cook until sausage is done and onion is tender. Add in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about i minute. Add the canned tomatoes, and break apart. I like to use a potato masher to break them up quickly. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes. NOTE: If using fresh oregano, add it to the sauce the last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste, and adjust seasoning.

Other Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles- recipe calls for whole wheat noodles

4 cups Easy Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, or store bought marinara

1 (15) ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 egg, lightly beaten

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of ground nutmeg

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 ounces grated Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain them and spread out onto aluminum foil or waxed paper to prevent them from sticking together.

2. In a bowl, add the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well.

3. Spread 1 cup of sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

4. On each noodle spread about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Top with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture.. Carefully roll up each noodle and place in the baking dish. Spread remaining sauce over the Lasagna Rolls. Top with grated cheeses, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes. Now you have some delicious Lasagna Rolls! Enjoy!

Creole Pork Chops and Spicy Rice - from Da Cajn Critter Cookbook

Several weeks ago, I won the cookbook, da cajn critter, The Lifestyles, The Rules, and Makin' Groceries, from Dave at My Year on the Grill. Dave did a great review of this cookbook and made several recipes which you can read about here. Dave and his wife have now moved to the Vigin Islands, and I'm so jealous! But I was excited to add another cookbook to my collection and I eagerly read it when it arrived. This is a fun cookbook to sit down and go through. Written by Pamela D. Lyles, it is a wonderful book for any home cook that enjoys Southern food. At first, I was disappointed because there are no photos, but the recipes in this book have plenty of directions and are easy to make. This is a collection of her families recipes through the years, and I found some that my family also claims.
There are recipes with the relatives name attached to the dish, such as Aunt Pitty Pat's Blinz Casserole, and Pablo Miller's Caesar Be With You salad. I love it! There are a number of grilling recipes, as well as favorites like Sally Rue's Tuna Casserole. Of course there's also Jambalaya, Boiled Shrimp and Crayfish Boil and lots of other Southern favorites. And there's many great sounding desserts, such as Fruity Coconut Pecan Bread Pudding, and Mom Hinnant's Red Velvet Cake. I started with Creole Pork chops and Spicy Rice, as I need a fairly quick meal for my husband and I one hectic day. This was a delicious meal. The pork chops were very moist and wonderfully seasoned from cooking in the spicy rice. I only made half a recipe, since there was just my husband and I. I will be making it again in a couple of days. The chops are browned in a skillet, and then the rice and rest of the ingredients are added. While it is supposed to cook for 45 minutes or so, mine was done in 30. But that could be because I made half of the recipe. I used less oil than called for, and used cayenne pepper in place of hot red pepper sauce. Also, I used canned tomatoes instead of fresh, because tomatoes right now aren't that great. I hope you'll give this dish a try!

CREOLE PORK CHOPS and SPICY RICE

from da cajn critter, The Lifestyles, The Rules, and The Makin Groceries

4 tablespoons oil, divided - recipe calls for 1/2 cup oil

1 cup uncooked white rice

3 cups canned diced tomatoes - recipe calls for fresh tomatoes

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fleshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper- recipe uses 1/2-1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce.

6 pork chops, cur 1 inch thick- make sure you use thick ones!

salt and pepper for seasoning the pork chops

1/4 cup water- I used more water, about 3/4 cup

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the rice and reduce heat to medium. Saute rice for a minute or so, till golden. Stir constantly. Remove rice to large bowl and stir in the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the hot sauce. Return skillet to burner over high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper; add 2 tables oil to skillet. Brown chops in hot skillet about 3 minutes per side, until brown. Spoon the rice mixture over and around the pork chops. Add the water. Cover pan and simmer for 45-55 minutes until rice is tender. I served this with green beans and rolls. Enjoy this tasty skillet meal!

Red Beans and Rice

A few weeks ago I had a craving for Red Beans and Rice, which is odd considering that I had not made it before, except from a box many years back. So I looked for a recipe on Mary's blog where she has all things southern and Cajun. I was not disappointed as it is so good! I've made Red Beans and Rice twice now, and it has been deliciously spicy and full of flavor. I found that I can handle more pepper than I thought I could. I used a ham bone that I had left over from Christmas, stored in the freezer. This gave a wonderful, smokey flavor to this dish, more so than just using ham pieces. Ham hocks would be a good choice to use also. Here's how I made it;

RED BEANS and RICE

adapted from Deep South Dish

1 ham bone with ham cut off in pieces, or some diced ham, or ham hocks

1 package (14 ounces) Hillshire Farms Beef Sausage

1 pound dried small red beans (store brands were all that I could find)

2 tablespoon oil, or bacon grease

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large stalk celery, diced

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon, or more of cayenne pepper

fresh ground pepper to taste

salt if needed (you'll get lots of salt from the meat)

2 quarts, or more water

cooked rice

1. Sort through the beans and remove any dirt or debris. Place in a soup pot and rinse with water. Drain. Add fresh water to the pot and bring the beans to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and cover. Let set for 1 hour. Drain well.

2. In the soup pot, heat the oil or bacon grease over medium high heat. Add the diced onions, bell pepper, and celery to the pot. Stir and cook until softened. Add the sausage and ham, if using and stir and brown lightly. Stir in the garlic, basil, thyme, cayenne and black pepper. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the drained beans and the water to the pot with the vegetable meat mixture. Add in the ham bone and simmer until done, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until beans are tender. I added the cooked ham the last 30 minutes of cooking. Taste, and add salt if needed. When I used the ham bone and smoked sausage, I did not need any additional salt. Serve over hot cooked rice and a pan of hot, crusty cornbread fresh from the oven. Enjoy!

NOTE: You need to make sure beans do not get too dry while cooking. Add more water if necessary.

The first time I made this, I used less water, but my family wanted more broth, so, this time I have more broth to make them happy.

Quick Rigatoni with Italian Sausage - A Skillet Meal

Our family loves pasta, especially my daughter and I, so I make it almost weekly. I don't always have time to make a sauce that requires a long cooking time. Actually, a quick, light sauce can be just as flavorful as one that has cooked much longer. I have found that putting canned tomatoes in a blender and pulsing a few times, gives you a quick sauce to work with. I learned this trick out of necessity, because my boys would not eat a tomato based sauce that had chunks in it. So I've used the blender to just break up the tomatoes, whole or diced, but not puree them. It really works.

The other evening, I needed a quick meal as I had 5 people to feed, instead of just my daughter and I. So, I turned to this quick pasta dish. This sauce is not a heavy, gravy type that I would use for spaghetti, but is a light sauce that clings well to the pasta. The Italian Sausage adds wonderful spicy flavor to this dish, filling each pasta tube with its goodness. Ground beef could be used instead, but it won't have as much flavor. The only thing I missed was fresh basil, but since my plants are long gone, and my grocery store didn't have any, I had to use dried. Can't wait for gardening weather! Let me show you how to make this delicious skillet dinner.

QUICK RIGATONI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

from Lynda's Recipe Box

12 ounces Rigatoni or other tube pasta - can use Penne

1 pound Italian Sausage, casings removed ( I used mild Italian sausage)

3 cans (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes, pulsed in the blender

NOTE: If you like chunky sauce, don't pulse the tomatoes.

2 tablespoons tomato paste, or 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 onion, diced - about 1 1/2 cups

3 cloves minced garlic

2 1/2 teaspoons dried Basil, or 3-4 tablespoons fresh chopped Basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil, or more if needed

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions. Add salt to the cooking water. When done, drain in a colander and put aside.

While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon, or more of olive oil. Break up the sausage in the skillet with a fork or spatula and let the meat start to brown. Add the onion and stir and let the meat and onion cook together. Lower the heat if the sausage begins to burn. Cook until the onion is soft, then add the minced garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes more. Add in the canned tomatoes that have been pulsed in the blender, and the tomato paste or sauce. Add the Basil, oregano and sugar; mix well and simmer on low heat, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the cooked rigatoni and top with the cheeses. Remove the pan from the hot burner. Place lid back on pan and let it set for 5minutes or so, to let the cheese melt. Serve with salad and a good crusty bread. Enjoy!

The Italian sausage adds so much flavor to this dish that little, if any salt and pepper is needed, in my opinion. But be sure to taste before adding the cheese to adjust the seasonings.

If using fresh herbs, add them at the END of the cooking time for full flavor.

Pulled Pork, Crock Pot Style!

Wow, I certainly didn't intend to not post for a week! Life has been busy, but I have been cooking, although it has been food that I've already posted. Sometimes, I just want comfort food, those dishes I've made for years, that don't have a recipe. That's what I've been doing. And although I've posted Pulled Pork before, it was done on the grill, not the crock pot. I also posted a recipe for Carnitas, using pulled pork, but this time I'm using this pork roast just for sandwiches. How great these are for get togethers like Super Bowl parties! A large roast will feed quite a few people, plus, the pulled pork can be made a day ahead, and then served from the crock pot the day of the big game! Easy! Everyone can serve themselves, which makes it easy

on you. Be sure to use a rub on the roast. Pork cooked by itself will taste, well, just like pork. It needs lots of seasoning in the crock pot to have a great flavor. Make it as spicy as you want. While I normally brown my roasts before placing in the pot, this time I didn't. It was midnight, you see, and I didn't want to stay up one minute later, so I covered this roast in a spicy rub and stuck it in the pot. It cooked all night and when we woke up the following morning, we were welcomed with a most delicious aroma! I shredded this baby, and put it in a pan with some of the juices, and put it in the fridge to keep until dinner that evening. We celebrated my husband's birthday with Pulled Pork, so he was a happy man. Here's what I did;

PULLED PORK, CROCK POT STYLE

from Lynda's Recipe Box

1 pork shoulder or pork butt roast ( I used a 7 pound one)

1 onion, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 1/2- 2 cups of water
1 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, optional

Mix the rub ingredients together. Rinse the roast with water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the rub on the meat and rub it in. If you have time, brown the roast quickly in hot oil in a dutch oven, This step does give some extra flavor to the meat. Place roast in the slow cooker, add 1 1/2 cups of water to the pot and the barbecue sauce, if using. Also, add the chopped onion and fresh garlic at this time. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours until fork tender and roast pulls apart easily. Remove roast and let cool long enough to be able to shred the meat. Remove any fat from the meat. Sometimes, I coarsely chop the shredded meat to make the pieces more uniform. Pour the pan juices into a bowl, and skim any fat off and discard. I like to pour some of the juices, along with the garlic and onion, over the meat to keep it moist while serving. Also, you can freeze some of the meat as long as some cooking liquid is added to keep it from drying out. This tender Pulled Pork will be delicious served alone, or on a bun with some good barbecue sauce. Enjoy!

NOTE: This pork roast can also be done in the oven, in a covered dutch oven. Bake at 325 for 4-5 hours, or until very tender and falling apart.

Of course, cooking it in an outdoor smoker is the best, but I'm a wimp in cold weather!

Homemade Sausage Gravy for Biscuits

About one month ago Son Number 2, bought his first home and moved out. We now just have our daughter at home. Son Number 2, Kyle, needed to do some work to his bathroom floor, so my husband took off work the week after Christmas. How does this relate to Sausage Gravy you might ask? Well, with my husband off work, and both of our sons cutting and laying floor tile, I was busy cooking up a storm for my hungry guys. Forget the diet foods that normally come after the New Year; I made comfort foods and stick-to-your-ribs, type foods for my hard working guys. Thus the Sausage Gravy. This easy dish is perfect for breakfast of course, but also lunch or an evening meal. Served with some creamy scrambled eggs, it's a wonderful meal. Here's how:

First, you need to brown the sausage in a large skillet, breaking the meat apart as it browns. I used Jimmy Dean sausage and there was very little fat in the pan. You can drain the fat off the sausage, if desired. I drain off the extra fat cuz I don't need it. I do not make a roux with this gravy, I just add the flour directly to the meat. The extra fat will not be missed. Trust me.

Just Sprinkle the flour over the meat and then stir it in until there is no flour showing. Continue to stir the sausage and flour for a minute, making sure it does not burn. Pour in part of the milk.

Stir until the gravy thickens, and then add more milk as needed. The gravy does need to cook and thicken a couple of minutes, long enough to cook the flour, and let the gravy thicken to your desired consistency. I usually end up using at least 2 1/2 cups of milk, or more. It's delicious! Sometimes you just need a plateful of Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits smothered in Homemade Sausage Gravy. It really hit the spot for my busy family. Give it a try!

HOMEMADE SAUSAGE GRAVY WITH BISCUITS- (biscuit recipe here)

1 pound of breakfast sausage

3 Tablespoons of flour

2 1/2 cups milk, or more

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet(12 inch), brown the sausage. While it cooks, break the meat apart and turn the meat over as it browns. If the sausage starts to burn, turn the heat down. At this point, I drain off any fat in the skillet if there is any, but you may leave it if you desire.. I'm just for using less fat, if possible! When the sausage is done, sprinkle the flour over the sausage. Stir the flour into the meat and keep stirring for a minute or two, while the flour browns with the sausage. The flour will stick some, so it's important to keep stirring. Now, stir in 1 cup of milk and stir until thickened. It will be very thick. Add 1 1/2 cups more of milk. Cook and stir until thickened, several minutes. Now, taste the gravy to determine how much salt and pepper is needed. Each brand of sausage is different as to how much seasoning is added. I do like plenty of black pepper in my gravy. This will serve 4-6. If you desire a larger batch of gravy, add more flour in the beginning, and more milk. Enjoy!

Orange-Glazed Pork Loin Roast

I've been making this tender and delicious Pork Loin roast for a number of years now. I found the recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine and it never fails to please my family of carnivores. The Orange Glaze compliments the pork perfectly, adding a flavorful citrus and Dijon touch to the lightly herbed roast. I don't coat the Pork Loin with too much herb coating as I've found it can over power the flavor of the Orange Sauce. This is a great family dish, but it also is a perfect roast for a holiday table or buffet. I slice it about 1/4 inch thick and normally serve the sauce in a separate dish. If you use a much larger roast, you may want to double the sauce, as it really is delicious. I've also found that a meat thermometer is important when roasting a pork loin as the meat is pretty lean, so if it is over cooked it tends to dry out. The recipe calls for the temperature to reach 160 degrees for the roast to be done. This one reached almost 165 and it was perfect for us, being only slightly pink and very moist. Give this a try! Here's how;

ORANGE-GLAZED PORK LOIN ROAST
(slightly adapted from Taste of Home)

1 boneless pork loin roast( this one was 3 1/4 pounds, but there are larger ones)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves (I used frozen thyme from my garden)
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

ORANGE GLAZE

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the minced garlic, thyme, ginger, salt and pepper and sprinkle over all sides of the pork loin. Place roast fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour for a 3- 3 1/2 pound roast, before adding the glaze. Meanwhile, make the Orange Glaze.
In a sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, and cornstarch. Stir in the rest of glaze ingredients until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes while continuing to stir. Remove from heat. Separate some of the glaze into a small bowl for using to brush on the roast.
Now, back to the roast. Remove the roast from the oven and brush with some of the glaze and place pork loin back into the oven. My 3 1/4 pound roast baked for about another hour, bring the total roasting time to 2 hours. I brushed the roast with the orange glaze 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Place a meat thermometer into the roast. It should reach 160 degrees to be done. I let mine reach 165. Roasting too long though will give you dry meat. When done remove the roast from oven and loosely tent with foil to keep warm for about 10-15 minutes. It is important to let the meat rest so to let the juices settle in the meat. Slice pork loin and serve with the orange glaze on the side. I served this roast with the Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Herbs, Green Beans Almondine, and rolls. Enjoy!
NOTE: If roasting a 5 pound or larger pork loin, let it cook for 2 hours before brushing it with the Orange Glaze. This will give the roast time to get a nice crust so to seal in the juices. Also, different ovens vary, so using the meat thermometer is important. Have a great day!

Pulled Pork- done on the grill!

We've had the most beautiful weather lately, and this past weekend was gorgeous! Yes, fall is in the air, but it's still perfect grilling weather. I like to grill as long as possible, even if it's just grilled burgers and sausages. I've been wanting to try grilling a pork shoulder for pulled pork for sometime, but it is not one of those quick dishes that I normally like to make, so I've been putting it off. If my family didn't love barbecue so much, I wouldn't have tried this. But my boys are BBQ fanatics, and I have to admit that I enjoy it too. Especially when it turns out well!
Recently, I found pork shoulder on sale at our grocery store for 99 cents per pound! I just couldn't pass that up, even if I did have to buy a 9 pound roast! The wheels were turning as I drove home. Since I have Steven Raichlen's cookbook, "How to Grill", I turned to it for guidance. I also went to Epicurious for his recipe from "The Barbecue Bible", for extra help. I followed his method, but used my own rub for the meat. I must say, it turned out wonderful for my first try. And the guys in my family were thrilled. Nine pounds of meat; it's a good thing we had some company to help us eat it. And we had leftovers too. This was one smoky and juicy pork shoulder. Here's what I did. I cut that huge hunk of meat in half so that it would hopefully get done in one afternoon. Then I added a spice rub, liberally, over it.

You're supposed to cover it and let it stay in the refrigerator for several hours, but I only managed that for a couple of hours. I set up our charcoal grill for indirect heat by setting up charcoal at each end of the grill and placing a drip pan between the piles. When the coals are ready, I placed the 2 pork roasts in the center of the grill over the drip pan. These porkers cooked for 6 hours, with intervals of mopping with a mop sauce and adding more charcoal. You definitely have to plan your day if you want to try this recipe as you have to be home. Charcoal had to be added every hour and also the mop sauce. Was it worth it? YES! This Pulled Pork was deliciously smoky, with a nice spicy crust, and tender enough to pull apart easily.

After removing the roasts from the grill, I placed them in a roaster and covered it with foil for about 30-40 minutes to rest. The pork stayed plenty hot. After resting, I removed the pork to a cutting board and cut it apart into large chunks and then proceeded to shred it with my fingers. It was still hot. I was pleased to see a smoke ring, and the meat tasted so smoky and good. After shredding and removing all the fat, I took a knife and coarsely chopped the meat. At this point, you can add a Carolina Vinegar Sauce, if desired. I prefer to use a thinned down barbecue sauce to pour over the meat to keep it moist. Just my preference. Which ever you do, the meat tastes amazingly tender and smoky. This was a very delicious, enjoyable meal, even if it was time consuming. These porkers "smoked" for 6 hours until they were fall apart tender. They reached 195 degrees on a meat thermometer when I took them off the grill.

Pulled Pork- done on the grill!
You may use a purchased rub, or use my version:

1/4 cup sweet paprika

1 T. brown sugar

1 T. black pepper 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 T. coarse salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

Mix ingredients in a small bowl.

Sprinkle rub over meat and gently"rub" into meat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if desired. Early in the day, set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a drip pan in the middle. When coals are ready, place pork roast over the drip pan and close lid of the grill. Grill for about 4-6 hours, until meat is tender and the internal temperature is about 195 degrees. Mop meat with a mop sauce every hour to keep it moist. Add about 10-12 charcoal briquettes to each side of grill at the same time. I was able to keep the grill temperature at about 250-300 degrees.

When meat is done, let it rest covered in foil for 30minutes or so. Shred meat; chop coarsely, if desired. Spoon a vinegar sauce over meat to keep it moist. I like to use a diluted BBQ sauce for this step. The meat will freeze well as long as it has the extra sauce on it. I served it with baked beans, slaw and potato wedges. When served on a bun, top it off with some slaw for an extra YUM factor! I forgot to do that for pictures! This was wonderful pulled pork! I'll be making this again, just not right away. I'm back to easier meals for awhile!

If you have any advice for my next attempt at making pulled pork this way, just let me know in the comments! Have a great day!

Five-Treasure Fried Rice ( Adapted from Ellie Krieger)

I've had this recipe from Fine Cooking earmarked to try for several months now, since I've been on the hunt for more ways to use brown rice. If you don't care for brown rice, you can sub white rice for this tasty recipe. But, I love the nuttiness of brown rice and it is so healthy so that's a big plus with me. I've been trying to add more fiber rich foods to our diet for several years now, so this recipe fits the bill perfectly. I cut the original recipe about in half, so that it would feed just my husband and myself, and then wished I hadn't, so that there would be some leftovers! So, I'll give you the complete recipe reflecting my changes of course. Ellie's recipe was written for broccoli stems, but I subbed zucchini. It also contains Edamame, but my store didn't have it, so I subbed frozen peas. I also didn't use the Canadian bacon, preferring to use some diced pork, so my husband would have more meat in the dish! It was delicious with the pork and a little more filling for him, so I hope he appreciated it! LOL, I'm sure he did!

Five-Treasure Fried Rice- adapted from Ellie Krieger at Fine Cooking

2 T. canola oil

1 1/2 cups diced zucchini ( she used 1 cup peeled, diced broccoli stems)

3/4 cup finely diced carrot

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper ( she used 3/4 cup)

3/4 cup frozen peas ( she used frozen, shelled edamame, which I couldn't find!)

3/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen ( I used fresh)

4 green onions, scallions, thinly sliced- both white and green parts

4 ounces sliced mushrooms- my addition

2 T. finely grated ginger

2 large cloves garlic, minced

4 cups very cold, cooked, brown rice

1 1/2 cups diced pork loin (Ellie used 3/4 cup diced Canadian bacon)

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

Use rice that has been cooked the day before or early in the day, so that it will be well chilled. Using fresh cooked rice will give you mush, which is not good! Put the diced pork in a small bowl with about 2 T. soy sauce, I T. oil and 1 clove diced garlic and let marinate while you chop all the veggies. Prepare all the vegetables before you begin this dish. Heat 1 T. oil in a nonstick skillet or stir-fry pan over med-high heat. Add the drained pork to the pan and let it cook and brown well; then remove the pork to a plate. Add another T. of oil to the pan if needed. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently about 3-5 minutes. Then add the corn and peas and stir about 1 minute. Next, add the scallion, ginger and garlic and don't cook very long, maybe 1 minute. Cooking the ginger and garlic too long seems to kill the flavor. Add the rice and stir until heated through. Make a 3 inch well in the middle of the pan and add 1 tsp. oil, if needed. Add the eggs and stir them until almost fully scrambled. Then stir the eggs into the rice mixture. Add the cooked pork and soy sauce; stir and it's ready to serve! This is a very delicious and flavorful dish. I love the fresh ginger and garlic in this easy meal. Since I used very lean pork, I still think this was a very healthy meal. I needed it to be a main dish and it worked very well. All of the fresh veggies made this dish and I'll definitely be making it again. We loved it!

Now, if the sun would come out, maybe my pictures will be better! I'm taking pictures on my back porch by the windows, but the sun is hidden. We are having a strange August, so far, but I'm not complaining. I like 85 degrees better than 100! Have a great day!

Adobo-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

We had an amazing meal this week end thanks to a recipe I found in Cooking Light's, "Healthy Summer Grilling", cookbook that I purchased recently. The pork tenderloin marinates in a wonderful lime juice and garlic mixture which imparts a great citrus flavor and moistness to the meat. The salsa is a wonderful mix of pineapple and vegetables with a touch of lime. It also calls for crystallized ginger, which I could not find at the store I went to, so I just omitted it. I will try to find this before I make the flavorful meal again. We enjoyed this meal so much that it will be a part of out grilling rotation from now on! If you want to make a memorable meal that has family or guests raving, this would be the one! This pork tenderloin was about 2 pounds and came in a package of two. Trim off any fat and there is a silver membrane around part of it which you can cut off so that the marinade can penetrate the meat better. Slip a sharp knife under the silver part and slice it off. The recipe calls for the meat to be marinated for 1 hour, but I had some interruptions, so it was about 2 1/2 hours. I'll go that long again as the flavor was wonderful. Let's get started ! First, we'll mix up the marinade and throw in the meat. Be sure to use a non reactive pan! Cover and put in fridge.

Fire up your grill! We have a charcoal grill, so I used enough charcoal to grill both the pork and the pineapple at the same time. The recipe called for about 25 minutes grilling time for the meat, but I went longer, as we don't like pork to be very pink. The pineapple cooks quickly, so when it's done you can whip up the salsa while the meat finishes cooking. Lets start:

ADOBO-MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN with GRILLED PINEAPPLE SALSA

Slightly adapted:

1 cup fresh lime juice

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. salt

6 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 pounds of pork tenderloin

2 tsp. olive oil

cooking spray, for the grill

finely chopped green onions and cilantro for garnishing

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 2 quart non reactive baking dish. Trim up the pork and add it to the marinade in the dish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hr. (I did it for almost 2 1/2 hrs). Fire up the grill. Coat grill rack with oil. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade, insert a meat thermometer, if using, and place pork on grill over the fire. Grill until pork is 160 degrees for slightly pink. I grilled it for about 35 minutes. We don't care for pink pork. And of course, it depends on how hot your fire as to how quickly the meat cooks. When pork is done, remove from the grill and let rest for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve with Grilled Pineapple Salsa. Recipe below.

GRILLED PINEAPPLE SALSA

1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper- I used green, because I had them

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 T. fresh lime juice

1 T.brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. minced crystalized ginger, I didn't use this- will next time

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 drained, canned chipotle chile in adobe sauce, minced-I didn't use this

Lay pineapple slices, and red and yellow peppers on a hot, oiled grill and grill about 3 minutes each side. remove. Dice peppers and pineapple and combine with remaining ingredients. Serve over the pork tenderloin. Eat and be happy!

I served this delicious pork and salsa with grilled zucchini and my Tex-Mex rice. My husband is already wanting this again! It is supposed to serve 8, but not at this house!

This is an exciting week for me, as I'll be having my 100th post! I've learned so much since I started this blog! I'll mention more in my next post so check back again. I so appreciate all of my readers and all the comments you leave. You all are great!

Grilled Baby Back Ribs

My family loves ribs and I have made them in the oven and on the grill and both taste great! Our sons love grilled ribs so I have been experimenting the last couple of years. For one thing, I love to watch Steven Raichlen, author of the "Barbecue Bible", and other books, on PBS when ever he is on. If you have ever watched his show, you know how good his food looks! It's very drool worthy! Last summer, I made his Baby Back ribs and followed the directions perfectly and had very smokey, spicy, delicious ribs. They could have been a little more tender, so, I am experimenting to find the most flavorful and tender way to do them. Our oldest sons birthday is tomorrow, so this past weekend we did a birthday dinner with ribs. I wrapped them in foil which produced the most tender and moist ribs ever! They didn't pick up as much smoke flavoring as I wanted, but they were really good and received high praises from everyone at the table. They are easy to do, you just need to plan ahead. Steven Raichlen suggests putting the rub on the ribs the day before and letting them marinate for a day, but I have done it just a few hours ahead and they are still delicious. So, lets start these mouth watering ribs!

The ribs have a membrane on the back and it really needs to come off as it is rather tough and the spices can't penetrate it. Take a small knife or screwdriver and loosen the corner and pull up and back to pull it off. You may need to use a paper towel or kitchen towel to hold onto it. Pull it completely off. Mix up your rub recipe or use a prepared on. I used one of Raichlen's, adapted.

I rinsed the ribs with water and dried well with paper towels. Spread the rub over both sides of the ribs and gently rub so that it will adhere to the meat. Wrap the ribs in heavy duty aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to grill. We have a charcoal grill, so I set it up for indirect grilling, with a grill pan in the middle and coals on either side, so that the meat will not burn over the coals. Place foil wrapped ribs on hot grill and close grill lid and grill for two hours. Pull the foil back, brush with BBQ sauce if desired, and grill for about 20 more minutes. Remove ribs from grill. Oh, the aroma of these tender and moist pork ribs! Just sink your teeth into one of these ribs and your taste buds will thank you, and family and friends will love you! No kidding!

BASIC BARBECUE RUB ( slightly adapted from Steven Raichlen

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sweet paprika

2 T.black pepper

3 T. kosher salt

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp.cayenne pepper

Mix spices. I used about 3 T. of rub on each rack of ribs, but you can use less, or more. Keep what you don't use in an air tight container. Remove the membrane from the ribs and apply spice rub to both sides. Wrap each slab of ribs in heavy duty foil. Lay on grill over indirect heat. Cover grill with lid and cook for two hours. Peel back the foil and check ribs; they should be tender when poked with a fork. Apply BBQ sauce, if desired and grill for another 20 minutes will grill lid closed. I cooked 2 racks of ribs and only used BBQ sauce on 1 rack. Some people prefer just the dry rub. Remove ribs to a pan cool slightly, and cut into serving pieces.

Arrange on a serving platter and get ready for some lip smackin and finger lickin compliments!

These were so tender and moist! These can also be done in your oven- just prepare the same way and wrap in foil and bake for 2 hours at about 350. But, grilled is my favorite. Enjoy!