Ribs, Coleslaw and Isreali Couscous Salad

I have tried smoking pork ribs several times and they never come out fall off the bone tender. I decided to try the cook in the oven first then finish on the grill method. I search some recipes to find a temperature and timing for the oven portion and found the technique that Sylvia's Restaurant in NYC uses. She cooking them in vinegar! 

I was skeptical but decided to try it.

1 slabs pork spareribs

2 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

Your favorite BBQ sauce ( We used a Red Wine BBQ Sauce and a Chipotle BBQ sauce)

Rub steak seasoning and red pepper into ribs. Place in deep baking dish with a cover (or use heavy foil). I had to cut the slab of ribs in half to get them to fit. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour vinegar over the ribs and bake 1 1/2 hours. Rotate ribs a couple of times while cooking. Remove ribs from baking dish and place in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. I stopped at this point and refrigerated the ribs overnight.

Preheat the grill. Lightly coat the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce. Grill until the ribs are cooked through and glazed.

Red Wine BBQ Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder

1/3 cup dry red wine (We used a 2005 Passalacqua Cabernet Sauvignon because it was open)

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke

Heat olive oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, cumin, and chipotle chile powder; stir 1 minute. Stir in the remaining ingredients; simmer 5 minutes to let flavors blend.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce (adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook 25th edition)

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp hot sauce (We used The King of Beasts Hot Sauce)

1 Tbsp Steen's Cane Syrup or unsulfured molasses

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend or 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp ancho chili powder

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp smoked paprika

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.Cook over low heat for 15 minutes to blend flavors. Do not boil. Strain the sauce to remove the garlic.

Celery Seed Red Cabbage Slaw

4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup chopped bell pepper

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

Combine cabbage, green onions, carrot and bell pepper in a bowl.Whisk mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar and celery seeds in small bowl to blend. Add dressing to cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tomato, Basil & Couscous Salad

4 cups canned chicken broth

2 cups Israeli couscous

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup (generous) diced seeded plum tomatoes

1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Add couscous. Cook covered over low heat about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.Transfer to large bowl. Cool.

Mix all ingredients except cherry tomatoes into couscous. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.Garnish with tomatoes just before serving.