Flavorful Fireworks Give Freedom on the 4th!

By Colleen Walsh Fong

Are you having a crowd to your house for the 4th of July? Or bringing a meat dish to a picnic or yard party? Supplying the main protein to a group can get pricey. So I like to take a page from my own cookbooks and use some of my favorite cost-cutting techniques to stretch my meat moolah.

Slow-cooking some cheaper cuts of meat, like ribs or butt roast, keeps them tender. I rub lots of tasty spices onto the meat and then cook it in a tightly-covered baking dish to cook it at low heat for several hours. Slow-cooked meats are falling-off-the-bone tender.

Cooking inside in the oven or on the stovetop? Braising meats like short ribs and brisket in liquid loaded with herbs and spices is a great way to make cheaper cuts tender. Be sure to keep the meat in the liquid until you’re ready to serve it so it stays tender.

Independence Day is the perfect time to pig out a little. This year, you can do that with the most succulent and tastiest barbeque back ribs you’ve ever eaten. Their bright red color and sweet and spicy flavor do the day proud. And the quick prep time—20 minutes or less depending on your speed in the kitchen—gives the chef loads of independent time to enjoy the holiday.

Once prepared you simply pop them in the oven and head out to watch your local parade or take a dip in your favorite pool. When you’re finished with your leisure activities your kitchen will be filled with the most amazing aroma you’ve ever smelled.

Serve the ribs with some good, cold sides like Mom’s Potato Salad and Artichoke Cucumber Salad from Easy Weekly Meals touchscreen cookbooks.

Firecracker Ribs

Ingredients

·      3 lbs Baby Back Ribs

·      Salt and Pepper to taste

·      2 T Garlic Powder

·      2 T Onion Powder

·      1/2 T Chili Powder

·      1/2 tsp Red Pepper Powder

·      1/2 tsp Paprika

·      1/2 tsp Coriander

·      1/2 tsp Cumin

·      1/2 tsp Nutmeg

·      1/2 tsp Cinnamon

·      Olive Oil Spray

·      Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet Barbeque Sauce*

*Or substitute with the sweet, tomato-based barbeque sauce of your choice.

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 250°.
• Place rib slabs into roasting pan.
• Season liberally with salt and pepper.
• Mix all other spices in small mixing bowl.
• Rub spice mixture over tops and sides of rib slabs.
• Tightly cover roasting pan with aluminum foil and place pan on bottom oven rack.
• Bake for 6 hours.
• 10-15 minutes before baking time ends, fire up the grill.
• Spray grilling rack with olive oil spray to prevent sticking.
• Remove roasting pan from oven and remove foil.
• Use 2 spatulas to lift ribs onto grilling rack, as ribs will be falling-off-the-bone tender.
• Pour barbeque sauce into small mixing bowl and generously brush slabs with sauce.

·      Grill ribs 7 minutes over indirect heat. Brush remainder of sauce onto ribs and cook 7 minutes longer.

·      Remove to platter and allow ribs to cool 5 minutes.

·      Serve ribs with Artichoke Cucumber Salad and Mom’s Potato Salad

Enjoy the 4th with taste and ease!

Photos Courtesy of Easy Weekly Meals

Find lots more free recipes, culinary ideas, and cooking tips from Colleen here.