Day Long Ribs That Let You Keep Your Weekend

If you are in the Syracuse area this weekend then you'll know two things to be true:
1.  There are too many fun things going on this weekend.
2.  You have to eat.

To wit:  there's the downtown Arts and Crafs Fair, the new Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival, the Ecofest, the Oswego Harborfest... plus there are chores to do, errands to run, the regular weekend gamut.

With the bounty of produce available, this is also prime time for cooking up delicious food at home.  But who wants to be a slave to the stove on a weekend like this?  Not I.  So here's my game plan:

• Go for a long run--first thing--before the heat and humidity get too high
• Start dinner*
• Check out the markets--CNY Regional Market to stock up on basics and the Greener Bean market in Skaneateles--Home Harvest Organics will have fava beans!  Make a long-overdue visit to the Borodino Schoohouse
• Take care of regular Saturday errands and chores
• Bake and freeze zucchini bread (this will take care of the squash taking over the fridge)
• Check out the events downtown before they wrap up
• Throw together a salad and grill some veggies to go with dinner
• Eat, lick my fingers, collapse, finish reading Three Cups of Tea and off to bed

Okay, its ambitious.  But I guarantee at least four of the items will be checked off by day's end and what will make it possible is dinner.

I am absolutely loving this recipe for sticky balsamic spareribs published in Gourmet magazine last month (and for the record, I do read and cook from other magazines--it's just that Gourmet has been on fire as of late.)  Check out the play by play after the jump.

First, it helps to have the ribs already on hand.  You can get grass-fed pork ribs from several markets and farmers in our area (check the links on the left column).  After I get back from my run I'll get the ribs going.  These need many hours to marinate so do that first thing.  Not an early, bird, then get this going the night before.  You probably have all the ingredients you need in your pantry and fridge.

Mince and mash garlic, make balsamic paste to rub on ribs

 

Rub mixture evenly over ribs, transfer to roasting pan and marinate (chilled) about 8 hours.

Now you can go about your business until, say the mid-afternoon.  I'm going to put my ribs in the oven and roast them while I check out the fairs and festivals downtown.  They'll roast for about 2 hours.  (Harrison will be on hand to make sure nothing burns.)

Sometime around 6ish, the ribs will be ready to come out of the oven, (photo above is after roasting, before glaze) I'll be done with my running around, the salad takes a minute to throw together--just add a simple side like grilled zucchini (grill pan indoors or fire up the coals outside) and I'm good to go.  Just finish off the ribs by making and reducing the sauce and dinner is done.  Word to the wise--make as many as you can fit in the oven--you'll be fighting for seconds.

Sticky Balsamic Ribs (serves 8) Adapted from Gourmet Magazine (July 2009)

For Ribs:

• 8 large garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
• 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 lb baby back pork ribs
• 1 cup water

For Glaze:

• 2 cups hot water
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

You'll need two large roasting pans

Marinate and roast ribs:  Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt (mortar and pestle work great here).  Stir together with rosemary, brown sugar, vinegar, cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Rub evenly over ribs and transfer to roasting pans.  Marinate, chilled 8 - 24 hours. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Pour 1/2 cup of water into each pan and tightly cover pans with foil.  Roast ribs, switching position of pans halfway through (not necessary if using half the recipe and one pan) until meat is very tender--about 2 hours.  Remove pans from oven and transfer ribs to platter.

Make glaze and grill ribs:  Add 1 cup of hot water to each roasting pan and scrape up brown bits.  Skim off and discard fat, then transfer liquid to 10-inch skillet.  Add vinegar and brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Boil until reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes.

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas).  Brush some of the the glaze onto both sides of racks of ribs.  Grill, turning occasionally, until ribs are hot and grill marks appear--about 6 minutes. 

OR

Broil ribs about 3-4 inches from heat for 8 minutes

Brush ribs with more glaze and serve remaining glaze on the side.

Comments

[Neil Miller]

Glad to have you back in Syracuse! As usual I learned something new from your latest entry, several things, actually - Greener Bean market, Harvest Home Organics and Borodino School House - what a haul of useful information! Thanks!

[Desiree@Foodista]

Those ribs would make for a most enjoyable weekend...forget everything else! Mmmm, thanks for sharing Jennifer. I came across your blog via blogher and I would really love to direct our Foodista readers to it. If that's okay with you, just add your choice of widget to this post and you're all set! http://www.foodista.com/recipe/4QQMNGGB/barbecued-ribs/widgets/

[Owen O'Neill]

When you finish reading "Three Cups Of Tea" then make time to read "Mountains Beyond Mountains". It is an equally inspiring story about another remarkable individual helping those who are truly in need (but it's health care in Haiti rather than education in the Himalayas).

Oven roasted ribs are good but I'll sing the praises of small inexpensive electric water smokers (mine is a Charbroil). It's worth the small amount of space it takes up on my deck and the periodic refilling of the water pan. That said - I'll try this recipe but in the smoker. I've been using a fairly conventional dry rub but this sounds very very god.