Baby Back Ribs with Pomegranate Molasses

So first, I’m going to apologize. I love taking all of the pictures for the site, and I take a lot of care in trying to bring un-stylized, real pictures that showcase what the food’s all about. I was so looking forward to the moment I pulled these tender ribs from the broiler and took the money shot: a whole rack of ribs, glistening and shiny, caramelized from the bbq sauce. I couldn’t wait to post it.

Unfortunately for the photos (but not the deliciousness…), the ribs were literally so tender they fell apart! I ended up with a mouth-watering, caramelized, heap of ribs that required only a fork (but mostly my fingers). I legitimately ate half a rack before I even took the finished picture…

Pomegranate molasses is one of those essential ingredients in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. It’s really just pomegranates that have been cooked down in sugar, water, and maybe a bit of lemon juice to form a syrupy concentrate. It’s absolutely delicious in both sweet and savoury applications. Mixed with a bit of sparkling water, it’s a refreshing drink. It can be used in cakes, cookies, mousses, anything. And, also, makes a lovely ingredient for sauces – would go incredibly well with duck and made a really killer bbq sauce here.

It sounds a bit scary, but I wrapped these guys up in plastic wrap and then covered them with foil, cooking them in the oven for about 4 hours at 250° F. A bit of at-home-not-so-sous-vide. But that’s what made them the most tender ribs I’ve ever made. Who needs a grill in a NYC apartment! The pomegranate molasses adds a tart and fruity kick to a really easy bbq sauce and tastes delicious with the dry-rubbed, juicy, falling-off-the-bone ribs. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 4 to 6 servings

2 whole racks baby back ribs (approximately, 5 lbs)

Dry Rub:

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 tsps ground coriander

1 ½ tbsps garlic powder

1 ½ tbsps onion powder

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsps Spanish paprika (pimentón)

2 tsps hot Hungarian paprika

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp salt

1 ½ tbsps packed light brown sugar

BBQ Sauce:

3 tbsps butter

2 shallots, fine dice

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ cups ketchup

¾ cup water

¼ cup red wine vinegar

3 tbsps light brown sugar

4 ½ tbsps pomegranate molasses

½ tbsp lemon juice

¾ tbsp Worcestershire sauce

¾ tsp cayenne

1 ½ tsps Dijon mustard

Procedure

In a bowl, combine all of the dry rub ingredients and mix well.

Tear two pieces of foil large enough to wrap around each rack of ribs, and place shiny side down on a surface. Tear equal-sized pieces of plastic wrap, and place on top of the foil sheets. Pat dry the ribs, and place each rack on the plastic wrap. Sprinkle both sides of the ribs generously with the dry rub, and pat the dry rub into the meat. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, followed by the foil. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 1 day in advance.

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Let the ribs come up to room temperature (very important!). Place the foil and plastic-wrapped ribs on baking sheets on the middle rack in the oven, and cook for 4 hours. Remove, and let cool briefly.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes until the shallots are translucent. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook stirring frequently for about 20 minutes.

Turn the oven temperature up to broil. Carefully remove the ribs from the foil and plastic wrap and pour off any accumulated juices. Place back on the backing sheet, baste with the bbq sauce, and broil for 5 to 7 minutes until caramelized.

Open-Faced Soft-Shell Crab Sandwich

I have a mild obsession with crab, and I’m pretty sure it all started around the age of 5.

I went on a mini crabbing expedition of sorts with my family in the Arabian Sea. It was a day trip really – out on the water on this creaky boat, where we caught these beautiful, huge blue crabs. Thrilling. They were cooked right there on the spot with a ton of spices and butter. I remember breaking them apart, yanking out the soft, sweet flesh, and sopping up the buttery spices with naan. It was a vivid taste memory I will never forget.

I felt like I was in heaven…until around 6 hours later when I became the sickest ever. I literally thought I was going to die. Who knows what was in that water. But I must really love crab because, unlike tequila, the experience never deterred me from future consumption.

Right now, I’m loving soft-shell crab season, which goes from April to October/November. Walking through Chelsea Market, I stopped by The Lobster Place, and they had live ones (frozen ones don’t compare). So I nabbed them, and, though I obviously can clean them, my heart couldn’t take it. I turned my head while they snipped off the eyes, gills, and aprons. At one restaurant, I had to mercilessly rip the claws off of around 150 langoustines in one sitting while they tried to scurry away…it’s hypocritical, and I’m likely in karmic trouble, but I avoid the killing part wherever I can.

The inspiration for this dish is the infamous Singapore black pepper crab. I wanted the peppery flavor without the soy and oyster sauces, so I lightened this with a little white wine and stock and mellowed with some cream to make a thin, sauce that gets spooned over (and absorbed into) thick brioche. Rather than typically deep-frying the soft shells, I kept the crab a little lighter by dredging in a seasoned flour and shallow frying. With the sweetly caramelized onions, the spicy chilies and black pepper, the creamy sauce over crunchy, buttery bread and, of course, the crispy crab on top, this is more meal than sandwich. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 6 open-faced sandwiches

Crabs:

½ dozen soft-shell crabs, cleaned, rinsed, and dried

2/3 cups rice flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 tsps salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 ½ tsps onion powder

2 ½ tsps garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

Oil

Butter

Topping:

3 to 4 tbsps of butter

6 to 8 curry leaves

4 small or 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 green chili, minced (you choose based on your heat tolerance: poblano, jalapeno, Serrano, thai)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 ½ tsps black pepper

1/3 cup white wine

1/3 cup vegetable or seafood stock

¼ cup cream

Handful of cilantro, finely chopped

Salt and lemon juice to taste

6 pieces of thick-cut bread, preferably brioche, toasted and kept warm in 200° F oven

Procedure

Preheat oven to 200° F.

In a large bowl, sift together rice flour and cornstarch, and add salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Make sure the crabs are dry, and dredge in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat a ½“ of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few tablespoons of butter for taste. When the oil is hot and shimmering, place crabs in the skillet undersides up. Cook for about 2 minutes until that side crisps, and then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove and place on a rack on a baking sheet. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

A few things: 1) There will still be some residual moisture in the crabs so be careful. When they are wet, they pop and sputter. 2) Don’t overcrowd the pan – fry in batches if you must. Steamed, crowded crab is yucky.

Turn the heat down to medium low, and pour off the excess oil from the skillet. Add a few tablespoons of fresh butter. Add in the curry leaves and onions, and cook on medium-low. You want to caramelize the onions slowly to bring out their natural sweetness, not brown them. Stir frequently to make sure cooking is even.

After 10 minutes, add in the chilies, garlic, scallions (reserving some for garnish), and black pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes or so. Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost completely reduced. Add in the stock and cream and reduce by half. Add cilantro (again, reserving some for garnish) and salt and lemon juice to taste.

Serve by placing a piece of warm, toasted brioche on a plate or in a bowl. Spoon onions with sauce over the bread, and place a crispy soft-shell crab on top. Garnish with scallions and cilantro.

South African-Style Shepherd’s Pie

The World Cup madness of a few weeks ago had me reminiscing about South Africa. A year and a half ago I spent some time there and actually cooked with a Dutch couple in their home in Kalk Bay, an incredible experience.

I love South African food; it’s truly a multi-ethnic cuisine, a rich combination of all of the cultures that inhabit the country – Dutch, Malay, Indian, Arab, Portuguese, German and, of course, the indigenous Africans (Khoikhoi, Xhosa, Zulu). Gertie, the lady of the house, was incredibly knowledgeable about Cape Malay food. Cape Malay people are a community of Muslim, Malaysian heritage that arrived in South Africa from Java in the 1600’s. Their food has become synonymous with South African cuisine, bringing much of the spice, curries, and chilies.

We ate such a feast that night! South African rock lobster, rack of karroo lamb, old cape malva pudding (which I now HAVE to make. it’s beyond. look out for it soon), and the dish I am showing you today, bobotie. Before I discuss bobotie , I have to mention the wines we had with this meal. Gertie paired a Gewurtraminer with the bobotie because it’s both spicy and sweet, and the Gwertz complemented it wonderfully. But the most AMAZING wine was the 2007 Diemersfontein Pinotage. It literally tasted like chocolate and coffee, two of my personal favorites. The flavor of it stays with me until today. Unfortunately, to ship it home costed more than the wine, itself, so we didn’t. And now I can’t find it anywhere in the U.S….sad.

But, anyway, bobotie is an absolutely beautiful alternative to shepherd’s pie. It traditionally starts with either ground lamb or beef, spiced with curry powder and apricot preserves, and is layered on top with an egg custard. Amazing – spicy, sweet, with a creaminess from the egg custard. I actually use a combo of ground beef, veal, and pork, and, instead of apricot preserves, I use red currant jelly. It comes out richer and with a more robust flavor. Oh, and also, I don’t use curry powder….ever. Curry is a blend of spices, so, although the traditional recipe uses a pre-fab powder, I give a personal blend.

This makes a lovely casserole (all men cheer!), but I made it in individual portions here in soufflé ramekins – automatic portion control and it looks much prettier. Baking it in a water bath is also key to creating a luscious egg custard and not some sort of dried-out frittata layer. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 4 10-ounce ramekins

Meat Filling:

1 slice white bread or brioche

2/3 cup milk

1 yellow onion (small)

2 ½ tbsps canola oil

1 or 2 green chilies, jalapeno or serrano

¼ tsp ginger, grated

1 ¼ lbs ground beef, pork, & veal (ask the butcher to do it thirds)

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp coriander

¼ tsp garam masala

½ tsp hot paprika

¼ tsp cayenne

½ tsp black pepper

3 garlic cloves

4 tbsps red currant jelly

2 tbsps malt vinegar

1 plum tomato, roughly chopped

salt

Egg Custard:

4 eggs

¾ cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

chives, for garnish

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place bread in a bowl and cover with milk. Let sit until ready to use, turning if necessary to make sure entire piece of bread is soaked.

Heat pan over medium-low heat. Add oil and sauté onions and chillies for 1 minute. Add ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, hot paprika, cayenne, and black pepper and sauté another 4 to 5 minutes until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for under a minute or until it becomes fragrant.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add meat and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Add red currant jelly, malt vinegar, and tomato, lower heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon and let cool briefly. Wring out excess milk from bread and add to meat mixture. Mix thoroughly. Fill 4 10-ounce ramekins ¾ full with meat mixture and place ramekins in a baking dish.

Combine eggs, heavy cream and pinch of salt and pour to fill ramekins. You want to bake these in a water bath, so fill baking dish with boiling water until it comes at least halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the custard is set. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

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