ribs, greens, and pimiento cheese mac & cheese

Another temptation of grilling for our household is BBQ pork ribs.  In fact, the first time I ever had pork spare ribs was at an unpretentious weekend dinner with my husband's family.  My husband and I were dating at the time.  His parents took one look at my "impress-the-future-in-laws" outfit and insisted I borrow a shirt-- an oversized men's flannel shirt-- to protect my clothes and ensure I had fun.  They were right:  the ribs were messy.  And they were delicious.  

There's a secret "family recipe" for the BBQ sauce, but there's a family curse, too.  Mr. C, Sr. has a terrible track record, inviting pouring rain everytime he makes ribs on the grill.  This weekend we decided to test fate, invite the in-laws over, and have a southern-style feast: bbq ribs, greens, and pimiento cheese mac and cheese.  We broke the curse and had a great time.  I guess not everything runs in the family!

Like father, like son

Classic BBQ Pork Ribs

Dry rub:

2T kosher salt (see note below)

1T dry mustard

1T paprika (regular or smoked)

1/2t cayenne pepper

1/2t black pepper

Note: We've become convinced that the grocery-store ribs wrapped in thick plastic are packaged in some sort of brine that makes the ribs salty.  If using the pre-packaged kind, omit most or all of the salt from the dry rub.  You won't need it.

I've been sworn to secrecy on the "family secret" sauce combo, but my advice is to use your favorite bottled sauce.  We combine a thick, sweet sauce with a tangy, vinegar-based sauce to get the covert combination.  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Clean and pat dry the rib racks.  Rub generously with dry rub.  Wrap in foil and place on large baking sheets.  Bake for at least 2 hours until tender, but not falling apart.  Remove from the oven and let cool. 

Add the ribs to a grill heated to high for a few minutes, then turn the burners down to med-low.  Baste with sauce, turning occasionally and adding more sauce, until the ribs look lacquered and begin to brown.

Remove ribs from the grill and cut between the bones to serve.  Be sure to set aside a separate bowl of sauce serve alongside the ribs.

Braised greens are a classic accompaniment to southern-style pork, and the pimiento cheese mac & cheese is a zesty twist on a casserole favorite.  It's not as creamy as some versions (there's no milk or cream in the recipe), but this macaroni is very flavorful and very cheesy.  And the bright orange color is beautiful.  It's the perfect side to complement bold ribs and sharp greens.  Just be sure to grab a bib or an old flannel shirt before digging in to this plate. 

Recipes for pimiento cheese mac & cheese and braised greens follow. 

Pimiento Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

barely adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

8oz macaroni or shells

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2c water 

1 1/4c grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/4t chili powder

2T butter

3/4c pimientos or mild peppadew peppers (one 7-oz. jar, drained)

1/2 c parmesan, divided

1c (packed) grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese (such as Sargento pre-packaged)

1/2c panko or regular breadcrumbs

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2c water, red bell pepper pieces, and garlic cloves to a simmer.  Cover and turn heat down to med-low. Let cook together for about 15 minutes until the pepper is soft.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, grate the cheese.  I use a food processor to make quick work of the cheddar, but the whole-milk mozzarella is too soft, so that has to be done by hand.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In the bowl of the food processor, combine the pepper mixture, butter, chili powder, pimientos, 1/4c parmesan cheese, and all of the cheddar cheese.  Process until very smooth.

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of lightly salted water, just until al dente.  Drain, then return the cooked pasta to the warm pot.  Add the pimiento sauce and stir in the grated mozzarella cheese.  It will be a beautiful bright orange color!  Add salt and pepper if needed.

Butter an 8-cup baking dish (or 6 individual ramekins), then pour in the macaroni and cheese mixture.  At this point, you can set aside or refrigerate the dish for a short while until ready to bake.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and 1/4c parmesan cheese.  (If desired, you can lightly toast the panko breadcrumbs first in a dry pan over med heat, or add dots of butter to the mixture.  I did both for the topping pictured below.)  When you're ready to bake, sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the top of the macaroni.

Bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees for the full 8-cup version, or about 15 minutes for individual ramekins, until bubbling and golden brown.  Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

It it is crazy good.

* * *

Finally, the greens.  I prepare kale the same way for almost everything because it always works.  I love kale, and its health benefits are widely talked about (and blogged about) these days.  But I don't think it always tastes great in trendy preparations.  I haven't bought in yet to the kale chips or the raw kale salad-- my attempts have turned out more gritty and bitter than addictive and tasty.   My "braising" approach to cooking kale is modified from Emeril Lagasse's technique, and it hasn't failed me yet.  The recipe below is horribly imprecise, so I hope you'll think of it as a more of a method than an exact science.  Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Braised Greens

1 big grocery-store produce bag stuffed full of kale (or your other favorite greens, such as collards)

Knob butter or drizzle olive oil

1-2 cups low-sodium chicken stock

kosher salt

apple cider vinegar

Method:

Rinse the kale clean, pat dry, and remove the thick stems from each leaf.  Tear the big leaves into medium-size pieces.  Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan or dutch oven to medium heat.  Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in the pan. 

Toss in the leaves to the pan-- they may sputter at you if there's still water on the leaves, so be careful.  Add chicken stock over the leaves, creating about an inch or two of liquid down in the pan.  Working quickly, turn the kale leaves gently with tongs to keep them from browning and coat them with the stock.  Turn down the heat if necessary.

Cover (very important!) and allow to steam until the kale turns a bright rainforest green, turning occasionally with tongs.  If most of the liquid has evaporated, add more chicken stock.  Add a splash (about a tablespoon) of vinegar.  Turn again.  Cover and let cook a little longer, until desired tenderness.  All in all, it takes about 10-15 minutes. Taste a leaf or two to see if it needs salt.  I normally add about a half teaspoon to the pot of almost-done kale.