Barbecue.
Barbecue pork spare ribs.
Barbeque. Barbecue. BBQ.
Any which way you spell it, it’s pretty hard to avoid when you live in the midwest. Especially this time of year. Between the American Royal and all the tailgating I can’t get away from it!
I’ll admit I never had barbecue or barbecue pork spare ribs until I moved to Kansas City. And, quite honestly, I am not a huge fan (sorry Kansas City).
Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of barbecue – meat cooked super slow allowing it to become super tender – I can get into that.
But it’s the sauce – a thick molasses and tomato-based sauce. Understand my dislike? Yup, it’s too sweet for me.
So while I may not be a huge fan of KC barbecue every region has their own style. So maybe there’s hope for me.
In the meantime, I have worked on making my own barbecue feast right in my own home.
Ribs. Barbecue Pork spare ribs. Yup. Bet you didn’t think I was going to say that. I mean spare ribs come from the belly of the pig.
What’s that mean? It means a fattier cut of meat.
Wait. I know – I counsel people to choose leans cuts of meat. Why? Leaner cuts of meat have less saturated fat. And while there’s some controversy over the intake of saturated fats, it’s still advised to limit your daily intake of saturated fat.
With that being said, why am I choosing spare ribs? Because they’re so darn tasty. And it’s okay to splurge every once in a while. After all healthy eating isn’t about eating or not eating one food, it’s about the overall picture. So here’s how barbecue night goes in my house: slow-cooked dry-rubbed meat, cheesy pasta (aka my version of mac and cheese), and a big bowl of steamed broccoli. A little indulgence. A little healthy twist. SO delicious.
Have you had barbecue?
- 1 slab of spare ribs weight will vary
- 2-4 tablespoons dry rub or enough to cover ribs recipe below
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 3 teaspoons brown sugar
- 4 cups water
- ½ lb short-cut pasta (penne, bowties, fusilli, etc)
- 1.2 large yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup miso
- ¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup cheese (fontina, cheddar, gouda, etc), shredded
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Meanwhile Mix all ingredients for the dry rub in a bowl.
- Trim any large pieces of fat. You can remove the thin layer of membrane on the interior side or you can leave it on.
- Place meat on aluminum foil. Cover bother sides of the meat with the dry rub. Make sure you get it covered well, Sprinkle with salt and rub into meat.
- Cover with tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours.
- Once cooked, let sit for a few minutes before serving.
- Heat large pan, add olive oil. Once olive oil is hot, add onion and cook for a few minutes.
- Add garlic, paprika, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Add uncooked pasta and miso to pan.
- Add chicken, vegetable or white wine and deglaze pan. Cook until liquid has been absorbed.
- Once liquid absorbed, add 1 cup of water. Stir mixture together and cook water down. You are now cooking the pasta like risotto. Don't add more water until all water is absorbed.
- Add 1 cup of liquid at a time until pasta is al dente. If you need more than 4 cups, that's okay. Depending on your pasta may take about 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together yogurt and cornstarch.
- Once pasta is cooked al dente, turn off heat, add yogurt and cornstarch mixture and the shredded cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Serving size depends on how many pounds your slab of ribs.