Zin-Friendly
Recipes
Zinfandel
Braised Beef Short Ribs
2
(750 ml) bottles Zinfandel
2
tablespoons olive oil
8 beef short ribs
Salt and pepper
2 onions, peeled and cut into large dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into large dice
2 stalks celery, cut into large dice
1 leek, white part, cut into large dice
12 garlic cloves
6 sprigs thyme
2 quarts chicken stock
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F.
In
a large saucepan, add Zinfandel. Bring to a boil, lower
heat, and simmer until reduce by 1/2. Heat olive oil
in a large heavy-bottom saute or roasting pan. Season
beef short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Brown
beef well on all sides, remove, and set aside. Remove
all but 1 tablespoon of oil. Add vegetables, garlic,
and thyme cook until lightly browned. Add beef short
ribs back to the pan, add reduced wine and cover with
chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for
2 1/2 to 3 hours or until tender. Remove from and allow
to cool. Remove all fat, set aside beef short ribs, re-heat
liquid and then strain. Reduce liquid to a light sauce
consistency, add beef short ribs and gently heat, and
carefully remove beef short ribs to a heated platter.
Serve.
Memphis-Style
Ribs
6
pounds spare ribs
1 3/4 cups cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups apple cider
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup BBQ Rub, recipe follows
3 cups wood chips
Vinegar Sauce, recipe follows, optional
Your
ribs may already be trimmed, or you can ask the butcher
to trim them. To do it yourself, place the ribs meat-side
up on a cutting board. There is a line of fat at the
base of the ribs; cut along it to remove the cartilaginous
rib tips. Turn the meat over, rib-side up. Cut off the
flap of meat on the inside of the ribs. (The reason to
remove these pieces is that they will burn, well before
the ribs are done. You can season them and grill them
over direct heat for about 15 minutes, turning once.
They are delicious.) With the rib-side up, finesse a
sharp knife under the tough membrane that covers the
bones. Working from one rib to the next, pull the membrane
off the rib. (For a better grip, grab the membrane with
a paper towel.) The membrane may tear and you may have
to start over, but be patient - removing the membrane
allows the spices and smoke to penetrate the ribs, and
makes the ribs much more attractive and easy to eat.
In a shallow, non-reactive pan large enough to hold the
ribs, mix together 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 cup cider,
garlic, bay leaves, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and the salt.
Put the ribs in this marinade, turn to coat, cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and
up to 16 hours, turning once during this time. Remove
the ribs from the pan 2 hours before you are going to
grill and pat dry. Discard the marinade. Sprinkle the
ribs all over with 1/2 cup of the rub, patting it on
with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate for about 1
1/2 hours. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and
let sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour before grilling.
Mix
the remaining 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 3/4 cup cider, and
1 tablespoon hot sauce. You will apply this mixture to
the ribs once every hour or so with a spray bottle, a
barbecue mop, a pastry brush or a long-handled spoon.
Soak about 3 cups of wood chips (hickory, oak or apple)
for at least 1/2 hour in cold water. Prepare a charcoal
fire or preheat a gas grill for indirect grilling over
low heat. Drain and add 1 cup of the wood chips. Grill
the ribs, covered, until they are crispy, and the meat
has pulled back from the bone, 3 to 4 hours, depending
on the heat of your grill. Spray or baste the ribs with
the vinegar-cider mixture every hour, and turn them once
during grilling. Don't forget to add more wood chips-and,
if using charcoal, more coals-as needed (check every
hour or so). You should have enough soaked wood chips
for about 3 hours of cooking time; if your ribs take
longer, you will need to soak more chips. If the ribs
are done before you are ready to eat, wrap them in heavy-duty
aluminum foil and leave them over very low, indirect
heat for up to 1 hour. Remove the ribs from the grill,
spray or baste with any remaining basting liquid, and
sprinkle with the remaining the 1/4 cup of rub. Serve
as is, or with Vinegar Sauce.
BBQ
Rub:
6
tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt, such as kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix
together all of the ingredients in an airtight container
and store at room temperature. The rub will keep for
several months. Yield: about 1 cup, enough for 8 pounds
of Memphis-Style Ribs.
Excerpted
from "Al Roker's Big bad Book of Barbeque" Scribners
2002. Copyright 2002
Vinegar
Sauce:
2
cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
In
a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
Use immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator
for up to 1 week. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups
Grilled
Zinfandel Peaches
1
cup Zinfandel wine
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
8 ripe firm, but not overly soft, halved peaches
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing and drizzling 1
teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
16 thinly shaved (2 by 2-inch) pieces sheep's cheese
Turn
on grill to high heat. In a small, heavy bottom sauce
pot, pour in the Zinfandel and brown sugar and stir in
well. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium
and simmer the wine slowly until reduced to a glaze,
about 20 to 25 minutes.
Brush
the peach halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Place on a hot grill, 1 minute on each side,
to lightly mark the peaches. When warm, pull from the
grill and place on a warm plate. Brush the peaches with
the glaze and place on a serving plate. Lay the pieces
of cheese over the peaches. Lightly drizzle the some
of the remaining glaze over the fruit and cheese. Serve
immediately.
Zinfandel
Poached Anjou Pears Stuffed with Mascarpone
2
bottles, 750 ml each, Zinfandel
4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 tablespoons orange zest, plus more for garnish
6 cardamom pods
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 ripe pears, such as Anjou or Bartlett, peeled
1/2 cup mascarpone, room temperature
1/4 cup toasted, crushed pistachios
Mint leaves, for garnish
creme anglaise, optional for garnish
Place
the wine, peppercorns, vanilla beans, zest, cardamom
and sugar in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-high
heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.
Bring the saucepan to a boil then reduce to a gentle
simmer. Place the pears in the saucepan and cook for
about 30 to 45 minutes, or until the pears are tender.
Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and set aside
on a plate. Allow them to cool completely. While the
pears are cooling, strain the poaching liquid and discard
solids. Return the liquid to the pan, increase the heat
to medium-high and reduce the poaching liquid to a syrup,
about 5 to 10 minutes. You should have about 1/2 cup
syrup. Set aside.
When
the pears are cool enough to handle, remove the inner
core using a melon baller. Stuff each pear with 2 tablespoons
of the mascarpone. To serve, pour about 2 tablespoons
of the poaching syrup on a chilled appetizer plate with
a pear in the center. Sprinkle toasted pistachios around
the plate and garnish with mint leaves and orange zest.
Drizzle with creme anglaise, if desired. |
