httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onLuUSaLffw
This blog was meant to be a weekly one so, in addition to that, I’ve added my twitter account for micro blogging outside the regular schedule (@TheRealBrianU) plus I’ll add some video specials along the way.
Editing video: One of the issues I came up against recently is that these things take up a tremendous amount of hard disk space, especially seeing as iMovie converts the high definition files into the mov format (geek speak!). My poor lil Macbook pro was getting all stogged up (Newfie slang)… so a la Frankenstein I created something….
Being extremely fussy (like that’s new), I wanted an external hard drive that was very robust, but it had to have the following:
1/ Firewire 800 (my macbook pro did not have eSata which is faster – more geek speak!)
2/ Very fast and robust (so no backup drive would do unless you wanted to spend gobs of money)
3/ Minimum 2 terabytes (otherwise why bother)
Using parts I found at my favorite computer store (hence the Frankenstein reference) here in Toronto (Canada Computers – love them), I now present to you TeraZilla (Helenka helped confirm the name I had chosen was the best one of the bunch)!
It’s a NexStar MX shell with two 1-terabyte Western Digital Caviar Black hard drives (yay me!).
I do proclaim that I’m a GEEK and I love FOOD (really … hmm, that’s interesting; one would never know those two go together).
So now off to one of my favorite subjects, RIBS! I have traveled far and wide, ok just far — I became wide just from eating the things, but I’m working on that, down more than 21 pounds (updated) since January (another yay me!) — looking for the best bbq ribs I could find. I’ve been to parts of the bbq belt, and have sampled some great ribs. I also discovered locally that we Canucks can cook ribs (and make sauces too). Plus celebrate them with our very own ribfests (plural, as a lot of towns and cities have their own) during the summer.
Now I know Helenka shares my love of ribs (though I think sometimes I’m more likely to take it to extremes – noooo boiling) so I thought, as I’m cleaning out my cupboards, I would serve ribs my way in a sweet & sour sauce.
Enjoy B&H!
Recipe: Sweet & Sour Ribs
Ingredients
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Ribs
1 rack of Ribs (baby back are best) Salt and Pepper to taste Ribs in Sauce 1 bottle Sweet & Sour Sauce
Instructions
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Ribs
Using a sharp knife remove the membrane on the back of the ribs (I cut just under the membrane then pull it off – takes practice but worth it). Place the ribs on a baking sheet (a rack on the sheet works well). Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 2 hours (low and slow is best – lower the heat and add more time if you wish). Ribs in Sauce Cut your rib rack into pieces of two ribs each (helps to keep them together) In a large pot, heat your sauce; then add in your rib pieces. Boil for a few minutes (keeping a careful watch as you can scorch the sauce).
Once the sauce has reduced, remove from heat and serve with your favorite salad (we used baby spinach with yellow pepper dressed with dijon mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar).
Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)
Dinner was pre-dawn roasted ribs, simmered in a jar of VH Sweet & Sour Sauce, accompanied by an organic baby spinach salad with strips of yellow pepper and dressed with dijon mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar (with ratios acquired through experimentation because that’s also a part of the fun of cooking). Once again, the ultimate taste sensation of the dish transcended its humble beginnings (aka from a jar). What made the taste of the ribs splendid was that they’d been sprinkled with the Salish smoked alder salt (which I’d given him two years ago, so it’s time it got used up) and grindings of mixed peppercorns (not even a fancy brand) before roasting. With the addition of the fruitiness of the simmered sauce (think along the lines of honey paired with jam), the ribs blossomed and burst on the palate, leaving behind multiple notes (think of a wine tasting where you have the initial aroma and flavours but, after you swallow, you’re left with subtle lingering nuances that are a welcome reminder). In this case, it was the meat falling off the bone (and ravished … er … ravaged by my fingers), the glistening, fruity sauce clinging to every morsel, with the base note of the taste of pepper after I’d swallowed.
Variations
That last note took me by surprise. And it brought back some really old memories of Graham Kerr’s show, The Galloping Gourmet, produced in – at the time – gastronomically sleepy English Canada in the 1960s. [Not only the country, but also television, as it was considered shocking that he not only cooked with wine but drank it on screen! Plus the outrageous double entendres!] I’d embraced his tip of grinding black pepper onto fresh strawberries, because the pepper enhanced the sweetness of the fruit. So the fact that these ribs could evoke such a strong reaction from me – even after I’d swallowed – took me by surprise. It’s not the first time Brian has made excellent ribs but, thruthfully, these were exceptional (seriously, they’re “will you marry me” ribs!). The cooling sauce (which I did lick off my fingers) even complemented the mustardy dressing on the spinach (and that is another thing to consider when cooking, that the side dishes shouldn’t be warring with the main on the plate or in the mouth). My only regret: there was no doggy bag. I know: greedy much?