Buttermilk Beef Ribs

Hi everyone!

Well, another week is almost over, and AGAIN I've neglected my "blogging" responsibilities. Sorry about that.

I can't even use "we're too busy at work" as an excuse; the fact is, we've had about as "dead" a week as we've ever had. The Penn State students aren't in classes right now, and many of the Summer Term kids have gone home for the couple of remaining weeks until Fall Semester begins (the 30th of August). Really, the only reason I've been at work so much is that I'M THE ONLY PERSON LEFT. Lots of our staff are students. Most of our staff will be back in town next week; and the following week, all "heck" ought to break loose!

Tonight, I'm preparing a chef's salad using some leftover (grilled) London Broil, along with some sliced baby mushrooms and assorted greens. I'll probably crumble up my leftover Roquefort (from the sauce I made the other night) and sprinkle it on top. As for the dressing, it'll most likely be a balsamic vinaigrette (I seem to have lots of that on hand, anyway).

The other evening, I made (again) a favorite "grill thing": Buttermilk Beef Ribs. I don't know why I didn't think to post this one before; it's incredibly simple to prepare, and it tastes just awesome. I came up with it about a year ago, after sampling an Indonesian dish where the beef (cut into very thin strips) had been soaked in buttermilk, then grilled briefly.

This is even simpler...no cutting.

I've tried the same basic recipe with pork ribs, as well, but they do require some pre-cooking (I used a 325-degree oven; it has to be dry heat, after marinating). The beauty of beef ribs is that you don't have to cook them nearly as long, because they're beef....if they're a little rare on the inside, no problem! And the buttermilk is a delicious complement to the flavor of beef. The enormous size of the beef ribs also makes for a "heartier"-looking meal.



Buttermilk Beef Ribs

About 1 1/2 pounds of beef ribs, per person (a rack of ribs at the grocery store may weigh anywhere from 3 to 7 or 8 pounds, or more. Adjust as necessary). I use a 4-pound rack of ribs for this recipe. That amount may be easily multiplied. As for the coffee: I just use the leftover coffee from the pot I brewed in the morning!

4-5 pound rack of beef ribs, cut into "half-racks"1 pint (16 ounces) buttermilk. Please make sure to use the kind that has "active cultures".

3 TBS dark brown sugar

2 TBS cider vinegar

1/4 cup of whiskey (optional)

1 TBS kosher salt

1 tsp whole peppercorns

several cups of brewed coffee, as necessary, cooled to room temperature (de-caf can be used, if desired)

In a blender or processor, combine the buttermilk, brown sugar, vinegar, whiskey, salt and peppercorns. Mix on high speed until the peppercorns are broken up somewhat (maybe 2 minutes).

Place the rib "half-racks" in a high-sided roasting pan, or something similar. It doesn't matter if they overlap each other a little. If desired, a couple of gallon-sized zipper-lock bags can be used instead. Pour the buttermilk mixture (half of the mixture per bag, if you're using the zip bag method) over the ribs. Add enough of the coffee to the pan (or bags) to increase the volume of liquid so that the ribs are saturated. Don't worry about completely submerging the ribs in the liquid; that's next to impossible!

If using the pan method, cover the pan with plastic wrap, or foil. The bags can simply be zipped shut. Refrigerate the ribs for anywhere from 1 to 12 hours. Flip the ribs in the pan every couple of hours (or simply shake the zipper bag).

Use paper towels to dry the ribs, and allow them to rest on a platter until you're ready to grill.

Light the grill, and allow it to come to medium-high heat. Liberally coat the ribs (both sides) with your favorite Rub Mix, or simply salt & pepper.

Grill for about 20-25 minutes, flipping the ribs every 5 minutes or so. If desired, your favorite barbecue sauce can be brushed on during the last 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

link to printable version:

http://209.245.59.195/Gimme/65832736/1571101525/69069876/B33581A9-CD08-40D7-9275-24ED694A5EC5/0.973643/2/buttermilk.doc