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McCain Shows Rachael Ray His Ribs

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:00:44 -0700

On Monday, John McCain took a detour from the typical campaign trail to make his special baby back ribs recipe on Rachael Ray's daytime show. Here are some interesting things I learned from watching him demonstrate his signature dish on TV:

Apparently, the potential president gets his ribs from Costco. Rachael Ray seemed surprised: "I've been to Costco, [but] I just didn't picture you two with a cart!"
To my surprise, McCain seemed very confident in his cooking skills. "Is he always this take-charge?" the host and chef asked Cindy McCain. Her answer was a definitive "yes."
The senator even had some good tips, such as always grilling bone side down, which helps to cook the meat from the inside out.

The segment was a fun way to get to know the candidate outside of his usual element. To check out the clip of McCain cooking with Ray, read more.

Do you feel like you learned anything different about him? If you tuned in to watch Michelle Obama cook with Paula Deen this past Saturday, whose cooking did you prefer?

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Brined, Bourbon-Glazed, Spice-Rubbed Turkey Is Deliciously Juicy

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:39 -0800

Last year, after reading countless turkey recipes, I finally decided on one from a somewhat unexpected source: Every Day With Rachael Ray. I didn't follow the method exactly - the magazine's recipe grills a turkey breast and I roasted a whole turkey - but I used the brine, spice rub, and glaze recommended. The resulting turkey, with a fiery brown color and slightly charred skin, was fabulously moist and super flavorful. The meat was so succulent it almost didn't need gravy. To check out the recipe, read more.

Bourbon-Glazed Spiced Rubbed Turkey
Modified From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

4 cups apricot nectar
4 cups apple juice, plus more for basting
2-1/5 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup salt
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 turkey (ours was 18 pounds)
1 cup bourbon
1 cup honey
1 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons paprika
4 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 stick of butter, at room temperature

Directions

In a large pot, combine 8 cups water with the apricot nectar, apple juice, 1 cup brown sugar, the granulated sugar, salt, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and stir, then remove from the heat and let cool.
Place the turkey in the brine. Cover the turkey with foil and refrigerate overnight.
In a container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the bourbon, honey, vinegar and 1 cup brown sugar. Shake vigorously to blend; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar with the paprika, mustard, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and butter to form a paste.
Dry the turkey with a paper towel and rub the paste all over the turkey.
Roast the turkey for about 45 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue roasting, brushing with some of the bourbon glaze every 20 minutes, for about 1 hour, 15 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh should register 160 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven, brush with the remaining glaze, loosely tent and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8-10.

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Sunday Dinner: Spice Rubbed Turkey Breast With Orange Sauce

partysugar — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:32:31 -0700

Turkey is such a wonderful and delicious meat that it shouldn't only be cooked on Thanksgiving. Fresh turkey breasts - which roast or grill much quicker than a whole turkey -can be found at grocery stores year round, so why not make it tonight?

To maximize flavor this turkey is brined, before being rubbed with a fragrant mixture of spices. A scrumptious sour orange sauce accompanies the moist turkey meat. To take a look at this recipe, read more.

Spice Rubbed Turkey Breast With Orange Sauce
From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

2 quarts cold water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 boneless turkey breast, 4 to 5 pounds
Spanish Spice Rub, recipe follows
Vegetable oil
4 oranges, halved
Sour Orange Sauce, recipe follows
Flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

Place water in a large bowl or plastic container. Whisk in salt and sugar and let sit 5 minutes to dissolve. Add the turkey breast, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
Heat grill to medium-high. Remove turkey from the brining solution, rinse well under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Rub the skin side of the turkey with the rub. Using tongs, dip paper towels into the oil and oil the grates of the grill.
Place the turkey on the grill, rub side down and grill until slightly charred and a crust has formed, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat of the grill to medium, turn the turkey over and continue cooking, with the lid closed for 30 to 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast registers 155 degrees F (the temperature will continue to rise off the heat). Remove from the heat, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Slice into 1/2-inch thick slices.
While turkey is resting, brush the cut side of oranges with oil and place cut side down on the grill and grill until slightly charred.
Ladle sour orange sauce onto a platter and top with the sliced turkey. Garnish with grilled oranges and parsley leaves.

Serves 8.

Spanish Spice Rub:

6 tablespoons Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons cumin seeds, ground
1 tablespoon mustard seeds, ground
4 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground
4 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Whisk together in a bowl.

Sour Orange Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup honey
8 cups homemade chicken stock
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the orange juice, lime juice, zest, and honey and cook until reduced by half
Add the chicken stock and cook until thickened to a sauce consistency and reduced to about 2 cups.
Strain the sauce into a bowl, whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the parsley and serve hot.

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Today's Special: Moroccan-Rubbed Grilled Steak & Sweet Potatoes

partysugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:58:56 -0800

My sister is a huge procrastinator. She waits until the last minute, buckles down under pressure, and then produces a fabulous finish. If you are anything like her, you've waited until this morning to figure out the menu for Valentine's Day dinner. Luckily I'm not a procrastinator and have found an easy, yet exceptional recipe for your last minute romantic dinner: a steak seasoned with Moroccan spices and served with sweet potatoes. Definitely not your everyday meal, the spice rub infuses the meat and the potatoes to create juicy, excellent end results. Toss in a simple sautéed spinach side and a glass of Zinfandel. Dim the lights, turn up the mood music and voila(!) instant Valentine's Day dinner. To turn up the heat with this meal, read more

Moroccan-Rubbed Grilled Steak & Sweet Potatoes
From Eating Well

1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound strip steak, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 4 portions
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled and very thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Preheat grill to high.
Combine allspice, cumin, ginger, salt, cinnamon, coriander and cayenne
in a small bowl.
Sprinkle steaks with 4 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mixture.
Toss sweet potatoes and onion with canola oil, orange zest and the remaining spice mixture.
To make a packet, lay 2 24-inch sheets of foil on top of each other (the double layers will help protect the ingredients from burning); generously coat the top piece with cooking spray. Spread half of the sweet potato mixture in the center of the foil in a thin layer. Bring the short ends of foil together, fold over and pinch to seal. Pinch the seams together along the sides to seal the packet.
Repeat with two more sheets of foil and the remaining sweet potato mixture.
Place the packets on the hottest part of the grill and cook, switching the packets' positions on the grill halfway through cooking, 5 minutes per side.
Place the steaks in the front or back and cook, turning once, about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Transfer the steaks to plates and let rest while the packets finish cooking. Open the packets (be careful of steam) and serve alongside the steaks.

Serves 4.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 337 calories; 18 g fat (6 g sat, 8 g mono); 69 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 3 g fiber; 347 mg sodium; 480 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (220% daily value), Zinc (26% dv), Vitamin C (20% dv). 1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 medium-fat meats, 1 fat

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Do You Make Spice Rubs?

partysugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:15:24 -0700

Sunday BBQ: Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa

partysugar — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:08:05 -0700

As much as I love a delicious grilled steak and a juicy bbq chicken, sometimes I get a little tired of the classic standbys. A whole salmon screams summer and makes for a perfect dinner party dish. Serve with a side salad and grilled tomatoes for a scrumptious, healthy well balanced meal. Pour a chilled white wine, sit back and relax because it's Sunday. Anxious to start your grocery shopping now? Well to get the recipe: read more

Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Spicy Cucumber Salsa
From Martha Stewart

1 tablespoon each whole coriander, cumin, dill, and yellow-mustard seeds
2 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
whole four-pound side of salmon, skin on, small bones and excess fat removed
Olive oil
Spicy Cucumber Salsa, recipe below

Combine all seeds in a skillet over medium heat; toast, shaking pan, until aromatic, 4 to 6 minutes. Grind seeds coarsely in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
Transfer to a bowl; add salt, pepper, and sugar.
Rub spice mixture into flesh side of salmon. Let stand 30 minutes; if not grilling right away, refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 days. Let salmon come to room temperature before grilling.
Heat grill to hot; coals should be glowing red, and rack should be very hot. Brush both sides of salmon and hot rack with oil
Grill salmon (if using a gas grill, close lid while cooking), flesh side down, until firm and slightly charred, 4 to 8 minutes.
Carefully turn salmon using 2 large spatulas. Cook 4 to 6 minutes more, or until mostly opaque but slightly translucent and cooked through.
Serve with cucumber salsa.

Serves 8.

Spicy Cucumber Salsa
From Martha Stewart

2 seedless cucumbers (2 pounds)
2 medium shallots, peeled and trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh mint, chopped medium fine
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Peel cucumbers in strips for a striped effect. Cut in half lengthwise; remove any seeds. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices.
Combine cucumbers, shallots, jalapeno, and mint.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in olive oil until combined. Pour over cucumbers, and toss gently to combine. Serve.

Makes 6 cups.

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Southern (Indian) Thanksgiving

Yum Community — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:30:42 -0800

This story was written by member courtneyd and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.

For a few years now I've wanted to try to marry the traditional Southern Indian food my husband grew up enjoying with Thanksgiving as I know it (Southern girl with a love of spice and heat). So this year I did a trial run of a tandoori-style turkey made in the oven.

By next year I hope to build my own tandoor, or at least grill this guy, because it needs a little more heat to crisp up properly. Even so, the meal turned out great! Tandoori turkey, tamarind gravy, creamed saag, masala mashed potatoes, and Whole Foods' naan, which has a slight dinner roll texture, so it works out perfectly for this blended meal. The tamarind gravy was an original creation (that I cannot believe turned out properly, it was sooooo good), and the other recipes were either inspired by or taken directly from The Food of India from Whitecap Books. I love their "food of" series, and my husband is impressed with the Indian recipes.

For the turkey, I followed the instructions from November's Martha Stewart Living to spatchcock a turkey and cooked according to their instructions after marinating for about 7 hours. Not including the marinade time, this meal came together in about 2 hours on a Friday night. Also, we discovered New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc complements Indian food perfectly.

To get her recipes for this Southern Indian feast, keep reading.

Beer-Can Chicken Is Summer Barbecue at Its Best

partysugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:00:42 -0700

Although this delectable chicken looks like he's running away, he's actually perched atop a beer can! Grilling chicken on an aluminum can is an excellent way to ensure that the meat stays moist and succulent. While it cooks, the beer evaporates and flavors the chicken's inside cavity. There's lots of ways to season the outside of a beer-can chicken, but I think the most satisfying is a classic spicy-sweet barbecue rub with a finger-licking good homemade sauce. My dad has a metal can holder that makes grilling a little easier, however, this tool is not necessary: one can cook the chicken on the can alone. To learn the technique to this campfire favorite, read more.

Beer Can Chicken
From Steven Raichlen

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) can beer
1 (31/2 to 4 pound) chicken
2 tablespoons Basic Barbecue Rub, recipe follows
2 cups barbecue sauce
4 to 6 cups hickory or apple wood chips, soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, drained

Directions

Pop the tab off the beer can. Using a church key style can opener, make a few more holes in the top of the can. Pour out half the beer into the soaking water of the wood chips. Set the can of beer aside.
Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat the grill to high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities.
Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water, drain, and blot dry inside and out with paper towels.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the rub inside the body and neck cavities of the chicken. Rub the bird all over on the outside with 2 teaspoons of the rub. If you have the patience, you can put some of the rub under the skin being careful not to tear it.
Spoon the remaining 2 teaspoons of rub through the holes into the beer in the can. Don't worry if it foams up, this is normal. Insert the beer can into the body cavity of the chicken and spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod. Tuck the wing tips behind the chicken's back.
When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all the wood chips on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour.
Using tongs, carefully transfer the chicken in its upright position on the beer can to a platter and present it to your guests. Let rest 5 minutes, and then carefully remove the chicken from the beer can. Take care not to spill the hot beer and burn yourself. Quarter or carve the chicken and serve with barbecue sauce.

Serves 4.

Basic Barbecue Rub:
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon hickory salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne powder

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to blend together. Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat or light and it will keep for at least 6 months.

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Sunday BBQ: Barbecued Ribs

partysugar — Sun, 25 May 2008 06:00:20 -0700

With Memorial Day being the unofficial start of Summer, it's time to step away from the stove, go outside, and get grilling. To encourage just that we've decided to change things up: instead of featuring a complicated Sunday Dinner, we'll be giving you the best barbecue recipes.

Let's start with a crowd-pleasing classic: barbecued ribs. Succulent and smoky, these ribs are seasoned with both a rub and a homemade bbq sauce. Sound delish? Get the recipe now - read more.

Barbecued Ribs
From Fine Cooking

Ingredients

For the ribs:
2 to 4 slabs of spareribs, preferably with tips attached
For the rub:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup seasoned salt
2 Tbs. garlic salt
1 Tbs. onion salt
1-1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/4 cup sweet Hungarian paprika
1 Tbs. chili powder or seasoning
1 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 tsp. rubbed dried sage
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. cayenne
Pinch ground cloves
For the sauce:
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar; more to taste
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. prepared yellow mustard
1 Tbs. chili powder or seasoning
1-1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/8 tsp. ground mace
2 Tbs. honey
2 cups tomato ketchup

Directions

To make the rub: spread the light brown sugar on a baking sheet and let it dry out for an hour or two to keep it from clumping.
Sift the brown sugar and the remaining rub ingredients together in a bowl; you may have to do this in batches. Stir to combine. Alternatively, put the ingredients in the food processor and pulse to combine.
To make the sauce: in a large saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients. Heat over medium, stirring well to mix and dissolve the spices.
Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 30 min., stirring occasionally.
To prepare the ribs: remove the thick membrane covering the bone side of the slab: Separate the membrane at one end of the slab by slitting it with a knife and forcing your fingers underneath it. Pull it down the length of the slab and discard it. Find the skirt -- the meaty flap that curves down the bottom of the meat side -- and trim off the thick membrane on its edge. Using a sharp knife, cut off the rib tips, cutting parallel to the bottom of the slab. Cut the rib tips into several pieces.
Sprinkle the spice rub amply over both sides of the ribs and tips.
To prepare the fire: using a chimney starter, light 40 to 50 pieces of good-quality lump charcoal. When the coals are glowing, remove them from the starter and stack them on one side of the grill. If you don’t have a chimney starter, stack the charcoal around some crumpled newspaper in a pyramid on one side of the grill and light the newspaper. The coals will be hot in 20 to 30 min.
Add 3 or 4 hand-size pieces of apple or oak hardwood, preferably a little of both, to the stack of coals. Put a pie pan full of water next to the coals. Position the grate so that one of the holes is over the coals so you can add coals and wood chips as needed; otherwise, you’ll have to lift the grate.
When the coals are about 90% white, position the ribs on the grill anywhere but directly over the coals.
Cover the grill with the lid, making sure that the air vent is on the side away from the fire.
Cook the ribs for about 2 hours, maintaining a temperature of 230° to 250°F by adjusting the air vents on the grill as needed. Opening the vents lets in more oxygen and raises the temperature. Add more coal if the temperature drops below 230°F. You’ll likely need to add 15 to 20 coals about 30 minutes after putting the ribs on.
After about 2 to 2-1/2 hours, turn the ribs over. Add some more coals and a few more pieces of hardwood to the fire. Continue cooking the ribs about another 2 hours.
To see if the ribs are done to perfection, take off one of the tip pieces and taste it. You can also tug on one of the ribs; if the meat is cooked, you should be able pull the rib away with ease.
If you want to glaze the meat with the barbecue sauce while they’re cooking, pour some of the sauce into a separate container (to avoid contaminating the whole batch) and brush it on both sides of the ribs about every 15 min. during the last half hour of cooking. Alternatively, you can serve all of the sauce on the side.
Remove the ribs from the grill and let them sit for about 10 min. Cut the slabs into individual ribs and serve hot with extra barbecue sauce on the side.
You can also freeze the ribs in the slab for future great eating. Allow them to cool, wrap them in ample plastic wrap, and freeze. For best results, allow them to defrost in the refrigerator before reheating them in a 225°F oven for about an hour. I reheat mine right in the plastic wrap with no trouble at that low temperature. But you can also reheat them unwrapped in a foil-covered pan. If you want to reheat them on the grill, wrap them in foil.

Serves 6-8.

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Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice

partysugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:50:09 -0800

For years I thought pumpkin pie spice was a special spice - only recently did I realize it's actually a spice blend. And, like any spice blend, be it herbs de Provence or a rub for barbecue, pumpkin pie spice is easy to make. Why waste a couple of bucks buying it when you already have the ingredients in your pantry?! All you have to do is stir together ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and voila! You can use it throughout the holiday season. To get the simple recipe, keep reading.