Boneless Baby Back Rib Sandwich with Hot and Sweet Mustard Slaw Recipe

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If you like baby back ribs, slaw and homemade bread then this recipe is for you! All three component parts are easy to make and the beauty of it is that you can [and I recommend] make everything the day before.

This recipe suggests that the 2 racks of ribs will serve 4 people but whomever they are they're big eaters. I made 1 rack and the portion pictured is 13+ ounces. Add the slaw and you have one whopper of a sandwich.

It is very important to watch the videos because they will include some important preparation tips. Also, making your own bread is the icing on the cake but if you are not so inclined then look for something suitable at your grocery store. 

Ingredients:

2 Racks of Baby Back Ribs

Dry Rub (this is a very good rub) or just use your own

1/3 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Procedure:
Season the racks generously with a dry rub. Wrap in foil, and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Remove the racks to a cutting board until the bones have cooled to where you can handle them without getting burnt. After you pull the bones refrigerate the meat until cold, then cut, sauce, and grill to finish. Watch the video below. 

Hot and Sweet Mustard Slaw

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 pound cabbage, cut in 1/2 inch slices

1 tablespoon table salt

For the dressing:

1/4 cup mayo

2 tablespoons Dijon

1 tablespoon grain mustard

1 to 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

fresh chives to garnish

Watch The Video Below

Enjoy! 

Coleslaw with Tomatoes

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1/2 Head of cabbage
2 Carrots
1/2 Medium red onion
1/2 Medium Tomato 
Salt and pepper to taste
Hellmann's mayo

Shred the cabbage, carrots and onion then add the chopped tomato. 

Add the mayo according to your tastes, mix and adjust for taste with salt and pepper.

Tuna & Egg Salad

1- 7 ounces water packed solid albacore

3 large eggs steamed for 10 minutes

1 tsp spicy brown mustard

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1 heaping tsp diced red onion

1 tsp tarragon

salt

pepper

Barr's Homemade Mayo or Hellman's

slices of water packed roasted red peppers

After the the eggs have been steamed, rinse them in cold water until cool. Peel and take to a small chopping board.

Cut the eggs in half, remove the yolks and them place in a small bowl. Add a Tbs of mayo and mix until the yolks form a stiff paste. Then add in a few tablespoons of mayo and stir to combine. Remember, its better to add too little mayo than too much. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the tuna and break up the chunks with a fork. Then cut the egg whites into semi-large chunks, add to the bowl and gently mix to combine.

Into the mixing bowl add the mustard, lemon juice, red onions and tarragon with a pinch or 2 of salt and pepper, mix to combine. Add additional mayo if needed and salt/pepper if needed.

Place in the fridge to give the salad a chance to let the different flavors to meld.

Serve on bread or a green leafy bed.

Enjoy!

Barr's Homemade Mayonnaise

Muffuletta (muffaletta) Italian Sandwich Recipe

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In terms of its primary ingredients, the very flavorful muffuletta sandwich is not much different than an Italian submarine sandwich, aka, a hoagie or Po Boy.

The traditional muffuletta replaces the condiments like tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, etc. with Italian olive salad.

So what is Italian olive salad?

Well my favorite is Boscoli brand who lists its ingredients as a medley of pickled cauliflower, carrots, celery, green olives, black olives and capers, combined with our special blend of spices and select oils. Note that green olive is the primary ingredient … hence the name – olive salad.

What you will need:

Nice crispy bread
ham
salami
provolone cheese
mozzarella cheese (optional)
Italian olive salad
Before you build your sandwich, spread several tablespoons of the olive salad on both the top and bottom halves of the bread. Cover and let the oil and penetrate into the bread for one hour turning over after 30 minutes.
Then layer the meats and cheeses in the proportions you decide. I like to put down a foundation of ham and salami, then slices of each of the cheeses and continue upwards.

You can eat a muffuletta at room temp or warm in the oven. I always warm mine so you have to build the sandwich on a large sheet of aluminum foil and then seal tightly.

Place the sandwich onto a baking sheet and then into a preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the meat is warm and the cheese has melted. Even better, insert the probe of a corded digital thermometer sideways through the foil and into the center of the sandwich. Set alarm for 135 degrees.

Unwrap, slice and enjoy!

Balsamic Vinaigrette

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ Cup quality Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp Honey
¼ tsp powdered Mustard

¼ tsp dried Basil

¼ tsp Tarragon

¼ tsp Garlic Powder

Whisk in a small bowl or shake vigorously in a salad dressing shaker. 

Homemade Pickled Vegetable Medley

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This recipe is for a gallon jar.

1 Small Cauliflower (buds cut into bite sized pieces)

12 Radishes (halved)

1 Large Red Onion (sliced and rings separated)

2 Zucchinis (quartered, seeds removed)  

2 Cucumbers (same as above)

1 Yellow Squash (same as above)

For the Brine:

4 Bay Leaves

1 TBSP Coriander Seeds

1 TBS Celery Seeds

1/4 Heaping Cup Kosher Salt

4 Cups White Vinegar

4 Cups water

Wash and cut the veggies and toss in a very large mixing bowl and place them in a  sanitized 1 gallon lidded jar.

Place the brine ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the bay leaves and pour the hot brine over the veggies. Let cool, cover, wait a week, refrigerate and wait at least 48 hours before trying them.

As for the brine you can use it in a salad and just add some virgin oil as I do or you can use it for a a variety of medicinal uses as described thru the link provided below.

Uses for Pickle Juices

Dressings For Veggie Salads

33 Salad Dressings

Tuna Melt Sandwich Supreme

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There are tuna melts and then there are tuna melts and this one was off the chain.


2 Slices of quality bread (I used Pepperidge Farm Sourdough)    
2 Slices premium crispy bacon
1 1/2 slices of American cheese
Thinly sliced tomatoes seeds removed
Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard
Dill pickle slices
Capers

The Tuna:  

Kirkland (Costco) solid white canned tuna (Albacore) in water
1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp diced onion
2 Tbsp diced celery

Spread the tuna in a piece of toasted bread, scatter the bacon on top as well as the pickle slices and a few dollops of mustard (maybe fewer than pictured). Make sure that all of the bread is covered with the tuna mix otherwise the bread will burn. 

Place under broiler (second rack from the top) to heat/warm the tuna, etc.


Remove and add the tomatoes and put back in the oven to heat/warm the tomatoes

Remove once again when the tomatoes are warmed and add the cheese returning it to oven...turn off the oven and pop another slice of bread in the toaster 

Remove the sandwich from the oven, spread some mayo on the bottom side of the remaining piece of toast to complete your sandwich.  Enjoy! 

Note: The next time I'll strategically place a few whole capers on top to the tuna like I did here with the mustard and bacon.

Barr's Homemade Mayonnaise

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1 Whole Large Egg + 1 Yolk 
2 TBS White Wine Vinegar (Not distilled)
1/2 tsp fine grain salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1 - 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil 
1/2 heaping tsp powdered mustard

In a beaker, add the oil, then drop the eggs so they settle into the bottom. 

Then add in the remaining ingredients and let stand for 20 minutes. 

Submerge a stick blender to the bottom of the beaker and pulse on high speed until the eggs and oil begin to emulsify.

Then raise and lower the blender emulsifying the remainder of the liquid which by now has gotten very thick. 

If there is a little oil on the top just hand mix it in with the rest, use immediately or place in an air tight container and refrigerate.    

If you are wondering how long your mayo will last in the fridge I can't say for sure. But anything that acids like vinegar and lemon will extend its longevity. 

Also, the more air in the container the quicker it will spoil. Therefore, it would be prudent to start with a container barely fits all of the mayo. Then 1/2 of the mayo has been consumed transfer to a smaller container. 

Below is a link to the procedural video. Please ensure that whenever you use an immersion blender make sure that you unplug it before you try to recover any of the mayo from around the blade. 

Chef John @ Foodwishes.com

Classic Tuna Salad (inspired by Cooks Illustrated) Recipe

Classic Tuna Salad

2 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna in water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Dill Weed

2 tablespoons minced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped pickles (sweet or dill)

1/2 small clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1/8 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Barr's Homemade Mayo - It's easy to make

Egg Salad Recipe

Egg Salad

Makes 2 1/2 cups, enough for 4 sandwiches.

Ingredients
6 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 medium stalk celery , chopped fine (about 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper
Instructions

1. Do NOT boil your eggs because this will make it more difficult to remove the shell. You need to steam the eggs in a steamer or in a pot with no more than an inch of water in the pot. Place your eggs in the water and turn up the temp to medium high and place a cover over the pot but tilted so the steam can escape. After about 10 minutes remove the lid and fill the pot with cold water to stop the cooking process. You may need to try this a few times to see what works best for you.

2. After the eggs have cooled a bit, gently crack the shell on the side of a hard surface and remove the shell while submerged in the water filled pot.

2. Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl, including pepper to taste. Serve. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)


Barr's Homemade Mayo - It's easy to make