Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Pork Chops & Grilled Vegetables

These pork chops are from the quarter hog we bought through our farm. They are not nearly as lean as commercial pork so you need to be sure to watch for flare-ups as the fat renders.

Remember the Fourth Rule Of Cooking: Brine your poultry. Brine your pork. With pork, I usually add something sweet to the brine. Today I used honey. I brined this for about 10 hours but that's very flexible. Adjust your salt content up or down depending on the time.

I used Penzey's Ozark Seasoning as a rub on these.

Grill over low heat for 6-8 minutes per side. Let rest for at least five minutes.


Peel & slice zucchini into medallions.

Skewer, rub with olive oil, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Grill until done, turning frequently, about 15 minutes.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Ribs

We don't make ribs all that often, but I love them. They're pretty straight forward to make.

Rub the ribs with a rub. Usually I blend our own, but this time I used Penzey's BBQ 3000 rub. I'm generally suspicious of pre-made rubs since you don't know the quality or freshness of the ingredients, but I've come to trust Penzey's.

Grill over indirect, low heat for a long time - 2-3 hours. Since we have a gas grill, I put a pan of soaked wood chips over a lit burner for that good, smoky flavor.

When they look almost done, remove from heat, wrap in foil, and put into a paper bag for one hour. Don't skip this step; it make them moist and tender.
Add your favorite home-made sauce to the ribs and cut into two-rip pieces.


Laurie made this shreadded beet salad, although we both agreed that roasted beets are better.

The bread we got from Parthenon Foods, a Greek grocery on the south side. It's a great little store.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Acacia Cutting Board

We picked up this cutting board from Lowe's, of all places. It's made of acacia wood and is quite heavy.