The Freshman Cook: November 2013

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Netflix for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Here in The Freshman Cook household, we are eagerly awaiting Thanksgiving Day and the entire Thanksgiving weekend! We have lots of big plans in the works, such as eating lots and lots of food, shopping till we drop, laughing and sharing with friends and relatives, creating a Christmas craft or two, and relaxing!!! Mostly relaxing!!!! One of our favorite ways to relax is to cook a great meal at home, and then snuggle down with a movie from Netflix!

I know you have heard of Netflix, but have you tried it? You really need to!! Netflix is just wonderful because you can enjoy your favorite TV show or movie anytime and anywhere you want. And when I say, anywhere, I mean it. Watch your show on an iPad in your kitchen, on the big screen in the family room, or even on your phone while you are waiting in line at the grocery!What a great way to reduce the stress while shopping this weekend!!

We will definitely be watching Netflix Thanksgiving day while the turkey is cooking! Some of our favorites to watch are Revenge (we are still catching up), comedian Kevin Hart, and one of my very favorites, Next Great Baker ! I also just saw my all time favorite Christmas movie listed, White Christmas!! Love it!!

Not sure what you would watch? There are so many movies and TV shows to choose from! Netflix wants to make it easy to bring your family together on Turkey Day. Just log in and they will suggest shows and movies for you to watch while your turkey is baking.

But what are you cooking for the rest of the weekend? I will be cooking this recipe for Freddy’s Sticky Saucy Ribs. Netflix is showcasing Chef Curtis Stone and this recipe created just for Netflix. Try it out. I’ll let you know how we liked it!! Let me know what you think!

So, this weekend when you are ready to unwind and just relax~think Netflix!

Freddy’s Sticky Saucy Barbecued Ribs

Every time I’m watching “House of Cards” on Netflix, I want to taste those ribs that Frank eats from Freddy’s BBQ Joint. Now we all can sink our teeth into those sticky saucy ribs right along with Frank! These ribs are served with a barbecue sauce more like the one you’ll find in North Carolina (where Frank is from originally) – one with plenty of vinegar, mustard, and a touch of heat. I’ve included two cooking methods for you to try – the original true barbecue method where the ribs are slowly smoked in the barbecue, and the quicker oven-baked version – both are finger lickin’ good!

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 5 hours (includes marinating time)

Cook Time: 4 1/2 hours (for barbecued ribs) or 2 1/2 hours (for oven-baked ribs)

Make-Ahead: The barbecue sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated; reheat before using.

Ingredients

Spice Rub:

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

Barbecue Sauce:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 yellow onion, chopped 

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup whiskey 

1 1/4 cups cider vinegar 

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup honey

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ribs:

4 racks pork baby back ribs (2 1/2-pounds each)

3/4 cup cider vinegar

Optional Special Equipment to Barbecue the Ribs:

One 13 × 9-inch (or larger) disposable aluminum foil pan

3 cups hickory wood chips, soaked in cold water to cover for 1 hour

Clean spray bottle

Method

To prepare the spice rub:

The day before you cook the ribs, make the spice rub. In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, and cumin together. Place the ribs on 2 large baking sheets and rub the ribs all over with the spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Meanwhile, to make the barbecue sauce:

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic is tender.
Stir in the paprika, then stir in the whisky and vinegar, bring just to a simmer, and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bring the sauce to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often to prevent scorching, for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.

To barbecue the ribs:

Prepare an outdoor grill for low cooking over indirect heat: For a gas grill, place the foil pan over one or two unlit burners and half-fill the pan with water. Turn on the remaining burner(s) and heat the grill to 300°F. Spread 1 cup of the drained wood chips on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the foil directly on the lit burner and wait until the chips are smoking before you add the ribs to the grill.
For a charcoal grill, place the foil pan on the charcoal grate on one side of the grill and half-fill the pan with water. Build a charcoal fire on the other side and let it burn until the coals are covered with white ash and you can hold your hand just above the cooking grate for 4 to 5 seconds. (To check the temperature more accurately, cover the grill and drop a long-stemmed metal candy thermometer through the top vent; it should register about 300°F.) Sprinkle 1 cup of the drained wood chips over the coals.
Combine the vinegar and 3/4 cup water in the spray bottle. Season the ribs with the salt. Place the ribs on the cooking grate over the water-filled pan. (Don’t worry if the ribs extend over the pan, as the pan will still catch the majority of the dripping juices.) Grill, with the lid closed, turning the ribs over and spraying them every 45 minutes or so with the vinegar mixture, adding another cup of drained wood chips at the same intervals, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is just tender. For a charcoal grill, you will need to add 12 ignited charcoal briquettes (or the equivalent in hardwood charcoal) to the fire along with the chips every 45 minutes to maintain the grill temperature. (Light the charcoal in a chimney starter on a fire-safe surface, or use a small portable grill or hibachi.) For either grill, do not add more wood chips after the 1 hour and 30 minute point, as too much smoke will give the ribs a bitter flavor.
Once the ribs are tender, begin brushing them lightly with the barbecue sauce every few minutes or so, allowing the sauce to set before applying the next coat. Continue brushing the ribs with the sauce, turning occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the meat has shrunk from the ends of the bones. Transfer the ribs to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Alternatively, to bake the ribs:

Position the racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover the ribs on the baking sheets with foil. Bake the ribs, rotating the baking sheets and basting the ribs after the first 45 minutes, and recovering them with foil, for 1 1/2 hours, or until the ribs are tender and the meat has shrunk from the ends of the bones.
Uncover the ribs, baste them with the barbecue sauce and continue baking for 10 minutes, brushing them lightly with the barbecue sauce every few minutes or so, allowing the sauce to set before applying the next coat.

To serve: