Baby Back Ribs

4th of July is right around the corner! This means grilling, barbecue, and fireworks :) An independence day tradition at my mom's house is baby back ribs! She slathers the ribs in barbecue and grills them to perfection! All the while singing the baby-back ribs song from Austin Powers :) Sadly, I don't have a grill in my home, so I am including an oven recipe!


Baby Back Ribs
1 rack Pork Loin Back Ribs
1 tbsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
17 oz bottle Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse the ribs with cold water to remove excess blood.
3. Place ribs onto a sheet pan and sprinkle on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping the ribs halfway.
5. In the meantime, mix sauce, honey, and sugar together to incorporate.
6. Spoon and spread the mixture onto the ribs after the first 20 minutes. Flip after about 10 minutes, and then coat the other side the same way. 
7. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly on each side and then repeat the process.
8. Remove from the oven and slice the ribs into individual slices.
9. Lay the ribs down on their sides and coat the sides with sauce. Allow to bake for another 5-10 minutes and repeat on the other side, so that you use the rest of the sauce.
10. Turn off the oven and allow the sauce to glaze over in the heat. This will ensure that the barbecue flavor seeps into the meat.
11. Once the sauce glazes over, serve. That process should take about 10 minutes.

If you don't have a grill, don't worry! You can make delicious barbecue style food in the oven :) These ribs also can easily be grilled, with a similar process. The time that it cooks should be slower, and sauce should be spread more often. Once cooked, slice and allow the ribs to get a glaze in the oven.

Brown Sugar Porkchops

If your team has won/lost the Superbowl (or didn't make it.... like my team), find comfort in food!!! The most wonderful way to deal with a loss/celebrate a victory- comfort food for the soul :)

Many people shy away from pork, because it is often associated with a high fat content and seen as a more "dirty" meat. However, pork made right is very full of flavor. This recipe is one that my mom taught me when I was growing up. It's one of the first meals that I made for my family, and it's a very simple and delicious recipe to make for your family and friends. Finish with a little apple to give a fruity, tangy crunch in contrast to the chewy, tender pork chop. Be sure to cook this on medium heat because the sugar will caramelize and then burn.

Brown Sugar Porkchops (Makes 4 Pork Chops)
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Flour
4 Pork Chops
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Butter
2 Apples
2 tbsp Maple Syrup

1. Mix brown sugar and flour together in a bowl with a shallow, wide mouth.
2. Season each side of the pork chops with pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
3. Coat the pork chops completely with the brown sugar mixture.
4. Heat a pan to high, and add 1/2 the butter. Sear the pork chop for 30 seconds on each side.
5. Then, lower the heat to medium-low and cover.
6. Cook for 1 minute at a time, flipping between each minute.
7. The pork should cook for about 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat, it will vary.
8. Remove the pork from heat and slice the apples. Add the slices to the pan and mix with maple syrup.
9. Cook until the apples soften slightly.
10. Place apples onto the plate and add the pork chop. Serve with some rice, veggies, or potatoes :)

The most difficult thing about this recipe is temperature control. The sugar will burn easily, but char is not a bad thing. Having a little smoky flavor is fine, but it should be managed. You want color on the meat, so you need a good sear, but controlling the heat after the sear is key to maintaining a proper color. The sweetness gives a great balance to the flavor of the pork, and this recipe is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to make a yummy dinner for 4 (or more)!