Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times - Mark Bittman [91]
THIS IS THE way to get tender, moist ribs without burning them. They take some time, but not much attention.
2 to 4 racks spareribs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Start a not-too-fierce fire on a covered grill big enough to bank the coals to one side once they get hot (on a gas grill, turn the heat to medium on one side and keep it off on the other; if there are three burners, you can light the 2 side ones and cook in the middle). When the grill is hot, put the spareribs on the less hot part of the grill, and cover the grill. Walk away for about 30 minutes.
2. Turn the ribs and continue to cook them, adding to the fire if necessary. They should be browning very slowly, firming up, and drying out. When the meat begins to pull away from the bone and the meat between the bones is easily pierced with a thin-bladed knife, the meat is nearly done. At this point you can cool the ribs slightly, then wrap well in foil and put in the refrigerator or continue to cook.
3. When you’re ready to serve the ribs, brown them on both sides over direct heat, being careful not to burn them. When they’re done, season them with salt and pepper and serve.
CHINESE-STYLE SLOW-COOKED RIBS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TOTAL TIME: 3 HOURS
THIS IS A really easy dish that takes some time. But once you get it started (which will take just five minutes or so), you can all but ignore it during the cooking, just checking every now and then to turn the ribs and make sure the liquid doesn’t dry out.
To make this into a whole-meal stew, use two cups of water and add some peeled and chunked carrots or turnips, whole pearl onions or shallots, or all of these. Some shredded cabbage added during the last half hour or so of cooking is also good.
2 pounds pork spareribs, cut into pieces, or beef short ribs
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 whole star anise
1 small dried chile
5 slices fresh ginger (don’t bother to peel)
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
2 teaspoons sugar
1. Combine the meat, ¼ cup soy sauce, the anise, chile, ginger, garlic, and sugar with ½ cup of water in a skillet just broad enough to hold the meat.
2. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours or so, turning the meat occasionally and adding water ½ cup at a time if and when the pan dries out. The meat is done when it is tender and nearly falling from the bone.
VEGETABLES
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN
GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON DRESSING
ROSEMARY-LEMON WHITE BEAN DIP
GREEN BEANS AND TOMATOES
BEET ROESTI WITH ROSEMARY
STEAMED BROCCOLI WITH BEURRE NOISETTE
GLAZED CARROTS
CAULIFLOWER WITH GARLIC AND ANCHOVY
GRILLED CORN
GRILLED EGGPLANT DIP
ENDIVES BRAISED IN BROTH WITH PARMESAN
FENNEL WITH OLIVE OIL DIPPING SAUCE
FENNEL GRATIN
FIGS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE
COOL COOKED GREENS WITH LEMON
STIR-FRIED LEEKS WITH GINGER
PORCINI-SCENTED “WILD” MUSHROOM SAUTÉ
SAUTÉED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
GARLIC-MUSHROOM FLAN
MARINATED OLIVES
ROASTED PEPPERS
GRILLED RED PEPPERS WITH OLIVE OIL AND SHERRY VINEGAR
CANAPÉS WITH PIQUILLO PEPPERS AND ANCHOVIES
ROAST NEW POTATOES WITH ROSEMARY
NEW POTATOES WITH BUTTER AND MINT
FAST POTATO GRATIN
MASHED POTATOES
PAN-CRISPED POTATOES
QUICK SCALLION PANCAKES
TENDER SPINACH AND CRISP SHALLOTS
CURRIED TOFU WITH SOY SAUCE
SIMMERED TOFU WITH GROUND PORK (MA-PO TOFU)
SPANISH TORTILLA
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 25 MINUTES
THERE ARE TWO things I love about pencil-thin asparagus: one is that it requires no peeling, because its outer sheath is far more tender than that of its thick cousin; the other is that it cooks much faster.
This is especially important when you turn to methods other than boiling or steaming—most notably roasting. What I like to do is roast thin spears until they’re just about tender, then top them with a foolproof two-ingredient topping: coarse bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Run that under the broiler, and you get roasted asparagus with a crunchy, high-impact crust. Keep your eye on the dish while it’s under the broiler