RIBS...chez moi

I've been reading this book over the weekend. And I gotta say snacking up a storm. I realized that I probably would enjoy every recipe in the book, unfortunately I'm going to have to buy myself a copy instead of renewing it continually at the library. I went to the Co-op to replenish my lottery ticket on saturday and was walking around the store, I haven't been in this particular one for ages, I used to live in the neighborhood and have forgotten how much I enjoyed the smallness of the store. Even though it's half the size of most of the others in the city, its a great store. One doesn't have the feeling of exhaustion roaming the aisles. Since I haven't been in it for a bit I went for a stroll and managed to pick-up a few things including a rack a ribs. Only because they looked good and happened to be on sale (one of my new years resolutions - it must be on sale if Im going to buy meat products that are not currently in the freezer)

As I was reading, and enjoying this book I figured It really needed to be tested just for accuracy sake etc. So I decided the rib recipe should be tested, not because I had some of them in the fridge, but the story behind the recipe was interesting. And I have to say hear, that every recipe has a story in the book. I love cookbooks like this.

Her recipe:

Apricot Ribs
6-8 servings

4 racks spareribs
salt and pepper
2 cups apricot jam or marmalade
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 scant tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 c water

Season ribs and lay them don bone side up in roasting pan. Everything else gets put into pot and heated till melting then dumped over the ribs blah blah blah...its not rocket science from here.

Well, I thought I had my own apricot jam, but after much searching of the basement, none was found. Wow that was a surprise, then I cleaned the fridge out and none there. Bummer....another new years rule was "no grocery shopping if at least 5 things aren't on the list, made do - or do something else" I also don't do a large grocery shopping every 2 weeks anymore either. It's only quick pick ups when I need more than 5 things and since I tend to go to at least 3 different locations around the city in a given week, I make a point of going somewhere different instead of the usual place at least once in awhile.
No apricot jam but several plum jam where available, so that's what I used (it was either plum, or strawberry or blueberry) I figured the plum would add a nice demention of color to the ribs.
And since I had only 1 large rack of ribs, I halfed the recipe.

My recipe

1 rack of ribs
Peal of the ucky thin skin off the bone side (it's there, it always is, it MUST be taken off. And it's easy, just pick one corner off and pull --- hard.
Cut ribs into sections of 3 bones and put them into a freezer bag and dump in equal portions of soya sauce, lea and perrins, and balsamic vinegar. Set aside and take the laundry out of the dryer, vacuum ---turn the bag over, and set aside

Into a pot, goes
1 cup plum jam
1 tbsp lea and perrin
1 tbsp lime juice (didn't have any lemons)
1 tbsp honey dijon mustard (that's what I had)
1/4 cup water
after melting the mess down I tasted it and decided it needed
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
scant squirt sriracha hot chili sauce (red rooster brand)
scant shake (and I mean scant) McCormick's smoked paprika, and ancho chili pepper
after tasting this....good to go

I didn't really need the water, next time will leave it out.
I removed the ribs from the freezer bag, lined a pan with parchment and put the whole mess into toaster oven, convection combo thing. At 425 for 1/2 hour bone side up. Then turned oven down to 325 for about 1- 1 1/2, I can't remember and I also turned them a couple times and repeatedly put more sauce over them. After what seemed like a bit ( I was sewing a quilt top, so kinda lost track of time here) before turning temp down to 200 I sectioned the ribs indivually and smushed then around the remaining sauce in pan and returned them to oven for about 1/2 hour.

Best ribs I ate, Don't know why I never made them with jam before. But will every time from now on.....

I bought a bunch of beets at the store the same trip and they are roasting away in the toaster, convection combo expecting to be put into the Beet Hummus that the author promises to be a "beautiful thing-hot pink hummus"