Saturday, October 24, 2009

I Heart Cooking Clubs: Maple Ribs


This has been a busy week and I have been a real slacker in the kitchen. I was busy getting ready for our eighties themed party today at Lush. We were celebrating our one year anniversary and were lucky enough to have a DJ. The party was so much fun. We "walked like Egyptians", danced to "Walk This Way" by RUN DMC, rocked out to "I love rock and roll", and laughed hysterically when the theme song for Miami Vice started playing. It was a real blast from the past!!

There are a few requirements when dressing like the eighties. First and foremost, you must have leg warmers (neon pink if at all possible). Secondly, it is of the utmost importance to have the correct shade of blue eyeshadow. If you discover that you don't have the correct shade of blue eyeshadow, you must go to Walmart at midnight to rectify this situation! Of course, neon pink fishnet gloves are a must have and so are those completely obnoxious neon pink earrings. Lots of bangles are a must, and so are those jelly bracelets. And, last but not least, before you leave the house.....you must have at least one shoulder exposed and you better have BIG hair :D

Since it isn't the eighties anymore, be prepared to be gawked at by lots of folks who think you've absolutely lost your mind! It helps if you are already in a goofy mood like the person below in this photo.

Could those earrings be any bigger? Better yet, what am I doing in this picture?

I might be sorry I posted this, so let's move onto the food!

These maple ribs were a real easy recipe to prepare and we loved them! The recipe is supposed to be for ribs and chicken, but I didn't have bone-in, skin-on chicken so I didn't include it.

Maple Ribs - Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
12 pork spareribs (I used one rack of baby back ribs)
12 chicken thighs, skin and bone still on
1 cup apple juice, as sharp as possible
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 star anise (I didn't include this)
1 cinnamon stick, halved (I didn't include this, hubby doesn't like cinnamon with meat)
6 unpeeled cloves garlic

Put the ribs and chicken pieces in a couple of large freezer bags or into a dish. Add all the remaining ingredients, squelching or tossing everything together well before sealing the bags or covering the dish. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight or up to two days. Take the dish out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F. Pour the contents of the freezer bag into 1 or 2 roasting pans (making sure chicken is skin side up), place in the preheated oven, and cook for about 1-1/4 hours, by which time everything should be sticky and glossed chestnut brown.

Notes/Results: Absolutely delicious and a real keeper of a recipe. Nigella's version of ribs are much easier than my tried and true method. This will be my new go to recipe for ribs. They are sweet and sticky from the maple and the soy sauce adds an Asian flair. I marinated the ribs for 48 hours and they were fall off the bone tender. I think you might even be able to make the marinade in the roasting pan for easier clean up. Next time, I will be sure to include the chicken with the ribs. This maple flavorings make this a perfect crowd-pleaser or potluck dish for this time of year. Another winner by Nigella. I am liking her more and more every week!

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to see what everyone else cooked up this week. The theme was potluck, so there is sure to be something for everyone!!

20 comments:

  1. Oh, me too...I don't see myself tiring of Nigella anytime soon :D LOVE the picture, LMAO!! How fun :D And yes, the ribs sound heavenly.

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  2. Love the pic, way to go all out. I think the marinade sounds fabulous, I am not a big rib eater, so I think I will take the marinade and make something else with it, yum!!

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  3. I love the picture! I was an eighties gal.. sigh.
    Great party feast - sounds absolutely delicious!
    Don't forget to watch Valley Girl to get your accent going. ;-)

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  4. How cute are you 80's-style?!?! The ribs look delicious--a great marinade for sure. Love the maple.

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  5. Theme parties are always fun. Yeah, those songs are definitely a blast from the past.

    The ribs sound really tasty. I actually just posted a blog about sweet and salty with meat, but this one is a little different. It's bacon chocolate. Yeah, you're going to have to read about this one.

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  6. Like I totally like LOVE your like rockin hair! That rad dance move you've got going on is like so cu-et! (I'm not drunk, I'm trying to relive my 80's voice)

    Like, that rib recipe is so dreamy! I would like totally love to like try those out at your house. Can I like come over and crimp my hair?

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  7. You go girl! You rocked that look! I, um, still have my leg warmers from the 80s (one of the benefits of never throwing anything away, I can dress any decade in a heartbeat). Ribs sound fabulous too!

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  8. Wow, what a hottie you are in the pic, I love the earrings. Sounds like a fabulous night.

    And the maple ribs look fingerlicking good!

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  9. I love the sweet and savoryness of this recipe. Definitely a stick-to-your-ribs-good kind of a meal.

    You look adorable in the picture! Love the hair and the earrings...and hey, now you've got your halloween costume all figured out :D. Sounds like you had a fun night. How could it not be with neon-pink leg warmers??

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  10. Love your picture, have fun. And love the recipe too!

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  11. Love the photo and the ribs, I have only been brave enough to try making them once but this recipe is making want to try them again, very soon! :)

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  12. The photo is a keeper. Defininatly! And the ribs and chicken in maple syrup...of my...we have that on a fairly regular basis. That is definitely one of Nigella's best recipes and so damn easy!

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  13. You looked beautiful, Kim. What a great party! I am living vicariously through your blog as I continue to stay on program so I can lose my unwanted bulk. These ribs are making it hard to stay strong, I want you to know.

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  14. Nice picture, Kim! The ribs look delicious :)

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  15. I am STILL so jealous that you work at Lush! Tell them they need to start one in northern MN. The closest one to me in 4 hrs south..boo! But at least there's always online shopping--any new product recommendations?!

    Love the earrings ;-)

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  16. I love your pic!

    I love the combo of flavors of your ribs. Thanks for sharing :)

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  17. you're too cute! i've always wanted to throw an 80s party! fun! the ribs look amazing!

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  18. Love the pic girl!! And the ribs look great! I should have made that this week...lol.

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  19. lol Great pic, Kim! I bet your party was a blast. I wondered if Nigella's ribs were good now I know for sure they are! I'll have to try them.

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  20. How wonderful !The picture is great !!

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