Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs

If you have never tried country style boneless pork ribs, you are missing out.  They are very meaty and very lean. This is an easy "fix it and forget it" recipe.  I used the Traeger Grill, but these can also be done in the oven.

 1 package of country-style boneless pork ribs
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
1 (12 oz.) beer
Barbecue sauce -- your favorite

Brown the pork in a skillet on all sides.(First pat them dry with a paper towel, they will brown better.)

Place the ribs in an oven proof pan and surround with the shallots and garlic.

Pour the beer over the ribs.

Cover the pan with foil and seal.  

Place in the Traeger Grill or the oven at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

After 1 1/2 hours, uncover and pour out the beer. 

Using your favorite BBQ sauce, slather it on.  Ribs go back in uncovered for an hour.

The meat should be brown and tender and the sauce should be thick.

Serve with additional BBQ sauce on the side.

Serve with a side of home made coleslaw and an ice cold beer.

Enjoy friends!

Grilled Salmon with Sweet Corn, Avacado, and Cherry Tomato Salad

• I follow whole foods market on Twitter, this is an adaptation of one of their recent recipes.  

(Photo from Whole Foods Market website)

• There's a young farmer right down the road from us and he raises the sweetest sweet corn around.  In addition, our garden is overflowing with tomatoes--roma, cherry, early girl, and 4th of July varieties.  So this salad worked out perfectly. 
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• I used Atlantic Salmon which is rich and fatty and delicious.  Cooked the salmon on a cedar plank in the Traeger Grill.  Doesn't get much better than that.  This can be done in the oven as well, or a charcoal grill for that matter.
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• Sweet Corn, Avocado, Cherry Tomato Salad
• 4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed from cob
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 small avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Atlantic Salmon
• 4 (4- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless salmon fillets
•  Olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Put corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, oil and vinegars into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Set aside.  This salad is so good that it's great on its own.

Lightly brush the salmon with extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle on the sea salt and black pepper.  Place salmon on a cedar plank (the cedar plank needs to soak in water for at least 2 hours to prevent it from burning on the grill).  Onto the Traeger Grill at 375 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes.  You'll know the salmon is cooked perfectly when the flesh just begins to flake with a fork.

Enjoy friends!

Roast Chicken

Roast chicken--simple and delicious!  We use free range chickens that are not treated with drugs of any type.  I chose a 4-5 pound beauty for this dinner.

First off, do a "spine ectomy".  Remove the backbone of the chicken, freeze and save to make chicken stock.  Flatten the chicken after backbone has been removed then split the chicken down the breast bone to make two halves.  Tuck in the wing tips,  Place in a foil lined pan.

To accomplish a really crisp skin, pat the chicken skin dry, place in the fridge uncovered.  I do this early in the day for a chicken that will be for dinner that evening.  This method allows the skin to dry out and that's what makes for the super crispy skin that will result after roasting.

When ready to roast, rub olive oil all over the chicken skin.  Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.  I used seasoned salt.  Add some lemon slices and fresh rosemary.  Garlic, thyme, lemon would work also.

I used the Traeger grill, but have also done this in the oven--your choice.  Either way, the temperature needs to be 375 degrees.  Roast the chicken, uncovered, for 70 to 90 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 degrees. (oops, upside down photo!)

Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes so the juices can redistribute.  The meat is juicy and tender, and the skin is super crispy.  Separate the dark meat (thighs and legs) from the chicken breast.  Serve.

Enjoy friends!