Cooking with Rod

By Rod Cohenour

Here's an excellent recipe I learned from my best friend, Dennis Conover (may he rest in peace). Denny's family-owned and operated a famous Steakhouse near Chicago. Denny grew up in the place and, Boy! Could he cook!

My sweet wife and I ended up putting our own touches on the original recipe that just made it better. I think you'll totally agree. What's that saying? "Laugh. Eat. Love."

Bon appetit~!

Midwest Country Cut Barbecue Ribs

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs country cut pork ribs (also called butcher cut), rinse but don't remove fat
• 2 large or 3-4 medium onions sliced thick
• Cracked black peppercorns, ground medium
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1-2 bottles CHEAP barbecue sauce (buy the $1 brand as it will be used to tenderize, but will be discarded)
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 medium or 1 large poblano peppers, de-seeded, stems and membranes removed, sliced thick
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp onion powder
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• Big bottle Head Country Barbecue Sauce (2 if you really love saucy ribs)

This is authentic Country Cut Ribs and has the tiny rib bone showing.

Instructions:

1. Put half the sliced onions aside. With the remaining half, make one layer in an aluminum discardable roast pan.

2. Dry ribs with paper towels. Whisk together 1/4 cup brown sugar and ground peppercorns. Rub into all surfaces of ribs. Layer ribs over bottom onion layer. Put remaining half onions over ribs. Pour CHEAP BARBECUE SAUCE overall. Seal tightly with aluminum foil. (May need to make more than one layer if ribs are large. Just split the onions accordingly.)

3. Pop roasting pan into preheated oven at 250-275°. Roast 2-4 hours until ribs are cooked through, reducing oven heat after the first hour to 200° to smother cook. Remove from oven when ribs are fully cooked through. Discard fatty juices, retain onions, and set them aside to serve later with ribs.

4. Now you can prepare to grill or broil the ribs. If you want to broil, splash Worcestershire sauce on ribs for smoky flavor. Not needed if grilling.

5. Whisk garlic powder, onion powder, and last brown sugar portion together in loaf pan or dish big enough to roll ribs in spices. Cover all surfaces.

6. Put spiced ribs on broiler pan or grill. Sauce liberally with some of the HEAD COUNTRY BARBECUE SAUCE (feel free to use your favorite BBQ sauce here). Brown first side. Turn, top with poblano pepper strips. Sauce liberally again.

7. Grill or broil to your desired degree of char to create that fabulous leather sheaf that brings the taste up a notch or three.

Cooked and ready to eat!

Serve with delicious sides: those tender carmelized onions, the grilled poblanos, mashed potatoes, a potato and/or macaroni salad, baked beans, fried okra, a crisp green salad, crusty French bread, or buns. Choose your favorite BBQ sides. Icy cold lemonade or tea finishes the meal perfectly.

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