Branden's famous ribs

Baby back pork ribs

salt and pepper

Kinder's Spicy Garlic or Roasted Garlic bbq sauce

Preheat the smoker to 275 degrees.  Salt and pepper both sides of the rack of ribs.  Put on smoker bone side down for 45 minutes.  Flip over to meat side down for 1 hour.  Turn temperature up to 350 degrees.  Flip to meat side up and apply coat of Kinder's bbq sauce to meat side.  Cook for 30 more minutes.  Apply more sauce if needed while cooking.  Take them off and let them rest for a few minutes before cutting to serve.  

"St. Louis-Style" Baby-Back Ribs

I made these ribs for dinner tonight, and they were amazing!  The best ribs I have ever had!  I found the recipe in Woman's Day magazine.  Try them, you will be glad you did!

• 3/4 cup(s) packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon(s) paprika
• 1 tablespoon(s) chili powder
• 1 teaspoon(s) garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) onion powder
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 4 1/2 pound(s) (about 2 racks) baby-back ribs, membrane removed
• 1/4 cup(s) Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup(s) apple juice
• 3/4 cup(s) ketchup
• 2 tablespoon(s) cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon(s) Worcestershire sauce

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper.
2. Place the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread with the mustard, then sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the spice rub to coat evenly. Pour the apple juice onto the baking sheet, cover tightly with foil, and bake until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, and remaining 1/2 cup spice rub. Transfer 1/2 cup of the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
4. Ten minutes before the ribs are done, heat the grill to medium-high. Grill the ribs, basting with the ketchup mixture and turning occasionally, until they begin to char, 5 to 6 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve with the reserved sauce for dipping.

http://www.womansday.com/recipefinder/st-louis-style-baby-back-ribs-recipe-wdy0813

Tara's Green Chili (Chile Verde)

I entered this recipe in a chili cook-off recently and won!  It's really, really delicious!
 

Tara's Green Chili (Chile Verde)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds cubed pork stew meat

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 small red onion, diced

8 cloves of garlic, minced

27 oz can Hatch Chopped Green Chiles (mild)

(2) 4 oz cans hatch Chopped Green Chiles (hot)

28 oz can Muir Glen Organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice

3 cups La Victoria Thick-n-Chunky salsa verde (medium)

4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried oregano

(2) 15 oz cans pinto beans, rinsed (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper to taste, then place into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on all sides. Once browned, remove the pork and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in the onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Return the pork to the pot, and stir in the green chiles, diced tomatoes with juice, tomatillo salsa, and chicken broth. Season with oregano. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. After 20 minutes, remove 2 cups of the soup (ensure there are no pork cubes in it), and pour into a blender. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree until smooth, and then pour back into the cooking pot. This will create a thicker texture for your chili and will eliminate some of the chunky bits of chiles. Stir in the pinto beans.  Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until the pork is very tender, at least 35 minutes more.      (Serves 12)

Another delicious Mexican meal!

Tonight my parents came over for dinner.  They came early so that my Mom could play with Moose and my Dad could help me cook the meal.  My Dad and I love cooking together!  Dinner turned out really well.  The Chile Verde was flavorful and spicy, and the Refried beans were so yummy.  We ate it wrapped up in fresh tortillas, with Mom's homemade chocolate pie on the side.  Delicious!  Like the other Mexican meal I made, it's a bit labor intensive, but the result is totally worth the effort.  Give it a try!

Moose's Menu: Sausage and Cheese Tortellini

This is another meal that all three of us ate.  It was absolutely delicious!  It's a bonus that it is also super easy to make.  We will definitely be having this again in the near future!

Sausage and Cheese Tortellini

1/2 pound ground sausage, cooked

(2) 14 ounce cans diced Italian tomatoes, undrained

2 large fresh mushrooms

9 ounces of cheese tortellini, uncooked

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

In crock pot, combine cooked sausage, tomatoes, and mushrooms.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  For last 30 minutes, stir in tortellini.  Top with mozzarella cheese for last 5 minutes until melted.