Recipe: Bourbon Sorghum Glazed Ribs

Maple syrup is EXPENSIVE. No way around it. If you want to get a good glaze on your ribs you're going to have to shell out some big bucks to do it. Unless you use that sweet Southern staple sorghum. At 1/2 to 1/3 the price, this iron and vitamin dense molasses replacement is perfect for my Bourbon ribs.
(If you can't track down Sorghum, use a 1:1 ratio for molasses)

What You will Need:

1 Slab of Pork Ribs

1 1/4 Cup Sorghum Syrup

1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar 

1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Bourbon (Like with wine only cook with what you would drink)

1/4 Cup of Sea Salt

2 Tsp White Pepper

1 Tsp Chili Powder

1 1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt

1 Tsp Paprika

1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 Tsp Cumin

I'm Serious when I say only cook with what you drink, I go with Bulleit

Step 1:

Clean your Ribs! The membrane on the back of your ribs has to go. Just use a paring knife to cut it away to ensure maximum flavor penetration.

Step 2:

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. This is your rub. Commence rubbing. Every last inch of your ribs needs a liberal rubbing. This is the base for your flavor, and without it you will have sad ribs. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Step 3:

Pull your ribs out so they can reach room temperature, and preheat the oven to 275. Yes I said oven. These ribs are NOT going to touch the grill.

Step 4: 

TIGHTLY wrap the ribs with heavy duty aluminum foil, and place in the oven for 2 hours.

Step 5:

At the half-way point combine the cider, Bourbon, and sorghum in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, stirring on occasion until mixture has reduced by half into a beautiful glaze. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Step 6: 

Remove the ribs from the oven. Place a lined baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any drippings. Unwrap ribs, glaze on both sides,  place on top rack, and drop the temperature to 250. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, glazing every 25 minutes. 

Step 7: 

Once the meat starts to separate from the bone, turn the broiler to high. 3-5 minutes under the broiler will crisp up the ribs giving them that perfect grill taste.

Step 8: 

Carve, hand out napkins, and serve with your favorite potato salad!

Tonight's Episode: Anything you can do I can do better!

America loves a classic. America loves a modern take on a classic. The Southern General  uses this conciet as the basis of their John's Island sandwich cafe. And boy does it pay dividends.

Take the humble Cheese Steak. Why not make it with Pot Roast with braised sirloin and bourbon mushroom gravy? Sounds like a great idea to me. But what if you (like The Girl) just want a traditional cheese steak? Well......serve that, too! That is what makes The Southern General such a uniquely fun joint. They take the Harvey Dent approach to a menu; give them both faces. A classic shaved sirloin with peppers and onions will set you back $8.5, and so will the modern take.

How about a burger? What is more classic than that? For $8 you can do the 1/2 pound Angus burger.....or you can be like me and spend $9 for the Brat Burger. House made bratwurst patty with a spicy beet cheese mustard and broccoli slaw. The slight bite of heat is balanced by the cool slaw. One of the more fun takes on a burger that I've ever seen.

Even the classics can get a slight update. With the Pulled Pork ($7.5), a sweet tea BBQ sauce lends that cool bite you expect from a black tea. Or you can go the new school route with the Super Butt ($8.5) with smoked sweet onion mustard relish, spicy sweet potato cream cheese, and house potato chips.

The house potato chips also go well with the smoked sweet onion dip ($7). Super thin herbed chips bring a nice saltiness to this VERY onion forward dip. And I mean that as a compliment, though $7 seems a touch high for this particular dish.

Another tasty plate to share is the Poutine ($9). This Canadian classic has herbed fries and gravy, with fried cheese curds. Would be nice if the curds were a little smaller, but tasty all the same.

And thanks to our waitress Holly I now know to check the menu board. Otherwise I would have missed the adult Sloppy Joe ($8) with spicy ground pork, red Creole sauce, and pimento cheese. I.....LOVE....this sandwich. I mean in a creepy stalker kind of way. The perfect balance of childhood memories and a modern palate.

The Girl and I stopped in the second time on our way out to Edisto, and I think it is best to point out that the location MAY be hard to find. It is in the back of a shopping center with another restaurant and an Irish Pub. If you find yourself on John's Island, or just want to try a little something different, completely worth a stop. The fact that they serve full menu til 1am Friday and Saturday doesn't hurt either.

The Scores:

Ambiance: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 8.5/10
Value: 5/5

Overall: 21 out of 25 Fun funky little sandwich joint with a split personality.