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.

Tonight's Episode: Interview with Cook It Raw's Alessandro Porcelli

Rene Rdzepi (Noma), Daniel Patterson (Coi) and David Chang (Momofuku)

Cook It Raw is perhaps the most anticipated culinary adventure around. For the last few years, CIR has brought together the greatest culinary minds working in the world's finest kitchens for a collaboration with local farmers, hunters, foragers, and craftsmen for one-off dinners unlike anything you have ever or will ever see. 

Cook It Raw came to public awareness when Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations followed the event (and Charleston Chef Sean Brock) to Japan. Now, for the first time, the public will have a chance to join in the fun when Cook It Raw BBQ Perspectives comes to Charleston ($100, Oct 26 2013), bringing in 40 chefs from around the world (everyone from Albert Adria of Tickets in Barcelona to Phil Wood of Rockpool in Sydney) to show their own spin on Lowcountry BBQ and all things local.  The focus on the local bounty is a thematic necessity of the event. 

Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana), Petter Nilsson (La Gazzetta), Magnus Nilsson (Fläviken), Fredrick Anderson (Mistral)

I was lucky enough to score an interview with Cook It Raw Director and Founder Alessandro Porcelli. This Italian ex-pat has been a driving force in turning Denmark into one of the world's culinary destinations. His first book, a compendium of Cook it Raw events, is available now.

Foodmancing The Girl: If you could, just explain why the general public should pay attention to Cook it Raw?

Alessandro: Cook It Raw is a blank canvas that at the end of each gathering it turns into a painting, drawn by heterogeneous minds and expert hands dedicated to highlight unique foodways through collaboration, creativity, tradition and sustainability. We encourage chefs, producers, artisans, farmers and academics to think as a team and to learn from each other. We work with the visiting country and its people to portray, together with a number of chefs and us from the organisation, a cultural food snapshot of a specific area creating an arena or exchange of ideas while allowing the flow of connectivity to spark new friendships and mindful experiences. Basically our main aim is to support changes in the way we're looking at food at all levels, from avant-garde cuisine to everyday cooking.

FTG: What is it about getting the chefs out of the restaurant that seems to get them so jazzed to participate?

Alessandro: Chefs, as many other creative professionals, are subject to routines. Routines are the antithesis of creativity. Cook it raw breaks this chain allowing chefs to experience people and culture and content which take 1 year to put together.

FTG: Up til now, Cook it Raw has been an invitation-only event. Why open it to the public?

Alessandro: Cook it Raw still is and will remain a gathering for a limited number of participants. It's a learning and engaging experience that is organized and documented better and better as we learn from it and grow with it. We want to share this experience through communicating it in as many ways and means as possible. The public event we're having this year is to share the dining aspect with a larger number of consumers.

FTG: What is it about BBQ in general, and Charleston in particular, that led to the decision to have this event here? Not that I am complaining, but going from Ishikawa and Poland to South Carolina seems rather odd.

Alessandro: Cook it Raw is about understanding and innovation, and the BBQ and Lowcountry cuisine that come out of Charleston provide a unique opportunity to do just that. This cuisine is a confluence of cultures, and Charleston is a place where modern chefs and producers are taking a strong look at the heritage and the complex history of the place to innovate moving forward. Charleston has just as much to offer to the international culinary conversation as Copenhagen or Collio, and we are here to learn and be inspired.

FTG: This is a question that we have debated after a few drinks: if you were one of two survivors of a plane crash in the Andes, what chef would you want along for the ride?

Alessandro: Without a doubt Eric Werner (Heartwood), not only he'll build us a spectacular wooden oven but he'll hunt down anything that moves and find any edible stuff men and animals can think, while having a great conversation!!!




(Photos by Eric Refner and Eric Olsson)

Tonight's Episode: Chase After A Cure

Photo curtsey of www.Woodlandsmansion.com 

One of the best parts about writing this blog has been the opportunity to attend and support events for worthy causes. Last night The Girl and I had one such opportunity and feel amazingly blessed to have had the chance. "Memories at the Mansion" was a spectacular event supporting Chase After A Cure, a local non-profit with a major goal. Don't you dare skip down to the (Fabulous) dinner from Chef Nate Whiting and the crew of Tristan. Please take your time and read about Chase After A Cure, their mission, and how you can help. Once that is done you can go enjoy food envy.

Chase After A Cure's Mission:

Chase After a Cure (CAAC) was started in 2009 by Summerville, S.C., resident Whitney Ringler and her family after her son, Chase, was given a 30 percent chance of survival after being diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma. Chase survived this aggressive form of cancer and now his family works tirelessly on behalf of childhood cancer research.
CAAC supports families of childhood cancer patients, raises awareness about childhood cancer, specifically neuroblastoma, and funds childhood cancer research at the Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital.

Cancer is the No. 1 cause of disease-related death among children. About 13,500 children between birth and age 19 are diagnosed with cancer each year. Just at the Medical University of South Carolina, about 70 children are diagnosed annually.

Compared to adult cancer, childhood cancers are rare. Even though childhood cancer incidence rates continue to increase slightly each year, they still represent less than 1 percent of all new cancer diagnoses. That means funding for childhood cancer research is limited. In particular, neuroblastoma – which has one of the lowest survival rates – receives very little attention because the population base with this form of cancer isn’t profitable enough for pharmaceutical companies to develop new treatments.
While childhood cancer may impact a smaller population, it impacts the young lives of those diagnosed at 100 percent.

Chase Ringler's Story:

On October 2, 2007, Chase Ringler was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. He was always healthy rarely experiencing even a cold. One day he woke up with a stiff neck and the next day we discovered he had Stage 4 cancer. Chase’s diagnosis began with the discovery of a tumor on his left adrenal gland. It was approximately half the size of a golf ball. Other tests concluded that the cancer had already spread to his bone marrow and skull. On October 4, 2007 he underwent surgery to remove the tumor. It was a success, but not without complication. During surgery it was discovered the tumor was entangled in the adjacent lymph nodes as a result, his renal artery was cut which resulted in loss of his kidney. His treatment consisted of 8 rounds of high dose chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, 14 rounds of radiation, six months of Accutane and monoclonal antibody therapy. His treatment is very aggressive since risk of relapse is so high and there is no cure for relapse. Chase has shown tremendous strength and courage through all of this. He continues to warm the hearts of everyone with his smile and laughter.

How You Can Help:

Chase After A Cure hosts several fundraisers through out the year, including a Gala dinner, Golf Tournament, and this year the "Memories at the Mansion" Dinner. But you don't have to attend one of these to help. In addition to simply donating money (I promise they won't be offended if you just want to send them a check), they are always looking for volunteers, in-kind donations of goods and services, and even hosts for new events. If your company, organization, sorority or fraternity, family, book club, motorcycle gang, drinking buddies, or group of casual acquaintances have an idea for a great event (big or small) and would like to raise money for a local cause, please visit Chase After A Cure's website. Get in touch, Get involved, Make a Difference

And With No Further Ado:

The "Memories At The Mansion" event can best be described as a chance to get the band back together. The Woodlands Mansion was long the culinary crown jewel of the South. Only a handful of properties in the United States can boast Mobil 5-Star designation for both the hotel and the restaurant, a designation this luxurious Greek Revival space held for many years.

The Woodlands Spa & Resort closed last year, and new owner Tom Limehouse relaunched the mansion as a premier event space, available for full rental. One of the casualties of this conversion was the acclaimed Dining Room, with the kitchen which had been helmed by several amazing chefs going quiet.

The new focus of The Woodlands does lend itself to a unique opportunity, one that Chase After A Cure wisely jumped on. With Tom Limehouse's enthusiastic support they organized a one-off dinner bringing back The Woodland's long-time Sommelier (and owner of superb Summerville wine shop Accent on Wine) Stephane Peltier and former Executive Chef (and genius behind the massively underrated Tristan) Nate Whiting.

This was also personally a special evening for me. The Woodland's is where I cut my teeth in the fine dining world. Many years ago, working at this stunning estate opened a new world to me. In many ways, this is a homecoming for me.

The event began with a wine tasting, with stations featuring the best of France, the US, and Italy. With nearly 30 wines (at a one-night-only reduced price), the hour long tasting provided a chance to mingle with the 60 donors who joined in for the evening (and snapped up the 18 stunning rooms for the night).
To me, the standout wine from the tasting was the Champagne Charpentier Brut Rose.

                                            
The evening opened with a Chef's Compliment of reinterperted Woodland's Peach Tea. If you never had the chance to stay at The Woodlands, at the Concierge station there was always a beautiful peach tea. This encapsulated bubble of tea is a one-bite wonder of whimsy.

Wine pairing: Chanpagne, Veuve Clicqout, 'Yellow Label' France

 First course, 'A Welcome by Sea,' featured sea urchin panna cotta with Osetra caviar, enlightened Chopin Créme fraiche, crystallized onions, and puffed jasmine rice. The Girl notes the perfect texture of the panna cotta, while I fixate on the crystallized onion. Seriously, I want a jar of these to sprinkle all over soups.

Sauvignon Blanc, Fritz, 'Estate Grown,' Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County California 2012
(And now one of my favorite white wines)

 2nd course was a vanilla poached New England lobster with scallop crudo, carrots cooked in embers, Bronte pistachios, and a grapefruit emulsion. A beautiful dish that could have used just a touch more acid, but the play of the pistachios with the seafood is now one of my favorite flavor combos.

Sangiovese, Poggio Rubino, Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy 2010

  3rd Course, And The Girl's favorite, was a prepared-from-scratch Acquerello Risotto with saffron, Chinese five spice, and gilded Parmigiano Reggiano. Decadent is the only way to describe this dish. If you follow me on Twitter (@Foodmancing) then by now you should know that I have a deep-seeded hatred of what passes for risotto in most restaurants. This, however, is the real-deal and should make Nonna bless the the Saints.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cakebread, Napa Valley, California 2009

4th Course, Dry aged Canadian duck breast with Hudson Valley Foie Gras, King trumpet mushrooms, cracklins, and misoyaki glaze. This is duck done right. Milder on the gamey flavor, perfectly matched with the cold foie gras.

Brachetto, Monte Maria 'Casanova' Piedmont, Italy 2011

The sweet finish to the evening was one of the rare occasions where I fairly well inhale the dish while The Girl didn't find it as appealing. This may be one of my new favorite desserts. Smoked chocolate parfait, chocolate pudding skin, chocolate crumble, and caramelized white chocolate. This dish has a beautiful smoke flavor to balance the sweetness. If you aren't a fan of ultra-sweet desserts, this is the dish for you.

At the end of the evening, after the plates were cleared and the glasses empty, it is easy to forget WHY we were all here this evening. Yes this dinner was stellar (and if Chef Nate doesn't get James Beard recognition soon I'll be surprised), but the money raised is of far more importance. Please, if you can find it in your heart, get in touch with Chase After A Cure and find out how you can make a difference in a child's life.

Tonight's Episode: Down to the ol Five & Dime

Top Chef Master Hugh Acheson sprang to fame in 2000 when he opened 5 & 10 in Athens, Georgia. Named for the old Five & Dime that was housed in the same space, his French inspired Southern cuisine launched him to the realm of celebrity chef. On TV his affable humor, obvious intelligence, and yes the proud unibrow has made him a food TV fan favorite. The Girl and I first met him In March of 2012 when he wowed us in a paired dinner for Charleston Wine and Food Festival.

It only took us 13 years, but we finally made the drive down to Athens to try 5 & 10, in its brand new digs in an old antiques shop, and the place is IMPRESSIVE. Set among some of the more stately Fraternity houses I've ever seen (The University of Georgia apparently thought Chef Hugh's cooking is so good it moved in next door), 5 & 10 features a massive porch, a beautiful bar, several small dinning rooms, and it's own coffee bar.

And they have palms in the bathtub 

The menu is very representative of Chef Hugh's New Southern cuisine (You can even pick up a signed copy of his cookbook A New Turn in the South  after dinner).  From snacks (Boiled peanut hummus $5) to entrees (Low Country Frogmore Stew $25), the simple one-page menu is manageable and accessible.

The Girl immediately goes for the Pimiento cheese with candied bacon ($6) on the snack menu. This is very close to the best she has ever had (I admit I'm not a pimiento cheese guy, and to me it just tastes fine). Perfect texture and a good but not overwhelming spiciness are what she credits for her high marks. (For her #1 Pimiento cheese check out Mrs. Betty's at Anson)

I am a sucker for grilled octopus (see what I did there? Did ya?). This version comes with sweet charred vidalia onion, roasted shishitos (very underrated pepper), Carolina gold rice, hoop house tomatoes, and a sherry vinaigrette ($15). The octopus was beautifully grilled and had an almost sausage like taste and texture, well worth the price, but frankly the dish didn't need it. That rice may have been one of the single best things I've eaten all year. I'm not joking. I would eat a four course meal of this rice with different garnishes. Words fail me.

Moving on to dinner, The Girl orders a perfectly seared Painted Hills strip steak ($32) with farro panisse, foraged mushrooms, bok chou, and heirloom tomatoes. The farro, like the rice on my appetizer, really starred in the dish. The steak, spot on and tasty, could have used a touch more meat on the plate to justify the price.

My entree did not photograph well. I apologize. I also apologize for not having it in Smell-O-Vision. The Sorghum glazed pork ribs ($29) with spiced pecans, confit potatoes, mustard greens, and a turnip & radish slaw perfumes the entire room when it enters. Slightly sweet, fragrant, porky. Each fork full lives up to the olfactory promise. Fork tender? Nah, these are soup spoon tender. I have a jar of sorghum in the pantry that now has a new use.

The Tres Leches cake with cherry sorbet and mixed fruit walks the fine line between sweet and too sweet, but thankfully pulls it off with aplomb. The cake's texture was beautiful and the tart of the sorbet brought a beautiful balance to the dish.

5 & 10 certainly delivers on the promise of an amazing meal. With stellar service, a beautiful space, and an attention to detail, this Athens landmark looks primed to spend another decade at the crest of the Southern food movement.

The Scores:

Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Food: 9/10
Value: 3/5

Overall: 21.5 out of 25 Fine dining Southern done right