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When I went to the butcher looking for some ribs, since I was not familiar with bbq’ing ribs, I was not exactly sure what I was looking for. Something stood out for me with the St. Louis Style ribs. They looked lean and a very clean cut. I had no idea what I was working with until I did a little research and found that these were pork ribs and not beef. Being the pork lovers that our family is it was a perfect match. Apparently a St. Louis Style Rib is the way the ribs are cut and cleaned.
With any ribs just make sure to allow enough time to make them to perfection; it will be well worth the wait. The flavor is all in the rub so find one or make one that you like. You can purchase your favorite b.b.q. sauce or just make one from scratch. That’s what we do in our home; we use our Abuela’s old recipe with some modifications. It really is easy, less expensive than most b.b.q sauces on the market and it really does not take very long to make. Plus the key here is that you are in control of what goes into your b.b.q. sauce.
Last but certainly not least, cook the ribs low and slow for optimum tenderness and juiciness.
How to BBQ St Louis Ribs
• BBQ It's about the rub (See recipe below). Great BBQ tastes great without sauce. The sauce is the finishing touch.
• Buy pure meat nothing added. Certain percentage of anything added such as brine or salt water is not desirable.
• Apply a BBQ spice "Rub" no less than 2 hours before cooking.
• Use wood smoke. Be very careful with oak and mesquite they can easily over power pork ribs. You only want thin blue smoke coming from your smoker, not thick white smoke. Cherry is our favorite choice for ribs. If using coals or gas just add some pre-soaked mesquite or cherry wood to the fire. You can find this at most local grocery stores.
• Place all of the coals on ½ of the barbeque. Cook the meat with indirect heat, not directly over the charcoal or propane burner.
• The meat is done when a toothpick goes throw the meat like it was warm butter. Internal Temperature will be 190°f to 200°f .
• Don't sauce until the ribs are cooked, apply one or two coats of sauce in the last 15 to 30 minutes on the cooker. For a sweeter glaze add some honey to you BBQ sauce.
How to BBQ Ribs so they are falling off the bone tender
The secret of how to barbecue ribs until they are falling of the bone tender is foil. Cook the ribs until they have a nice crust. Wrap in foil with a little apple juice and cook to 200f internal temp. They will be cooked and falling apart tender. If you want to sauce your ribs roll back the foil but leave it under the rack for support, sauce and put back with indirect heat for 15 minutes.
BBQ Do's & Don'ts
Do's:
- Use a dry rub for no less than 2 hours before cooking
- Use a light coat of mustard before applying the rub for a more complex flavor.
- Marinate for flavor
- Cook Low & Slow or Indirect
- Use the oven if your grill won't cook low and slow to finish after getting a nice crust
- Use a charcoal chimney
- Sauce only for the last 15-30 minutes once the meat is cooked and tender
- Use an internal thermometer for food safety
Don't's:
- Don't use Lighter Fluid
- Don't use match light charcoal
- Don't boil your meat (you are making stock and the flavor is in the water)
- Don't put sauce on the meat Before Cooking
- Don't guess if the meat is done, use a thermometer
- Don't tell people burnt is perfect caramelization
- Don't Cook Tofu
- Don't believe that there is only one way to cook great BBQ
Wet Rub or Paste
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano, crushed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon onion flakes
1 head of garlic, mashed or grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons Guldens brown mustard
Combine all of the ingredients minus the mustard. Slather the ribs with the mustard and then add a nice layer of rub to all sides of the ribs. Use the entire mixture. It may seem like a lot, but it is worth it. Wrap the rubbed ribs in foil no less than two hours prior to cooking. It is preferable to allow them to marinade in the rub for 24 hours.
B.B.Q. the ribs according to above directions. Do not brush the b.b.q. sauce on the ribs until last the 15 minutes.
Abuelitas B.B.Q. Sauce
1 head of garlic, finely minced
1onion, finely minced
1 stick of butter
4 cups of ketchup
1 cup of molasses
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the garlic and onions in butter until they are translucent; do not allow to burn. Add ketchup and molasses and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in airtight container in the fridge for the summer.
The King Arthur gluten-free muffin mix was easy to make, and required similar ingredients as most boxed mixes. It mixed well, transferred well into the muffin tins and only baked for about 20 minutes.
Their muffin mix features a hint of vanilla, a touch of nutmeg. It says it makes a dozen light, tender, high-rising muffins, but I found I got a few more muffins if I did not over fill the muffin tins. It is just the muffin mix and you are encouraged to add in your own fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips. These muffins were light and fluffy and riddled with blueberries that we had added. They were fantastic right out of the oven, but just as good the following day for breakfast. I was really impressed with the texture and the flavor of King Arthur's gluten-free muffin mix. King Arthur gluten-free mixes were given to our family to review. I was very skeptical with the mixes before I tried using them, but so far have loved each one that I have tried. I still prefer to make my muffins from scratch, but in a pinch they really seem to hit the spot.
To purchase King Arthur gluten-free mixes
List of all their gluten-free baking ingredients
Special thanks goes out to a friend, fellow Celiac, and local blogger, Janel Berchielli, “Unlimited Thinking” for the heads up on BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse’s new gluten-free menu which began on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010. It is my feeling that B.J.’s must have had this in the works for quite some time, as awhile back while researching for local gluten-free alcohol in December 2009 I had contacted the General Manager at B.J.’s in Natomas as to their gluten-free offerings and this is what he had said then: “Our restaurants can provide information for guests who have food and allergen sensitivities or an intolerance to gluten. Please ask your server for a copy of our Food and Allergen Sensitivities Menu and Gluten-Free Selections.”
So it is my understanding that B.J.’s has always had some gluten-free selections to choose from, but not a complete menu. They are thrilled to be introducing their new gluten-free pizza.
Director of Operations, Curt Siverling states: “We are very proud to launch our Gluten-Free Pizza on our new menu. We have been educating our management teams and team members on the gluten procedures and are ready to launch it at our locations on May 26. We are also introducing Red Bridge Beer on our menus; which is a popular gluten-free beer.”
Since it was my birthday, my husband decided to surprise me and take our family to B.J.’s Restuarant and Brewhouse on Monday, May 31st. After we were seated we asked for Gluten-free menu’s and the staff seemed to know what we were talking about right away. Their gluten-free menu’s were a little confusing at first, but once we figured it out it was really rather straight forward. The beginning of the menu lists off 10 allergens for each item on their menu. While this is great information for folks to have, since many folks have more than just Celiac, but we feel that it would better serve the menu on the back, rather than the front.
After you get through the first 5 pages of the menu you will get to the actual section of gluten-free selections. In the salad sections alone there are 8 salads to choose from (Prices range from $5.00 to $12.00). There are two soups to choose from Tuscan Tomato Bisque and Broccoli Cheddar (Prices: $5.00 to $7.00). There is a section of giant stuffed potatoes and proffer four offerings in this category ($10.00 to $15.00). The next section of the menu is the Specialty Entrees in which they offer 3 options (Steak, fish and chicken priced from $12.00 to $20.00). The next section they suggest Culinary Creations and have only one item in this category: Balsamic Glazed Chicken. Last but certainly not least is their section on Gluten-free Pizza. In this category they have one gluten-free thin crust pizza, but you can customize it to your liking with the many gluten-free toppings that they offer minus their meatballs. These are 10 inch pizzas that range from $8.95 for no toppings other than cheese, and you can design your own pizza with any of their many toppings (add $1.00 per topping). In the section for non-alcoholic beverages they offer 25 different options that are gluten-free. In the alcohol section there is currently only two options: Redbridge Beer ($5.50 per 12 oz. bottle), and their Berry Burst Cider ($5.75 per pint). They are waiting to see how popular this section can become before adding it to it, and also whether they will even keep Redbridge Beer on their menu.
As it was our first time at B.J.’s with their new gluten-free menu we were a bit leery so we questioned the waitress to see how familiar she was with this new menu. She did not know much about it and so we asked for someone who was completely familiar with the menu, and she brought us the manager, Cliff who stood by as she too our complete order, and then assured us that he was by each item being prepared for us to ensure it not be cross-contaminated. This helped us to relax and enjoy the ambience.
The manager, Cliff assured us that there is a separate prep area, that all pizza ingredients except for the meatballs are gluten-free. We were told that those working on gluten-free menu items must change out all of their gloves on the line and that they use tools specific to gluten-free and the cooks in the kitchen were trained in how to handle everything to avoid cross-contamination. Cliff said their entire staff was able to see how the gluten-free food was prepared and to taste them as well. This allowed staff to tell us from their own experience; what their encounters with the gluten-free selections were and what they liked about them. Once the pizza was delivered, Cliff came out to assure us that all went according to plan and the food was handled properly. He also assured us that he would be back to see how we enjoyed the meal. He tols us he was pretty confident that we would enjoy their menu, but most especially the gluten-free pizza.
While BJ’s is known for their pizza, we were not entirely excited to order it since there are many gluten-free pizzas on the market that have left a lot to desire in flavor, texture, and most importantly in price. But we were pleasantly surprised at how large the pizza was, how incredible the flavor and texture were and the close resemblance to regular pizza. Cliff told us that they buy the crust frozen from Venice Bakery in El Segundo, CA (there’s less chance for cross-contamination if they are not mixing up the dough in the restaurant kitchen.) It is a medium thin, crispy “herb infused” crust. He also explained that when the large quantities for cheese, sauce, and other pizza toppings are freshly opened, they take off the amount that they think they will need for the gluten-free pizzas for the day; thereby, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination. The station for prep on gluten-free menu items is constantly wiped down before and after each use. Cliff says that since they started their new gluten-free menu they have had many folks coming in requesting it.
Being the foodies that we are we tried to order one item from each category. In other words we ordered one Tuscan Tomato Bisque, one Italian Market Salad, one gluten-free pizza with mushrooms and Italian sausage, and the Balsamic Glazed Chicken served over baby greens, caramelized onions, and white cheddar mashed potatoes, drizzles with a sweet balsamic glaze. Make sure when ordering the Tuscan Tomato Bisque to request NO croutons, and on the balsamic glazed chicken NO onion strings. With all of the food that we sampled our absolute favorite was the pizza. There was no funny gritty texture, and no funky bean aftertaste, and yet the texture of the pizza was exquisite. The second favorite item was the Tuscan Tomato Bisque. It was creamy, and tasted of fresh tomatoes, sweet basil and cheese. We could take or leave the salad, and the balsamic glazed chicken was a little dry. Once we requested extra balsamic glaze it was fine. The white cheddar mashed potatoes were to die for. Overall our experience with B.J.’s Restaurant and Brewery were exceptional. We not only loved the variety of items on the menu, and the delicious food, but we greatly appreciated the time and effort that was presented to us while obtaining the details on how they provide and ensure a gluten-free menu. Please make sure to ask for Nick Walker, General Manager at the Natomas Restaurant.
For More Information:
Sacramento Area B.J.’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
NATOMAS
3531 N. Freeway Blvd
916.570.1327
ELK GROVE
9237 Laguna Springs Dr.
916.753.1500
FOLSOM
2730 E. Bidwell St.
916.404.2000
ROSEVILLE
1200 Roseville Pkwy.
916.580.2100
Facts about B.J.’s
Take out menu
Click here for locations
For more on gluten-free foods and gluten-free dining
Sauté the garlic and onions in butter until they are translucent; do not allow to burn. Add ketchup and molasses and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in airtight container in the fridge for the summer.
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