Wines and barbeque (not the usual suspects, mate!)

Did you catch Tom in the Chef On Call column from today’s Post?  If you’re not familiar with the “Chef On Call” series, Washington Post writer David Hagedorn pairs a celebrity chef with some poor culinarily impaired Washingtonian every week so that the chef can try to teach the poor chap a thing or two about cooking.  In this case, the poor chap is Tom. And the twist is Tom is interested in pairing the food with selections from his wine portfolio. If you have a minute, read through the article and add your comments.  Your comments about how young looking Tom is (well he should be since we launched our new beauty regime last week) and/or how FABULOUS our wines are would be most welcome ;)Okay now that you’ve read the article you may gather we are not really BBQ people.  We just don’t get the BBQ aesthetic.  Is it the chicken impaled on a beer can?  The unflattering sauce stained aprons?  Mario Batali and his orange clogs?  The screaming mosquitos?  The swarming toddlers? We actually think its the wine.  Everyone (including us) has been trained to serve “big wines” that will stand up to BBQ.  You know, the ones with the unicycle riding koala on the label?  The ones that are described using terms like “jammy”  or  “plummy”  or “assertive”?  The ones that, after reading the back label, usually make us run screaming out of Harris Teeter?  Dare has actually been banned from HT – but that’s a topic for another newsletter. So we were delighted Tom had this opportunity to not only sharpen his outdoor cooking skills, but also to begin spreading the word about how great an earthy everyday handcrafted Rhone wine can be with BBQ.  In particular, the Cave la Romaine Tradition rouge  ($10) and the Chateau de Clapier Caligrappe ($11).  And by the way, Chef Steven Raichlen’s Smoked short ribs really were to die for (recipe below).  See you ’round the barbie, mates!! Bon Appetit! Dare & Tom

Five-Spice Smoked Short Ribs With Shanghai Barbecue Sauce The Washington Post, June 18, 2008 Summary: To make these ribs right, you’ll need a smoker and 2 cups of wood chips or chunks that have been soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained. Grilling expert Steven Raichlen cooked the ribs in the smoker for 2 to 2 1/2 hours over low heat (250 degrees); he could have added hot coals to increase the temperature in the smoker when it came time to apply the barbecue sauce. But because he had a second grill going, he transferred the meat to the hotter grill and basted the ribs until they were a rich dark brown with a good crust. Alternatively, he says the ribs can be cooked over indirect heat at a medium temperature (350 degrees) for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, then moved over direct heat and basted for the last 3 minutes of cooking.   4 to 6 servings Ingredients:  For the ribs and rub · 3 to 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, each 2 to 3 inches long (6 to 8 pieces) · 2 tablespoons sugar · 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder · 1 tablespoon salt · 2 teaspoons ground white pepper For the sauce · 1 cup hoisin sauce · 1/3 cup Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing) or dry sherry · 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce · 1/4 cup sugar · 2 tablespoons ketchup · 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, or more to taste · 1 medium clove garlic, minced · 1 tablespoon minced ginger root · 2 scallions, white and light-green parts minced, plus 1/4 cup scallion greens for garnish Directions: For the ribs and rub: Place the ribs in a large mixing bowl. Combine the sugar, five-spice powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. Generously sprinkle the rub on all sides of the ribs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes while you make the sauce and set up the smoker. For the sauce: Combine the hoisin sauce, wine or sherry, soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, ginger and scallions in a nonreactive medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and rich-tasting. Set up a smoker for direct and indirect heat; add a drip pan (add beer to the drip pan, if desired); preheat to low (250 degrees). When ready to cook, brush and oil the grate. Toss 1 cup of the soaked and drained wood chips on the coals. Place the ribs in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover with the smoker lid and smoke the ribs for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until they are dark brown, cooked through and tender enough to pull apart easily. Replenish the coals and wood chips as needed, using the remaining 1 cup of wood chips. When the ribs are done, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch. Just before serving, add hot coals to the smoker to increase the temperature (to 400 to 450 degrees). Brush the ribs on all sides with the sauce and move them directly over the fire. Alternatively, the ribs can be transferred to a separate grill that is preheated to medium-high, or 400 to 450 degrees. Grill for 1 to 3 minutes per side, until the sauce is sizzling; watch carefully so the sugars in the barbecue sauce don’t burn. Transfer the ribs to a large platter and sprinkle with the 1/4 cup scallion greens. Serve with the remaining barbecue sauce on the side.     Slow-Cooking Ribs: Grilling expert Steven Raichlen likes to keep low-and-slow-cooking ribs moist by using “mop sauce in a bottle.” He holds a thumb over the mouth of a bottle of beer, gives the bottle a shake and slides his thumb back to release a spray that coats the ribs from afar. Recipe Source: Adapted from “Primal Grill With Steven Raichlen,” his new television cooking series.