Oven Roasted Spareribs

This recipes successfully skips the parboiling often called for in sparerib preparation. Frankly, I don’t miss it. Serves four moderate appetites.

4 lbs. pork spareribs
Kosher salt, salt, coarsely ground pepper, sugar, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, chili pepper or cayenne
Prepared barbeque sauce, or homemade (see recipes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ribs in two baking pans, cutting into smaller sections if necessary. Sprinkle one side lightly with the salt, pepper, and spices listed above, then turn over and sprinkle the other side. Loosely cover the roasting pans with a tent of aluminum foil. After 45 minutes, remove from oven. Remove foil and lower heat to 300 degrees. Pour off fat if it is excessive. If there’s just a little, don’t worry about it. Flip the ribs, season with spices again, very lightly, and return to the oven.

At two hours of roasting, remove the ribs from the oven, Again, pour off excessive fat (do leave a little, please). Check to see if the ribs are tender. They will likely need another half hour of roasting.

At this point, you may do one of two things. You may flip the ribs and again sprinkle lightly with the seasonings, or you may brush the ribs with either a prepared or homemade barbeque sauce. While I find the ribs delicious without the sauce, most folks expect some.

Commercially prepared sauces are frequently too sweet and thick. Do be sure what you have on hand is worthy of dressing your delicious ribs! Brush on lightly, return to the oven, and heat remaining sauce in a pan, thinning first with perhaps a spoonful of water and one of pan juices, which will impart a wonderful flavor and consistency.

If you’ve no prepared sauce in the house, add these ingredients to your saucepan:

When sauce is starting to bubble, carefully taste for seasonings and check consistency. If too thin, cook down for a few minutes. If too thick still, add a touch of water.

Remove ribs from the oven and cover the meaty side with a thin coat of sauce. Return to the oven to roast 15 to 20 minutes longer, without the aluminum tent. Keep sauce warm, or reheat quickly just before serving ribs, either pouring over ribs (if your family likes them sloppy) or passing the extra sauce at the table.

Priscilla's Potato Salad

6 slices of bacon
1 to 2 tablespoons reserved drippings
2 large onions, chopped
One fourth to one half cup vinegar
One half to two thirds cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon sugar
One half teaspoon salt or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
6 or 7 large potatoes

Cook the potatoes in a pot of simmering water, salted if you like, set over medium to medium-high heat, until fork tender but not mushy -- about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and cut into dices of desired size - one half inch cubes or larger, or in slightly thinner slices.
Fry the bacon over medium heat until of desired crispness. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
Clean the frying pan and pour 1 or 2 tablespoons of the drippings into it; set over medium heat. Cook the chopped onion in the drippings until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the vinegar (start with one fourth cup -- use more if you like a tarter salad), sour cream (again, start low and use the larger amount for a more fully dressed and creamier salad), milk, sugar, salt and cracked pepper. Stirring constantly, heat through and then remove from the heat. Add crumbled bacon.
Add the hot dressing to the cubed or sliced potatoes and mix gently but thoroughly. Adjust seasonings -- you'll likely find you want more salt and pepper. It’s not too late to add more vinegar or sour cream, too, if it seems necessary, or a little milk to moisten the mix. Serve immediately if desired, or allow to cool, cover and chill in the refrigerator. Nice when served on crisp lettuce.
Priscilla advises that the salad can be reheated in the top of a double boiler, but I'd bet a minute in the microwave would do as well.

Old Fashioned Chopped Salad

Crisp and lightly dressed, offered for easy picnic eating.

For the salad:
2 cups mixed salad greens
1 English cucumber, peeled
1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1 large red onion
2 carrots, peeled
2 ribs celery
1 or 2 firm but ripe tomatoes, seeds removed
1 cup drained olives of choice
One half cup radishes

For the dressing:
Two thirds cup extra virgin olive oil
One third cup freshly squeeze lemon juice or flavored vinegar of choice
One half teaspoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish:

6 or more slices of crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
Two thirds cup crumbled blue cheese

Chop all ingredients, including the salad greens, as desired and add to large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice or vinegar, mustard, minced garlic and pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil, then adjust seasonings. Dress the salad, mix lightly, and garnish with the bacon and blue cheese. Serve immediately