East Meets West: A Southern Classic with a Touch of Asian Flare

One of the main things that I am known for with my family and friends is turning almost everything I cook into a creole dish.  My motto is Tony’s Seasoning is good for everything, right!  Well, if you ask my sister I need to pump the brakes on the Creole seasoning periodically due to the higher sodium content.  This mindset combined with my new found desire to create healthy meals that my kids will love has caused me to explore other spices to really expand my definition of creole fusion.  For last night’s meal, I decided to combine a classic Chinese dish with a Southern favorite.  Plus if you’re watching your salt intake, my Asian Inspired Country Style Ribs, which I served with a Green bean and mushroom stir fry and basic fried rice, is the perfect way to keep all the flavor but lose a lot of the salt!  I created these recipes on the fly using only things that I had on hand so I promise the grocery list for this meal should be fairly short (if you stocked your kitchen the way I recommended) AND you can easily swap my choices out with spices and veggies you have on hand.  The thought behind this recipe is more method and experimentation rather than sticking to a rigid ingredient list. In this case, my experiment paid off, the family loved this and kids cleaned their plates. Having fun in the kitchen by combining new flavors is always goal and hey when in doubt trust your nose.  If it smells good, it will taste good.  If it doesn’t, well you might want to rethink your choices :-). 

Prep It

• This is one of those meals that benefits from day ahead prepping.  I made it on a Sunday so I did all my prep work in the morning right after church, but all of this can easily be done the night before or on your normal prep day in order to cut down on time during the week.
• If frozen, take out the meat the night before and place it in sink over night to allow adequate time to thaw.
• Make the marinade and place in an airtight container in the fridge or if your house is fairly cool (70°C or below) you can leave it on the counter for up to 8 hours
• Wash and prep your green beans by snapping off the tough ends.  If you plan to store these in the fridge, wrap a paper towel around them and place in a zip lock bag.  This will keep the moisture off the beans and they will last longer
• If serving with rice, cook it a day in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use

What Goes In It

• 1 ½ lbs Country Style Boneless Ribs
• 2 tbls Chinese Five Spice Powder
• 2 tbls Pork Rub (I used McCormick Brand)
• 1 tbls Kosher Salt
• 2 tbls brown sugar
• 4 tbls bourbon (I used Southern Comfort)
• 4 tbls Lite Soy Sauce
•  2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbls BBQ sauce or Hoisin Sauce
• 3 tbls honey

How to Make It

1. In small bowl, combine the five spice powder, pork rub, brown sugar and kosher salt.  Rub the rubs with the spice mixture then place in to a large zip lock bag.
2. Using the same bowl, mix together the bourbon, soy sauce, garlic, BBQ sauce, and honey. Rub the pork belly with the marinade mixture and marinate for a minimum of 2 hours on the counter or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Hold up the pork for a few seconds to allow excess marinade to drip off, and then place each piece on the griddle pan, cooking for 3-4 minutes per side. (NOTE: DO NOT THROW OUT YOUR MARINADE).
   
   
   
   
5.  Immediately remove the ribs from the griddle pan and place on a broiler pan that has been lightly brushed with sesame oil. Brush with the reserve marinade.
6. Roast the ribs for about 25-30 minutes.
7. The ribs are done when the center of the rib strip feels firm or the internal temperature reaches 145°F. (medium rare) and 160°F. (medium) on a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part.
   
8. Remove the ribs from oven and let it cool for 3- 5 minutes. Arrange the ribs on a plate, top with sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Extra Tips/Shopping List

What You’ll Need

•  Country Style Ribs
•  Pork Rub
• Chinese five spice powder

What You Should Have Stocked

• Kosher Salt
• Brown sugar
• Bourbon or other alcohol such as Southern Comfort
• Soy Sauce
• Garlic
• BBQ sauce or Hoisin Sauce
• Honey

Extra Tips

• Taste your marinade before pouring it over the meat and adjust your seasoning.  If a sauce tastes good raw, it will be even better cooked!
• Placing a paper around or in the same bag with veggies keeps moisture away and prevent premature molding
• Cutting the green onions on an angle makes your dish look more elegant and finished
• Sesame oil has a low burning temperature so be sure to keep your grill pan heat at Medium
• If you don’t have sesame oil on hand, vegetable oil or non-stick spray can be used
• If you are looking for a substitute for Chinese Five Spice Powder, you can make your own.  This will make more than you need store any reserve in an airtight container. I like to save empty spice bottles for this purpose.
•  ½ tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp cracked black pepper
•  1 tbls ground cinnamon
• 4 tsp ground all spice
•  1 tbls of fennel or dill seeds
• If you are not great and using the touch test for meat doneness (yes I made that word up), get a meat thermometer, it takes all the guess work out of trying to figure out if you are medium, medium rare or well done!
• Have fun experimenting and trying new flavors!

Until Next Time Happy Cooking,

the Gourment Mommie