Valentine's Day Ribs!

After that Super Bowl BBQ success I decided to do it again for Jenny since she missed out last weekend. This time I decided to also try some pork spare ribs. The recipes were almost identical besides the pork ribs calling for some apple juice added to the mixture and some paprika. I'm definitely seeing a trend in this book by Adam Perry Lang. Once I get the hang of these recipes I will easily be able to just wing it on my own and try my own flavorings. This time the ribs were in the smoker for only about 3 hours. Jenny was getting impatient and it was incredibly difficult for me to deny her my beautifully smoked meats. I've realized that the real "flavor saver" is in the wrapping technique. For the last 30 minutes I wrap the ribs in foil with my 2nd favorite BBQ sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's (my favorite is Firestone of course),  and some brown sugar, honey, and butter. This gives the ribs a sweet and juicy flavor that just makes my mouth water thinking about it. This time the side was grilled asparagus. The recipe was pretty simple and I was improvising the whole way. I started by drizzling some olive oil over the asparagus in a flat pan then sprinkled garlic salt, black pepper, kosher salt, and freshly minced garlic to the spread. When I placed all of the asparagus on the grill I had a flare up really quickly. I think it was the olive oil. I calmed the flare up but it definitely blackened some of the asparagus more than I would have liked and masked the flavorings I had added. This is where I improvised and really struck gold. I used my BBQ brush to add some canola oil and melted butter to the grilling asparagus and then squeezed out a half lemon all over it. The result was a tart and fresh tasting asparagus with some peppery undertones. I was really pleased with how it turned out. Take a look!

Smoked Beef and Pork Ribs with side of Asparagus

I probably won't be BBQing for a couple weeks as I'll be in SLO next weekend but I think I want to try a pork shoulder or a prime rib next time. And since I'll be in SLO I'll definitely be stopping by my all-time favorite BBQ place, Firestone Grill. I simply cannot resist their tri-tip sandwich and their BBQ sauce is something I'm going to attempt to replicate soon!