Oven-Baked Beer-Brined Pork Ribs

Ribs are a summertime staple at our house, and I’d reckon yours. Standing outside in the warmth of the summer sun (perhaps drink in hand), the smell of charcoal and simmering ribs on the grill is as strong in my mind on a December morning as it is in the peak of July. If grilling isn’t a strong suit of yours, or you’re hoping to enjoy ribs even in the cold, this week’s recipe is right up your alley.

Making ribs in the oven is a great adventure—you get the benefit of setting a consistent temperature and your whole house smells like heaven! These ribs are no exception. One way to combat ribs drying out (on the grill or in the oven) is to brine them. Brine can be as simple and straightforward as salted water, or you can add some great flavors to the meat. Tenting or wrapping your ribs in foil is also an effective tool. For these, we did both, because who doesn’t love juicy ribs?

Chicken Shawarma with Tahini Sauce

We were recently invited to a friend’s house for a cookout to which everyone was asked to bring something to grill and share. Inspired by Tony’s book (Read our review here!) to expand our grilling repertoire, we wanted to do something other than our typical, but quite delicious, Quick and Easy Bacon Burgers.

This Mediterranean recipe took some advanced preparation, but was otherwise simple. Still, our friends were really impressed and they loved the flavors. We hope you will, too!

Cedar Plank Salmon with Thyme-Balsamic Glaze

We love balsamic vinegar. It goes well with just about any vegetable or protein, and it’s one of our top two go-to seasonings for salmon. With the beautiful weather this weekend, I wanted do something a little different. I wanted to make a balsamic glaze, and I wanted to take advantage of the glorious summer whether and use our grill and cedar planks.

Cedar imparts a beautiful smokey, slightly sweet and earthy flavor to fish and vegetables. By bringing in the balsamic glaze, I hoped to harmoniously blend that flavor with the sweet and tangy richness of the balsamic glaze.  The thyme, I thought, would tame some of the sweetness and help blend the cedar and balsamic flavors well.

I’m pleased to say it worked rather well. We hope you enjoy this new twist on some classic flavors for salmon!

Grilled Portabello Mushroom Caps

grilled seasoned easy portabello mushrooms

Mushrooms.  These fungi were something that I strongly avoided for most of my formative years–my father is not a fan, and I ipso facto also was determined to dislike them.  Eventually, I was tricked out of this delusion, and I’m a better person for it.  I would challenge each of you to go eat something you are certain you dislike because you’ve “always hated it” and be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.  Thanks to this initiative, I now enjoy: asparagus, brussels sprouts, beets, lobster, and mushrooms.

Oregano Garlic Chicken

oregano garlic chicken

This recipe was born somewhat as an accident; we were going to split a chicken to put on the grill, and decided that rather than season the exterior of the chicken, we would try to season underneath the skin.  This was an amazing decision.

Don’t get me wrong, it looks and feels a little different at first if you haven’t done it before, but the result is totally worth it.  We cooked this on our grill with indirect heat, and made a similar recipe in the oven with a grill pan.  Both are delicious, but it is the time of year to grill–so if you can get outside and grill, get some vitamin D and chicken on!