Jack's Ribs

   Ribs, Ribs, Ribs!

   Everyone likes ribs, or at least everyone should like ribs. Luckily some folks love ribs so much it probably makes up for the folks who do not like them.

   As you cruise the meat department of the local grocer you can see that there are quite a few differing cuts of ribs. Looking around the internet you will find thousands of ways to prepare them, each with its own special attraction. Everyone who is a fan of ribs also seems to have their own way of preparing them, which is always the best way.

   I came across a youtube video done the the BBQ Pit Boys called 'Jack's Ribs Country Style' that I thought was a really cool way to do up some country style pork ribs. As I had just found these style of ribs on sale at a local market the timing was perfect. Or maybe it was the other way around, I picked up the on sale ribs, then did a search for a new way to cook them.

   Either way, the Pit Boy's version looked great, a real must try! Here is how the ribs were cooked up.

   Jack's Ribs Country Style

Ingredients:
4 to 5 Lbs 'Country Style' Spare Rib
2 16 oz Bottles BBQ Sauce of choice
1 10 oz Can Ro*Tel Tomatoes & Chiles / drained
1 7 oz Can Whole Roasted Green Chiles / drained
1 12 oz Bottle Beer of your choosing
4 Jalapenos / seeded & sliced in half lengthwise
1 sm Onion / quartered & sliced thick
2 TBS Tango Spice Chik N Rib Rub

Directions:
   Combine BBQ sauce & RoTel in a large bowl. Add Chik N Rib Rub, stir well.
   Add the onions & jalapenos & beer, stir well.
   Put ribs in the sauce and coat well.
   Put the ribs in a doubled up, deep 1/2 size aluminum throw away pan. Pour sauce mixture over the ribs, careful not to overflow and also reserve 2 cups (there will be 2) for heating up.
   Cover pan with heavy foil and set aside while getting the grill up to medium hot.
   Place the reserved sauce in a BBQ safe pot and move around the grill from direct heat to indirect heat, keeping it from over cooking. Let this thicken up.
   Place the pan directly over the coals / burner and bring the mixture to a slow boil. Let this simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. I let this go for about another 20 minutes after the first hour.
   Remove the pan from the grill and then place the rib directly onto the grill and add some of the sauce from the pot. Get some sear marks on these.
   Plate these up after you get the marks you like, and then enjoy some darn good ribs.

Lined Up & Ready To Go

BBQ Sauce & Chik N Rib Rub

Go Ahead, Take A Bite

Only One Item Missing

Add That Beer

Give It A Stir

Dip Your Ribs

Give Them A Nice Coat

Put Them In A Doubled Up Pan

Add The Sauce Mixture & More Chik N Rib Rub 

Going Direct Heat

Bubbles Up Really Nice;y

See...

One Cup Of Reserved Sauce Set To Boil

Toil & Trouble

Gettin' Close

Place The 'Rib' Over The Coals

Add Some More Sauce

Add Some Nice Sear

Plate That Stuff Up & Enjoy!

Havasu BBQ 2011

Doing Nothing - AZ Style!

So, there I was, in the heat of the Arizona desert. I was as west as you can get in the Copper State, right on the shores of the mighty Colorado River in my home town of Lake Havasu City. It was vacation time and there was no way I wanted to stand in lines at a place like Disney, and I had no need to go to some fancy schmancy locale that is meant to impress those who stay home more than getting any actual relaxing in. 

NO - this was a time to kick back, do nothing and enjoy some well deserved down time.

Well, not do totally nothing. We came prepared to do what we like to do best, cook & entertain. We were able to score a nice place to stay with a sweet pool and one of the best views in the city. Thank you to Jeanette and everyone over at Lake Havasu Vacation Rentals for helping with our lodging arrangements.

One thing that makes a Tango vacation different from a 'normal' vacation is that I like to do just as much cooking away from home as we do back at the Test Kitchen. This time was no different. I got in contact with Dana & Bob Eland over at Shishcabob's BBQ & More store in Havasu and they set me up with a Sweet Home Pellet Smoker for the weekend. Yup, some folks go skiing, horseback riding or mountain climbing. Well, I wanted to do some hangin' out by the pool and get some good cooking time in. Thursday afternoon Bob stopped by in the Rhino with a Sweet Home Pellet Grill for us to check out. This would be on of our cooking units for the weekend and I will say I was rather excited.

I have seen pellet grills / smokers before in person and on videos and thought it was a cool idea. Well, let me tell you, after cooking up a storm for two days on one, I think I need to have one in the Test Kitchen.

Thursday night the meal was simple bone in chicken breasts with Tango Chik N Rib Rub and a dozen ABTs, stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. This was a good way to get the feel of how the settings worked for temperature control and how the feeder worked for the pellets. Easy as easy could be. Like Ron Popeil would say, 'set it and forget it'. That is about how it worked.

Friday night we were having family and friends over for eats and drinks so the Sweet Home was cranked up about 11:30 am because there were a few racks of pork ribs, more chicken breasts, a 'Southwestern Fatty', brats and a couple of dozen MOINKS to smoke up.

Let me just say that the Sweet Home was fantastic. The 450 square inches of grill space was plenty of room for all sorts of food. The electronic temperature control worked like a charm, setting differing temps all day for certain food items was a breeze. I can not say enough about how well it worked. I am sure that one will be making its way into my back yard before too long.

Thanks again to Bob & Dana at Shishcabob's for setting us up with a great smoker!

All in all it was a very nice vacation, more like home away from home with all the family and friends we got to spend time with and share some really great food. Perfection for me!

Here is a short video to give you a feel for the awesome eats we were able to prepare.

Enjoy!

When in Havasu, please stop by 

Shishcabob's BBQ & More

911 N. Lake Havasu Ave. Ste 106

Lake Havasu, AZ

928-505-2277

Check us out at

Tango Spice Company

Tango Spice On YouTube

The Rain Came Down!

Earlier this month we had the opportunity to take a short vacation. This was no Disney adventure or trek to an over-crowded hot spot where the only game in town is to hurry up and wait. Nope, this was a chance to get back to our Desert Home Town and do a whole lot of what I think one is supposed to do on a vacation -  Nothing.

This was a week to be in Lake Havasu, AZ and do absolutely nothing.

More on the 'Uneventful Event Of The Summer' in the next post. First I want to show ya a little bit of the wonders of Monsoon Season on the lake.

The view is from Lake Havasu, Arizona and looking west over to Havasu Lake, California.

Enjoy!

As Always, Thank You For Watching!

Tango Spice Company!
Tango On Youtube!

Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Woke Up This Mornin' ~ Had No BBQ Sauce

Woke Up This Mornin' ~ Had No BBQ Sauce

Sounds like a blues tune to me, guess I better learn to play the guitar!

That's right, I woke up this morning' and found I had no BBQ sauce. Of course it being 6 am on a Sunday I certainly did not feel like schlepping to the store for one bottle so I did what any respectful grill dude would do, I cooked some up. As I am usually found doing, I was cooking this in the outdoor test kitchen so any of the neighbors who had their windows open are waking up hungry for some BBQ!

This is not your ordinary, every day BBQ sauce either. What we have here is a pungent, tangy, spicy sauce that will open your eyes and make you take notice! With the use of balsamic vinegar & Tango Spice Southwest Sunset, this is a powerful sauce that really delivers a big flavor!

Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

3/4 Cup Ketchup

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 TBS Dijon Mustard

3 Cloves Garlic / smeared

1 Small Red Onion / minced

1 TBS Canola Oil

1/3 Cup Brownulated Sugar*

1 TBS Tango Spice Southwest Sunset**

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Place the oil, onion & garlic in a medium hot sauce pan, heat for a minute or two 

Add the dry ingredients, stir to combine and heat for two minutes, stir constantly so the brownulated sugar does not burn 

Add the wet ingredients and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. 

Simmer over medium-low heat about 15 to 20 minutes, while constantly stirring the pot. The sauce will reduce about 1/4

Remove from the heat, let cool and put in an airtight jar or squeeze bottle.

This makes just under two cups.

If you wish, you can strain or run in a food processor for an even smoother sauce.

* Brownulated Sugar: This is a pourable brown sugar with a medium molasses flavor. It doesn't lump, cake, or harden. You can use it for baking, sprinkling on fruits, cereals, pancakes, and ice cream. This is a cup for cup replacement for regular light brown sugar, not dark brown.

** Tango Spice Southwest Sunset: This is our version of chili powder, though it is a bit more aromatic and flavorful.

Tango Spice Company

Benmarl Winery Chili Cook Off

The Benmarl Winery up in Marlboro, NY held its 2^nd Annual Chili Cook Off on Saturday June 25th and I am darn glad that Tango Spice was able to be up in the Hudson Valley for this fun event. This was an ICS sanctioned event, so you just know the big guns were going to be out in force cookin' up some of the best chili on the east coast.

I had come up the previous night in order to get an early start. This also gave me a chance to see the vineyard and winery before the cook off crowds got there and the booths were set up. It was nice to drive on in Friday afternoon and take in the spectacular beauty that is Benmarl. Even to a person such as myself, uneducated about wine, the Benmarl Winery is quite impressive. Being America's oldest professional vineyard lends a feeling of long history as you walk the grounds.

A picture perfect setting for a chili cook off. Now the last post about a chili event was about us cooking up in Somers, CT. This time it was a little different, as Tango Spice wanted to be a part of this as a vendor Team Gad Zukes had the weekend off. Yep, as the cooks worked their magic over steaming pots of red & green, I was hawking my wares on the spice trail. I did take a little good natured ribbing from Mad Mike about not stoking' up a pot. All in good fun. Once again as I start to attend these chilihead events, I can see the family type atmosphere which surrounds the cooks. From the seasoned (well seasoned) veterans to the virgin cooks, everyone totally supportive of one another. Though they may be competitors, they are also friends and friends to be.

As had been the way of the weather for the past week, Saturday dawned dark & threatening. Of course as we all know, chili waits for no cloud and this is a rain or shine event. Trophies, cash & sacred chili honor are at stake! Getting to the site I saw that there were a good amount of the competitors already set up and I was able to get the Spice Mobile in and get my little corner all set up in no time. The cool thing about being there early is the chance to head out and say hello to everyone and get some cool photos before everyone shows up.

As the morning rolled on the cooks began preparing the green chili, then the red. Being in the clean mountain air which is now filled with the wafting aroma of peppers, meats, spices all cooking up in the deep pots sure can create an appetite. Then it happens. The clock strikes the appointed hour and the expectant crowds start to arrive. Benmarl is a destination place, the sort of place it is nice to go and enjoy the day, even if there is no cook off. This was apparent as a couple of 'brides to be' stopped in with their entourages. There were also families and friends who had come up for the chance to sample the people's choice chili. 

Throughout the day the clouds rolled in and out, yet spared us any rain. This was really nice, as the sun provided much warmth, then just as it seemed a wee bit too hot, a cloud would stroll on by to cool us off a little bit. Everyone was strolling around, sampling great chili. Also available for sampling was some of Benmarl's wines. For the non wine drinkers like myself there was a frosty keg.

Everyone knows that you should have some good music to go along with your chili and everyone was very much into the sounds of The Crossroads Band. A group of guys playing good, classic rock. Great group of guys for sure.

A big part of any ICS chili cook off is the money raised for a very worthy, local cause. I always like to tell people who have never been to a chili cook off, this is why these folks are so great. All along the good fun and great chili is the awesome work it does for the locals. The money you pay for your tasting kits is money you can feel very good about spending. During the Benmarl cook off, money raised was going to Fraxa research for the cure of Fragile X.

The entire event was really great. From the location to the cooks and the wonderful crowds it was a great day to be up in wine country.

Tango Spice will be back next year at the Benmarl. You never know, perhaps even Team Gad ~ Zukes chili will be there as well. Either way, I would hope that you'd be there as well.

The Winners Are!

Red Chili

First Place > Jim Heywood

Chili Verde

First Place > Vicki Buma Tankis

Salsa

First Place > Roxanne Ballachino

For more information click the links below:

Benmarl Winery:

Fraxa:

Crossroads Band:

The International Chili Society:

Tango Spice:

How about some photos? Yeah!

All Quiet Before The Cooks Arrive

Tango Hangin' With The Chili Folks!

All Smiles

Great Place To Be With Friends

Is This A Backdrop Or What?

Fatty ~ With Leftovers!

Ya know how it is, sometimes when you open the fridge door it is like a walk down memory lane. There may be leftovers from the past few days of fine meals, that is if it was not all scarfed down. So it was yesterday, there was a little bit of that, a little bit of this and a smidgeon of other tid bit from the last couple of dinners.

What To Do, What To Do?

Hey, let's combine a few ingredients into a fatty that smacks of spicy leftover goodness!

The sausage was one pound of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage that never made the breakfast cut over the weekend. Onto this was sprinkled a good layer of the soon to be available Tango Spice Tango Verde Green Chili Powder. The hottest blend we have yet to come out with!

Now, for the stuffing... All just left overs waiting in the fridge to be let loose.

Sticky Rice

Avocado Salsa

Smoked Pork Loin / cubed

Sharp Cheddar / cubed

Granny Smith Apple / cubed

Sriracha Sauce / just because

Put all the stuffing into the fatty cannon and roll that bad boy up. Put it out on the grill, using indirect heat and let that cook away. Yeah Man!

Yep, once again it was time to cook up a fatty! Never Too Soon To Roll Another Fat One!

Here Goes!

Tease Ya With A Slice!

Jimmy Dean Covered In Tango Verde Green Chili Powder
(available soon)

Fill The Fatty Cannon!

Oh Yeah! Spicy Tangy Goodness!

See The Cheese! See The Apple!

Wrapped & Ready To Cook!

Almost Done!

Lookin So Darn Tasty!

Yep, Just Get Ya A Big Ole Fatty!

Tango In The Desert!

BBQ'n & Grillin' in the desert southwest - ya just can't beat that! Spending 25 years in Lake Havasu, AZ gave me the opportunity for year round grilling enjoyment. 360 days of sunshine a year does lend itself to cooking outdoors quite well. 

This is also where I really started to enjoy coming up with my own spice blends to enhance the flavor of grilled foods. The seeds of Tango Spice were planted in the dry heat of the Arizona sun. Now mind you, Tango Spice in based in Sound Beach, NY, yet we never forget the great back yard BBQ's we had 'back in the day'.

There will always be a great connection between Havasu & Sound Beach for me, even over the years and the 2,611 miles.

With this in mind it is my pleasure to let my 'home town' desert dwelling friends that Tango Spice is now on the shelves over at Shishcabob's BBQ & More Store!

I would like to thank Dana & Bob Eland for allowing Tango Spice to enjoy some highly sought after shelf space in their fine store. When you are out and about, please stop in and say hello, check out all they have to offer and pick yourself up some Tango Spice!

Shishcabob's BBQ & More

911 N. Lake Havasu Ave. #106

Lake Havasu, AZ

928~505~2277

http://www.youtube.com/ShishcabobsDotCom

Hurry On Down Today!