Make Alex Guarnaschelli's hearty honey-balsamic spareribs at home
If you're looking for a nice, hearty dish that will warm you up on the inside as the weather begins to get cooler, look no further.
Food Network star, Iron Chef and author of the new cookbook "Italian American Forever" Alex Guarnaschelli recently dropped by to share her honey-balsamic-glazed tuscan-style spareribs, and some delicious side dishes to pair them with.
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Honey-Balsamic-Glazed Tuscan-Style Spareribs
Ingredients for Rub:
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps. fennel seeds
2 tbsps. coriander seeds
2 tbsps. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
2 tbsps. dark brown sugar
2 tbsps. smooth Dijon mustard
2 tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
2 racks St. Louis-style pork ribs (5 to 5 1/2 pounds total)
Ingredients for Glaze:
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Make the rub: In a medium sauté pan set over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, allspice and rosemary. Gently cook until the spices are just awakened with slight warmth, about one minute. Transfer the mix to a medium bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire. Rub the mix all over the racks of ribs. Refrigerate, covered, for at least six hours, or up to 12 hours.
Cook the ribs: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Fit a baking sheet with a rack. Arrange the ribs in a single layer, meaty side up, on the rack in the baking sheet so the ribs are elevated. Cover the whole pan with a layer of foil, seal around the edges, and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and place the rack back in the oven and bake until nicely browned and tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Make the Glaze: In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, cook the honey until it froths and browns, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the vinegar. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, about two additional minutes. It should smell like honey and vinegar at the same time.
Serve: Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and stand them upright, holding the end of the bones. Cut down in between each rib and arrange in a single layer on a serving platter. Pour any cooking juices over them and spoon the glaze over top.
Baked Broccoli with Garlic
Ingredients:
2 heads broccoli
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 large lemon, halved
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
Prepare the broccoli: Place the broccoli on a flat surface. Peel the stems with a vegetable peeler then cut the broccoli in half lengthwise. Cut those halves in half again. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil and garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Arrange the broccoli in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the garlic oil mixture.
Bake the broccoli: Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack and, with the oven door open, pour 1/4 cup water onto the bottom of the baking sheet. Close the door and bake until the edges of the broccoli brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Insert a small knife into the center part of the stem to check if the broccoli is tender. You want it pretty yielding. If not, bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Remove from the oven, squeeze the lemon over the broccoli, and arrange on a serving platter.
Potato Gratin with Italian "Pizza" Crust
Gratin Ingredients:
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 large garlic cloves, minced
7 or 8 medium Idaho baking potatoes (2 to 3 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (not fresh mozzarella)
Crust Ingredients:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated pecorino cheese
4 tbsps. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps. garlic powder
2 tbsps. onion powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Directions:
Get Ready: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Grease the bottom and sides of a rectangular 12-inch-long gratin dish with the butter. Sprinkle a little of the minced garlic on the bottom of the dish.
Cook the potatoes: Place the potato slices in a large saucepan, season liberally with salt and pepper, and mix to blend. Cover with the cream, milk, remaining garlic and the nutmeg and stir to combine. Simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Take care not to stir the mixture too frequently so as not to break up the potatoes. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning.
Assemble: Arrange half of the potatoes in the dish. Layer in half of the mozzarella cheese and season with salt, then cover with all of the remaining potatoes. Season with salt again and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Place the gratin dish in the center of the oven on a baking sheet (to catch any spillage). Bake until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife, about one hour. Remove from the oven.
Make the Topping and Bake: In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, pecorino, butter, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and red pepper flakes. Spread and sprinkle the topping over the potatoes. Return the dish to the oven and bake until the topping is light brown, about 15 minutes. Cut into wedes and serve.
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