Rodeo Ribs The Dallas Cowboys were in so many Super Bowls when my friends and I first started to gather for the game that it seemed the state of Texas needed some recognition in a Super Bowl meal. Because Texas is the home of the longhorn, no pork ribs are allowed. Instead, this recipe calls for meaty, succulent beef short ribs. Slather them with a spicy, tangy barbecue sauce with that distinctive zip typical of sauces from the Alamo to the Oklahoma border. Be sure to make the sauce at least two days before you plan to cook the ribs, to allow the flavors to develop. If you're inclined to adjust the tang or the sweetness, add more lemon juice first, and then brown sugar, a teaspoon at a time. You want to be sure to ask the butcher to cut the ribs in 2 1/2-inch lengths so you can pick them up with your hands and just eat the meat right off the bone. If they are too long they'll be too messy, and face it-ribs are messy enough to begin with.
4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 2- to 2 1/2-inch lengths
Coarse (kosher) salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and slivered
1 cup Beef Broth
Rodeo Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
1. Preheat the oven to 350ªF.
2. Sprinkle the ribs generously with coarse salt and pepper. Place the olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven and heat it over medium heat. Add the ribs, in batches, and brown them well on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the ribs to a plate.
3. Add the onion to the Dutch oven and cook over low heat until wilted, scraping up any browned bits, 8 to 10 minutes. Return the ribs to the Dutch oven, arranging them on top of the onions. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, then add the beef broth, stir, and continue to cook, covered, for another 45 minutes. 5. Remove the pot from the oven and stir in 2 cups of the Rodeo Barbecue Sauce. Then spoon the mixture over the ribs. Return the pot to the oven and cook, uncovered, basting the ribs once or twice, until the meat is tender and succulent, 40 minutes.
6. Remove the pot from the oven and skim off the fat. Serve the ribs, with the remaining barbecue sauce alongside.
Rodeo Barbecue Sauce
This barbecue sauce has the kick and tang of Texas sauces. It goes with almost anything you cook on a grill, so think of it for steaks, burgers, chicken-you name it.
2 cups ketchup
1 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced with 1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
1. Combine all the ingredients plus 4 cups water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a slow rolling boil over medium heat and cook, stirring regularly to prevent the sauce from scorching, until thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove the garlic. Let the sauce cool to room temperature. Then transfer it to a container and refrigerate for 2 days for the flavors to blend.
Makes 4 1/2 cups
