I wanted a tender, flavorful, moist rib with a complex smokey flavor and a slight crust. Check, check, check and check. Mmmmm, baby these are goooood eatin’!

Preparation:
You’ll need to make the bbq sauce the day before. See the recipe.
Soak wood chips in water for at least 1 hour before use.
Make a fire in your grill for indirect cooking and make sure it is ready to go soon after the ribs are done simmering.

Ingredients:
1 slab of ribs
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, smashed (see this video for easy peeling)
1 cinnamon stick, broken in two
a pinch of ground cloves
a pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp black pepper, roughly ground.
water
bbq sauce #2

Directions:
1. Place onion, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper in bottom of large pan.
2. Place ribs on top of spices.
3. Cover ribs with water.
4. Simmer ribs in covered pan for 1-1/2 to two hours until tender. Meat should have pulled back from the bones about 1 inch.
5. Drain ribs and place directly over fire for a few minutes per side.
6. Move ribs to indirect heat in grill and coat with bbq sauce.
7. Drain wood chips and place on coals.
8. Allow to smoke for about 15 minutes.
9. Serve with bbq sauce for dippin’.

Notes:
Simmering can either be done on the stove top or in a 350 degree F. oven.
Simmering adds complex flavor to the meat itself and makes it tender and moist. Direct cooking on the grill gives it a slight crust.
For instructions on smoking with a gas grill, see this video.

Video:
How to smash garlic.

For more of my videos, including higher quality versions, visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD

Butter is the key to making this soup rich, warm and comforting. The tiny bits of spices add a complexity and earthiness that round out the feel good factor.

Ingredients:
1 lb. stew beef (my butcher regularly has this cut-up convenience ready to go)
1 lb. carrots, cut about 1/3 inch thick (or use baby carrots)
3/4 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 quart hot water.
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, pressed (see this video for easy peeling)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp. ground mustard
1/16 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/16 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Preparation:
Before you begin, Set a quart of water on to boil (I use a tea kettle). If it boils before you are ready to use it, turn off the heat and leave it covered.

Instructions:

1. In a dutch oven over medium high heat, saute the carrots and onions in 4 Tbsps. butter for 5-10 minutes or until they begin to brown.
2. Remove carrots and onions from pan to a covered bowl.
3. Saute beef for 3-5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Turn once and cook for 3-5 more minutes.
4. Remove beef from pan and put with carrots and onions in covered bowl.
5. Add about 1/8 inch of water to pan, scraping bottom of pan to release all the brownings. This is where your soup gets much of it’s flavor and all of it’s color so do a good job.
6. Add garlic and spices to pan and cook for another minute. Don’t let pan go dry!
7. Return carrots, onion and beef to pan and cover with 1 quart of hot water.
8. Simmer on medium for 35 minutes or until carrots and beef are done.
9. Taste soup and salt to taste. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter into soup.

Notes:
Yields about 6 cups.
Additional vegetables can be added such as mushroom. Just follow the same sauteing procedure.
Freezes well.