Last year I realized that I did not have a rib recipe (aside from short ribs) on my blog, nor could I say I really knew how to make them.  Then in a very candid conversation with my friend Stephen from Latino Foodie who was also in the same boat with the “rib situation” we both decided to master making ribs.  Well we kinda motivated each other to get ribbing.  That was last summer and it didn’t happen on my part.

Then last month I was on a trip with Walmart in their hometown of Arkansas and they brought in some master bar-b-que experts to teach us a few tricks of the grill.  I watched them and was amazed at a few things I had never learned along the way, and knew I would incorporate my newly found knowledge into some grilling recipes.  Then one of the masters teaching us about steak, grilling and the best cuts to look for mentioned that he was a rib master and had won many competitions.  Mind you he was not showing us how to make ribs at all.  I waited until his demo was over then pounded him with a million questions about making ribs on the grill from start to finish.  He told me about the 2-2-1 method which means, 2 hours with the ribs on the grill (ribs facing down), 2 hours with the ribs wrapped in foil (meaty side down-ribs sticking up), then remove ribs from foil and place them back on the grill (rib side down) for 1 hour.  Now the part I didn’t know is you can’t cook ribs under direct heat, or at least you shouldn’t.  He told me to heat the outer flames on my grill to a medium low heat and place the ribs in the middle.  And to keep the hood of my barbecue closed the entire time with the exception of the meat turning (of course.) He said his favorite ribs to grill were the St. Louis Style pork ribs.  I asked him where I could buy my ribs and he said he always buys his slabs at Walmart.

Here is my video showing you exactly how I made my delicious cherry chipotle ribs, from start to finish, using the 2-2-1 method.  Oh and can I just say they were the best darn ribs I ever had!  Toot, toot (my own horn.)

Ingredients for cherry chipotle ribs:

• 1 – teaspoon garlic powder
• a pinch oregano
• 1 – teaspoon black pepper
• 1 – teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1 – teaspoon sea salt
• 1 – teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
• 3 to 4 – pounds St. Louis Style Ribs
• 6 – tablespoons butter (divided in half – one portion per packet)
• 1 – lime
• 1/4 – cup honey ( 1/8 cup per packet)
• A generous helping of Cherry Chipotle Fruit Sauce by Not Ketchup (Shhhhhh, I bought this sauce at Sam’s club! If you can’t find it feel free to use your fave fruit sauce or BBQ sauce)

Directions:

Watch video for directions and how to get these scrumptious babies in your life! 🙂

In an ideal world, everyone would eat Lamb.  It would be the first meat of choice that people grabbed for.  We tend to to be repeat buyers stuck in the beef and chicken section of the market…. If only we explored our options.  I’m a HUGE CRAZY LAMB LOVER and am always surprised by the people around me who don’t eat lamb so much or have never tasted it at all.  These words send me into action, I immediately jump on my soap box and tell them how much they are missing out on, and to be ready to become fanatical.  I can’t help it, I utterly enjoy turning people on to deliciousness.

Take these Chipotle Grape Lamb Skewers for example….. My fiance’s mom is an older Mexican woman who has never cooked with Lamb.  Why?  She’s scared of it?  Not experimental?  Not really exposed to lamb dishes?  Who knows.  It could be any of these reasons.  I recently made these Lamb skewers and offer her some.  What do you think happened?  She went NUTS COOCOO bananas over them.  Asking a trillion questions about the preparation and what I used in the marinade.  I guarantee you she went out and bought some Lamb that night to make her own skewers.  My job was done here.

Ingredients for Chipotle Grape Lamb Skewers:

3 – pounds of Cedar Springs Butterflied Leg of Lamb (Chopped into 1 1/2 inch cubes)

3 – tablespoons of basil olive oil

2 – lemons (juiced)

1 – onion sliced

1 1/2 – tablespoons of chipotle powder

1 1/2 – cups pinot grigio

2 – cups Melissa’s Produce Muscato Green Grapes (smashed)

4 – garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)

2 – teaspoons of salt

15 to 20 bar-b-que skewers

Start by cutting your lamb into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  Place in a bowl.

In a another bowl add grapes and smash put to pop grapes. Place to the side.

Now add all ingredients to Lamb chunks, and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the fridge overnight.

1 hour before you are ready to grill…. soak skewers in water for at least 20 minutes.

Then remove lamb from fridge and skewer 4 chunks of meat per skewer. Once all skewers are prepared….Toss them on the grill.

Grill on each side for 4 to 5 minutes….. Heaven!

 Do you want to grill some Lamb?

This giveaway is now closed!

Rules for the giveaway:

Leave a comment below letting me know how you like to eat lamb or if you have never tried it, tell me why.

Like Presley’s Pantry on Facebook!

Follow Presley’s Pantry on Twitter!

Tweet:  I just entered to WIN a butterflied leg of lamb @PresleysPantry !  Wanna win one? Enter here! http://wp.me/p1mJLS-1or

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them.

Open to U.S. Residents only.  No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter.  Contest ends August 17th, 2012 at 11:59 PM, PST and one winner  will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org.

Congrats to Liz Serna…. she is the winner. 

Disclosure: I was provided with Lamb by Cedar Springs to aid this recipe and giveaway to a reader. Melissa’s Produce also provided me with grapes. The combo of these two were heavenly.

Photos by Mando Lopez

The idea of having a bar-b-que doesn’t exist if corn on the cob isn’t thrown on the grill.  I take pleasure in watching people eat their corn.  So many different ways to enjoy each kernel.  Some people eat it like a old typewriter on fast speed….very crickety.  All the way down one side and back at the top again for another go at it. Some people pick each kernel and savor it slowly. Some people just hack away at the corn taking big bites here and there with no rhythm or coordination.  I am a meticulous corn eater, I eat one side and then more on to the next….  never leaving a kernel untouched.  Then you have your funny people that bite a kernel and place them strategically in their teeth and leave them there to resemble messy mouth.  Maybe that last one just happens in my family, I don’t know.  Whichever the case, delight in this corn and eat it the way you know how.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Ingredients for grilled corn on the cob:

Fresh corn on the cob

Kerrygold garlic and herb butter

basil infused olive oil

fresh lime juice

salt and pepper

aluminum foil

Take a piece of aluminum foil (7×7)and place down on  as a work space/wrapper. Place corn on aluminum foil and spread butter around entire corn to cover it.

Then drizzle with olive oil and squeeze with fresh lime juice.

Next season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Then wrap the corn in aluminum foil nice and tight, and start on the next one.  One you finishing wrapping all your cobs. Throw them on a bar-b-que grill and cook on each side for 5 to 6 minutes. A corn has 4 sides…. a total of 20 to 24 minutes.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!