Getting Sauced at Ribfest VIII

Ribfest, one of my favorite summer food competitions graced us again this weekend, and it was truly better than ever.  Looking forward to this awesome day each year, now in its eighth year, I'm always amazed at how much the planning committee (aka The Meyers' family and friends) does to make this day truly special for the competitors and the guests.  
From the inventive signs (see above) to the dedicated pit masters' corner, to the lovely judging area and even a bigger than life slip-and-slide, it was a memorable day, filled with tons of outstanding food and fantastic people.

The Ribs:
The ribs were the star of the show, as always, and this year once again, there were 9 fierce competitors.  Being a judge at Ribfest for the third year now, it was wonderful to get special treatment, as each of the competitors approached the judging table and gave a brief presentation of their dish and its ingredients.  I loved hearing about the unique ingredients used in each dish and the passion that each pit master showed when presenting their end product.  While all ribs were fantastic, my stand-outs included:

Adam's Jamaican Jerk Ribs - Last year's Ribfest winner, Adam always pulls out all the stops for his ribs.  He loves a Jamaican style rib and has experimented with this type of flavor profile before.  I liked seeing his version this year, which was presented beautifully, alongside roasted habanero peppers, which he actually lit up, as part of his dramatic presentation.  

The ribs had nice caramelization, which was on the sweet side, and on the inside, the meat was tender and flavorful - giving you a nice kick of heat from the habanero.  As is traditionally Adam's style, he goes all out on spice, and these ribs were certainly not for the faint of heart.

Tom's Baby Backs - I always look forward to Tom's ribs, as he puts a lot of thought into them and starts his glazes and rubs even a week in advance.  His dedication is impressive and he goes all out to source really good quality meat from Washington D.C.'s Eastern Market.  

Tom uses a hybrid approach in his rib preparation, where he smokes the ribs for 4 hours, giving them that nice charred flavor, and then sous vide's them for another 36 hours for that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.  They were absolutely perfect in my eyes, and my fellow judges agreed, nearly licking the bones clean.

Dave's Tequila Glazed Ribs - A new competitor this year, Dave really impressed us with his tequila glazed ribs.  For someone who's only made ribs about one other time in his life, he used excellent technique, which produced a memorable, fall-off-the-bone meaty snack.

Using a similar mix of ingredients that he also uses for his famous beef chilly, Dave's ribs exemplified a rich flavor profile, which was milder on spice.  It's almost as if he turned his famous chili into ribs, which we all agreed was a great idea.

The Sides and Desserts:
Besides all the ribs, we also sampled a bevy of sides and desserts, which put us over the edge - but we had to sample it all to do the competition justice.  I loved all the creativity that was showcased, including a dish of baked salami, a deconstructed stuffed potato with kale, a bloody Mary salad and even some healthy options such as a jicama and watermelon salad.

The desserts were also impressive, with a few that stole the show such as the "crack pie" with a crunchy oatmeal, caramel crust; a tender and saucy apple cake, as well as the classic homemade mandel bread you see above that's nostalgic for me.
 

The Winners:
Given the tremendous effort put forth from everyone involved in Ribfest, there could only be one rib master, one sides shogun and one dessert deacon.  So without further ado, here are the champions of the Ribfest VIII #getsauced competition:

Rib Master - Tom Parker with his 36 hour sous vide baby back ribs
Sides Shogun - The Silverman brothers with their deconstructed stuffed potatoes
Dessert Deacon - Jamie and John with their bodacious "crack pie"

A huge thanks goes out to our gracious hosts, Ellyn & Dave Meyers and families for putting on yet another unforgettable shin-dig.  Long live the rib - #getsauced ya'll!

Another Ribfest Debut - Jason's Roasted Poblano Cheese Grits

Since it's the weekend, and certainly a time to indulge, I wanted to bring you another decadent recipe from this year's Ribfest.  Jason's Roasted Poblano Cheese Grits was a first runner up in the side dish throwdown this year, and I especially loved its spicy, cheese flavor.  While I got all the ingredients in my previous description wrong (shows how much I know!), Jason graciously sent over the recipe, which I'm including here.  Feel free to try it, and definitely let me know if you run into questions along the way.

Jason's Roasted Poblano Cheese Grits

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):
2 cups chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup grits
3 oz smoked gouda cheese, grated
2 tbs unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 tbs heavy cream
2½ poblanos, roasted and diced
Fresh thyme, minced
Smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Scallions, chopped

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil.  Add the garlic, and slowly stir in the grits.  Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until the grits are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add more broth as necessary.  Remove from heat, and whisk in thyme, smoked paprika, poblanos, most of the cheese (but leave some left over), butter and cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Finish with the rest of the grated cheese and chopped scallions on top.

Adam's Award Winning Thai Style Ribs

Last week I told you about the amazing Ribfest extravaganza I attended at the Meyers', giving you just a little taste of the the spectacular dishes that were featured.  But today, we get in a little deeper, as I unveil the winning recipe that received the big kahuna prize for best ribs.  Give it up for Adam everybody!

Adam's Thai-style ribs made a big time impression on us all, not just with their strong, in-your-face flavor, but also with the creativity in ingredients that were used.  Here, Adam shares his recipe, so we can all practice making his ribs just because, or for an upcoming rib extravaganza of our own perhaps.

Adam's Thai Style Ribs (Winner of Ribfest 2012)

Ingredients:
1 red onion chopped 
5 cloves of garlic minced 
2 fresh Thai chili peppers 
1/3 cup oyster sauce 
1/2 cup fish sauce 
2/3 cup molasses 
1/2 cup ketchup 
1 cup Thai basil 
3 tbs tamarind powder 
1/4 cup sriracha 
2 tbs garlic powder 
2 tbs onion powder 
1 tbs chili powder 
1/2 cup dark brown sugar 
1/2 cup mirin 
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 
1 tbs butter 

Directions: 

Sauté the onion, garlic, chopped pepper, and a pinch of Thai basil in the butter until soft and pungent (caution: Thai pepper produces some tear gas). Add the liquid ingredients starting with the fish sauce, then adding molasses and other ingredients, reserving the sriracha and Thai basil. Cook until a light boil, back off to a low heat, and simmer 1 hour, add sriracha to taste and Thai basil and cook at least 30 minutes.

Ribfest VII - Justice Was Served!

Not only does the start of summer symbolize for me countless days and nights with friends and family, cooking outside and enjoying amazing eats, it's always marked by a major food shin-dig that really kicks things off.  This event is no other than the annual Meyers' Ribfest, now in its 7th glorious year.  

Even though it's stellar every year, our good friends, The Meyers never settle for anything less than perfect, and up the ante with each consecutive year.  It's really exciting to see the progression of this event, and I enjoy looking back at the pictures of past times and remembering just how far along Ribfest has come.  This year proved to be yet another unbelievable spectacle, as the competition got fiercer, the ribs got saucier and the guests came even hungrier.

To recap a bit about the format of this event, here's some background:

The Competition:
Each year it's nice to see that Ribfest sees more and more competitors, especially in the ribs category.  Since the event's inception, the battle has evolved to also include a sides and a dessert throwdown.  While the prize for best ribs is no doubt the most prestigious, even the king or queen of sides and dessert gets legitimate street cred.

Everyone's ribs are judged on three important criteria, including appearance, flavor and tenderness from a scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest.  For the sides and the dessert, the judging is a bit more interpretive, as you rate the dishes from a more holistic perspective.

Being a judge this year, along with four other talented food connoisseurs, we tried to be discerning but also fair.  The results, I'm proud to say reflected true greatness, and I genuinely feel that the creme de la creme got what they deserved.  Congratulations to the winners of course, but really to everyone for participating in this spectacular carnivorous battle.

Competitors:
We had 9 worthy competitors for the ribs, seven for the sides and three for dessert.  In the rib competition specifically, we had veterans such as Adam, Tom, Uncle Bobby and Chris, while also a few rib newbies like the Silverman Brothers, Randi, Jessica and Henry.  I loved the dynamic between the rookies and the veterans, since the former really upped the competitive spirit of things, and I was especially excited to see more ladies enter this usually male dominated throwdown.

The Ribs:
As each competitor approached the judges' table with their own prized possession, they informed us of the ingredients that made up their ribs and the style of preparation they chose.  We then each took a rib, gnawed on it with gusto and exchanged our collective commentary.  Here are the ones that stood out to me:

Adam's Thai Ribs - Getting an automatic 5 in appearance, these ribs were absolutely gorgeous, and you can see them here, embellished with beautiful fresh Thai peppers grown in Adam and Jessica's backyard.  The glaze was slightly sweet at first bite but sharp and spicy at the finish, ending each note with an exclamation mark.  Even though some of the judges weren't wild about the texture of these ribs, I thought they were lovely, and separated nicely from the bone.

Chris - A close second when it came to all the judging criteria, Chris' ribs were done in a "red muddy" style, sporting a gorgeous smoke ring, which indicated right from the start that they'd be stellar.  The flavors were really nice, and also fiery like Adam's but definitely not as intense.  Their overall taste was more subdued but the actual texture was 100% perfect, the meat separating beautifully upon contact, and making your job of licking the bone clean very easy.

Jessica - I need to give kudos to the ladies here, especially Jessica who did an awesome job with saucing her ribs.  Not sure about everything that was in her glaze, but she had a nice sweet, smoky combination going on, and I think there was some honey used, which is always a plus in my book.  In terms of the texture, it needed a little work, but I tip my hat to you Jess for giving the boys a run for their money!

The Sides:
Sometimes for me, the sides are the most interesting, as that's where you can really let your creativity shine.  While some folks went with traditional BBQ accompaniments like mac 'n cheese and grits, everyone elevated their dishes with non-traditional ingredients or innovative cooking methods.  Here are my shining stars:

Thea's Mac 'n Cheese Pancakes - While some folks didn't really get this interesting spin on a classic comfort food, I really dug it.  Pancakes, literally stuffed with gooey macaroni and cheese, it was a perfect cross-over dish that went nicely with a modest helping of maple syrup.  While its ingredients were super rich, each pancake overall was light and fluffy and didn't feel the least bit heavy.

Jason's Jalapeno Cheddar Grits - A huge standout for me, given that I'm a sucker for smooth, creamy grits, Jason's version delivered and then some.  A major reason why a lot of folks including me were crazy about it, was because Jason wasn't shy to showcase the spice, leaving a sharp bite on your tongue after each spoonful.  I also enjoyed the really velvety texture, which was too porridge like for some, but I personally really liked it.

Chris's Kale - It was nice to actually throw some veggies into the mix, and I think Chris made a bold choice with the kale, as this leafy green isn't always a crowd pleaser.  He really did wonders to it though, as the kale lost its bitterness completely, containing really lovely acid and some smoky flavor from the sausage that was used.  Overall, a really stellar execution and everyone agreed that this was one sexy super food.

Dessert:
Going for quality over quantity, this is the category that really put me over the edge, as there were some stellar entries.  Between the birthday cake popcorn, the peanut butter-banana pudding and the maple bacon cupcakes, I didn't know what I liked best.

Thea's Maple Bacon Cupcakes - Seeing these beauties in their full glory, with a generous piece of bacon buried in the frosting, I was really excited.  The buttercream frosting was expertly executed, as it was perfectly creamy and piped beautifully onto the cupcake.  Loving the actual cupcake too, it had little pieces of bacon inside and a slightly nutty maple flavor. Check out Thea's other goodies on her Facebook page - you can even hire her to make dessert for a special event.

Birthday Cake Popcorn - I loved the idea behind this dessert, which combined white chocolate, yellow cake batter, sprinkles and mini M&Ms.  It was presented to us with a little candle stuck in the middle to get a true birthday cake effect.  Overall, a really tasty and new spin on popcorn - well done!

Randi's Peanut Butter-Banana Pudding - Her own take on Magnolia's famous banana pudding with nilla wafers, Randi is great at making the traditional version, but now came out with something even more special, mixing in creamy peanut butter.  Simply decadent and absolutely delectable, it was light and fluffy and tasted sweetly nostalgic.  It was easy to see why this dessert impressed the judges and all the other guests alike.
 
The BIG Winners:
King of Ribs - Adam!
Side dish Prince - Chris
Dessert Diva - Randi

Congratulations to everyone and I can't wait to do it all again in 2013. Long live the rib!

Ribfest VI Crowned a New Meat-a-Rrific Winner

As I mentioned yesterday, this weekend was no joke when it came to food.  Besides it being the 4th of July, a time for everyone to gorge on some of the best BBQ and other all-American comfort foods, it was also the weekend of the Meyers' Annual Ribfest competition.  And although I got a break from judging this year, I was there in the trenches documenting everything, speaking with the competitors and getting behind the scenes on each competitor's particular rib technique. 

Even before I get into the deets, I'd like to thank the Meyers family for putting on an extraordinary affair that keeps getting better each year.  I can't even fathom what next year will bring, but one thing's for sure, an elastic waistband is an absolute must.

About Ribfest:
A brief recap about Ribfest...  Currently in its 6th year, the event started as a casual competition between close family and friends of the Meyers' (who Dan knows from his hometown), but has evolved into more than that. 

Extending the competition across state lines, anyone who's a friend of the Meyers' can now enter.  There are no stringent rules for rib preparation, except that you provide enough to feed everyone and put your best foot forward in terms of creativity and originality.  The sky's the limit for what you can do with your sauces, rubs, cooking technique, and the true nature of competition really comes out each year, as the stake's get progressively higher. 

A formal judges table, consisting of three individuals with a food penchant is integral to the event.  Judging on taste, creativity and overall technique, the fate of each competitor rests in these capable hands.  Judges rotate each year, and you can't be a judge more than once, to keep things objective and fair.

The judges work hard at choosing a winner, who is announced at the event, about an hour after all the tasting takes place.  A King or Queen of Ribs, if you will.

The Competitors:

In addition to our regulars who participate each year such as Adam, Tom and Bobby, we also had Adam's friends Chris and Ashley and family friend, Laura bringing out the big guns.

It was nice to have two women in the mix, and I hope this trend continues in future Ribfests.

Ribs:

There were five types of ribs this year and all of them were the "wet" variety.

All competitors used some variety of proprietary sauces and techniques that can't be revealed here, but some of them I've gotten permission to cover.

BBQ Sauce Based Ribs - Three out of the five ribs were dressed with homemade BBQ sauces that have been perfected by each competitor. Some were on the sweet side, others tangy and some used non-traditional ingredients such as Coca Cola and bourbon. I won't say which, again to protect the competitors, but each sauce added something special to the tender pork meat, which in all instances separated beautifully from the bone.

Sous Vide Ribs - Tom used a non-traditional technique for preparing his ribs, in which he sous vided them for 18 hours with a homemade immersion circulator and then finished them off on the smoker. (Tom will actually get into this specific technique in a future post).

Asian-Style Ribs - I liked that Chris and Ashley put a new spin on the ribs we typically see at Ribfest with their drier, Asian style variety. Consisting of fragrant Asian spices and a flavorful kick at the end of each bite, I overheard many guests complimenting them. It also has to be noted how lovely the texture was - tender, succulent and perfectly separating itself from the bone.

Sides:

The side dish throwdown, as they called it this year was also fierce. There were about 8 competitors in the mix and everyone put their best food forward.

I participated too, with my crab boil potato salad, and was happy to receive nice feedback, placing as the second runner up.

Two favorites stood out for me in terms of sides:

Randi's Chipotle Corn - Anything but your ordinary corn, Randi's version included individually sized pieces, rubbed to capacity with chipotle spice butter and further topped with crumbly queso fresco. I loved the well-done char marks on the outside and the juicy consistency of the corn's inside. The chipotle butter completely penetrated the corn's kernels, producing a most colorful and interesting sensory experience. It absolutely rocked my world.

Diane's Carrot Spoonbread - This was the best side dish of the night, in my opinion because it felt more like a dessert. Its texture resembled your favorite bread pudding and the topping was crunchy, sugary and absolutely delicious. Diane revealed that the recipe is a hybrid of a Passover dish she often makes, which intrigued me even more. I can't wait to get the recipe, and hopefully share it with you folks.

Mac n' Cheese:

In addition to the side dish competition, we naturally also had a Mac 'n Cheese throwdown, as it's the perfect accompaniment to any great BBQ. There were two competitors in this category - Randi and Jess. Both produced fabulous renditions of this comfort food, Randi going with a gourmet cheese mixture of gruyere, cheddar and parm, whereas Jess also threw in Dave's famous bean chili. I thought both were lovely in their own way and both ladies received great feedback from guests and judges alike.

The Winners:

The grand winner in the rib competition was big dog Bobby Cohen. He couldn't be more thrilled to receive this esteemed honor, and you can see his glee shining through. It was nice to see such as a passionate meat lover win, and he graciously accepted the pig trophy, which he promises to proudly display at home.

As for the sides, the big winner there was Bobby's wife, Diane.  Another proud and talented cook, and it was nice to see such a cooking powerhouse couple dominate the event this year.

The Mac 'n Cheese crown went to Randi's classic Mac 'n Cheese, which she wore with class and modesty.  Doesn't she look fab?!

Thank you to everyone again for making this year's Ribfest the best ever.  I can't wait to see the meat debauchery that next year brings...

Ribfest 2010 - "Rubbing Meat 5 Years Straight" and it Shows

This past weekend was our friend Adam's and his family's legendary (and annual) Ribfest celebration.  While last year's shin-dig was quite the bonanza, this year the Meyers' kicked it up another notch with more guests, drinks, some fancy serving staff and of course more ribs!  It was, as always incredible and the Meyers' sure know how to throw a partay.  Whether a Ribfest newbie or veteran, there was no choice but to feel right at home and as part of the crew.  I learned this credo last year and returned to the event this year with an honorable task - as one of the judges.

The Competitors:
Five fierce competitors entered the rib competition this year including our friend Adam, Tom, Uncle Bobby, Dave and Bob.  Even before I go into the critique below, I have to say that the showmanship of every single rib was intense and super impressive.  Every competitor took great care and pride in their ribs and really made them their own.  The love that went into each and every plate was evident and it was not only a pleasure to admire but pure gluttony and sloppy bliss to eat.

Adam - I'm not just saying this because Adam is our friend, but he's always the most avant-garde competitor. Last year he used Coca-Cola on his marinade and this year, he brought everyone's tastebuds to attention with his spicy jerk rub.  Each bite of his ribs provided a sharp explosion of flavor that set you over the edge, and the pieces of meat separated perfectly from the bones, without getting overcooked. It was pretty awesome and I, along with my other 2 fellow judges really appreciated the texture perfection. Kudos Adam!  For those of you interested in how to make Adam's spicy jerk rub at home, here's the recipe that he graciously provided.

Adam's Dry Jerk Rub
1/2 cup crushed pimento berries 

4 tbsp crushed pepper fIakes
1/2 cup garlic powder
1/2 cup ground ginger
1/3 cup fresh thyme
4 scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
4 bay leaves, crushed
1 tsp salt to taste
1 tbsp black pepper

Mix all the ingredients and keep it on a dry place.
Rub your homemade jerk rub over tofu, fish, chicken, pork or seafood.

Tom - Also a fierce competitor, Tom is constantly reinventing his ribs and especially his marinade.  Although this year's marinade was similar to last year's, using chipotle peppers, honey and a ketchup-based sauce, Tom kicked it up a notch by incorporating a top-notch bourbon called Woodford Reserve.  Overall, I enjoyed his marinade very much but the texture of the meat was a bit soft and needed some more time to cook.  Tom recognized this and used the remainder of the night cooking these babies to perfection.

Bob - Bob's ribs looked really different than the rest because they were a lot smaller and in fact, they were almost bite sized. The marinade he used reminded me a little bit of Tom's in that it had a hint of sweetness but differentiated itself in that it wasn't as spicy. I wouldnt've minded a tad more spice but overall, these ribs were also very delicious and their friendly size enabled you to munch on them easily and quickly.

Uncle Bobby - I can't lie, this jolly man is one of my favorite competitors because he puts every ounce of energy into this competition and it shows.  He's expressed to me that cooking is his true passion and he experiments with different recipes all the time.  His wife does the recipe researching and Bobby just "messes with ingredients and changes things around" as he says. 

For his Ribfest entry, he put together a sweet rib with a spicy blueberry glaze, as well as a blueberry reduction on the side.  I was so impressed by this plate from the beginning that I just couldn't wait to dig in.  It looked like a really appetizing piece of meat and the blueberries just made it look so summery.  Overall, it was awesome and pretty innovative too. I could've done without the extra blueberry glaze but the sauce that was on the actual ribs packed a mean punch and a hint of sweetness at the end too. Great job Bobby!

Dave (THE WINNER) - The minute I saw this pale-colored, simple looking rib, resting on a few pieces of white Wonder bread, I was unimpressed.  The presentation was so ordinary and unexciting that I wasn't as enthralled to dig in as with the others.  But...once I did, I knew why this man was in the competition.  He knew his ribs.  In fact, he'd mastered them.

The dry rub on the outside was perfectly nestled into the tender pieces of meat and each bite produced the perfect combination of spice, smokiness and char.  All three of us judges agreed that the texture was superior to none--the meat separated perfectly from the bones and it was a pleasure to pick a apart.  It came off the bones so easily and neatly in fact that no part of this amazing rib was wasted.  We licked the bones clean and even scraped up any bits that were left with the white bread. 

It was clear to us why this man was the winner - he went simple on the presentation but went balls to wall on taste.  A proper bow and dusting off the shoulder is in order here.

All competitors received medals that you see above, with the clever slogan, "rubbing meat 5 years straight." Everyone wore them proudly as a badge of honor that each person rightly earned through their exemplary cookmanship.

Other Noms Worth Mentioning:
Besides all the finger-lickin-good meat, let's not forget about all the amazing sides that graced this year's Ribfest.  For a lot of these, Randi was the mastermind, producing delectable side dishes such as her famous mac 'n cheese, jalapeno cornbread, coleslaw and more.  Everything was truly excellent but my clear stand-out was the coleslaw, which had a unique spin to it.  Besides just the usual suspects such as cabbage, carrots and onions, Randi's colorful coleslaw also incorporated hints of summer such as apples, lemon juice, walnuts and a really light mayonnaise based binder that had the right amount of creaminess and zest. There's no other way to say it - you hit it out of the park, Randi.

The evening wrapped up with a smorgasbord of desserts such as Ralph's Ices, my blueberry squares, a big chocolate cake and other goodies, all of which were big hits.  People continued to party and enjoy themselves until late in the night--another home run for the Meyers' and their friends.  I tip my hat to this wonderful family for another job well done. 

And now comes the hard part - waiting until next year when we do it all over again.

A Happy 4th Was Had With Blueberry Squares

With the 4th of July holiday this weekend, as well as my friend Adam's legendary Rib Fest celebration (more to come on that this week), I wanted to bake something special--not only in the spirit of the holiday but something that would make the aftertaste of ribs that much sweeter. 

I got inspired by the above blueberry-lemon squares once again from a fellow Foodbuzzer, Only Nature Food Porn. Funny name.  Cool blog.  His beautiful blueberry squares decorated with fresh blueberries and lavender really enticed me.  I was especially interested in using fresh lavender flowers on my squares, as they're edible and look really beautiful.  There's plenty of lavender over at friend's, Kim and Ken's garden and since my mom and dad and taking care of it while they're on vacation, we borrowed some for this recipe.  Kim, if you're reading this, I hope you don't mind!

The actual cake was a breeze to make, aside from the fact that I had to convert all measurements from the Metric system.  It's actually quite simple and you can use the following online converter. 

I loved that the flavor of the cake was extra lemony because in addition to putting lemon zest into the dough, I also poured lemon juice on top, after it was baked. The frosting was a cinch as well, consisting of powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. Easy, breezy.

Now the difficult part was the topping.  I waited too long for the frosting to set and had a hard time putting the blueberries on top.  In the end, I got it done but the delicate little lavender flowers didn't cooperate.  So I ended up using them as a garnish instead.

Try it out for yourself.  It's a great summertime dessert and it received high marks at Ribfest - actually it didn't make it out on to the serving table since everyone gobbled it up upon its reveal.

See recipe here and enjoy.