So we Meat again...

Ever find yourself standing half naked in a bathtub trying to shave down your undercut with nickel plated office scissors because you broke your husband's beard clippers on your strong Asian hair which you should gone to the barber's for before shelter in place and now your dog won't even look you in the eyes and you're considering covering all mirrors and reflective glass like some kind of vampire so you won't be reminded that your once fresh fade now resembles an unhealthy cat named Patches?

No?

Me neither.

Anyway I made some ribs.

Well to be accurate I made more than that.

Recipes #6 Imperial Stout BBQ Sauce

#7 Slow Cooker Ribs and #8 Beer Bread

Choice of libation: The star of the meal, Lagunitas Imperial Stout. It is much more of a fall/winter beer because of its darkness and richness but WHAT IS TIME ANYWAY. I'm a fan of this one - it has notes of bittersweet chocolate and coffee, some nuttiness and malt. Also 9.9% ABV and you know mama loves a high ABV.
Ew.
Mama.
I'm so sorry.

Choice of music: Brandi. Friggin. Carlile.  Being in Minnesota right now, I got nostalgic for home (hence, the Lagunitas beer from Chicago) and Brandi Carlile has always reminded me of Seattle.  If you've ever gotten a mix tape from me or talked to me ever, I've probably pushed her music on you.  She is equal parts folk, rock and angel.

Yep. Pantry staples for the most part.  Yep.  The ribs ingredients are copy and pasted from google images because I forgot to take a picture. Yep. Maybe I was tipsy.  Yep. 9.9% ABV.

Golly, but I love a good "dump things in a saucepan and leave it" recipe.

The recipe ended up making 2 mason jars of bbq sauce which ended up being JUST enough for what I needed it for.  But if you happened to double it, you could throw it in some baked beans, or glaze a meatloaf OR make a weird ass delicious bloody mary...

Anyway.

I don't have a sifter so I was told to spoon the flour into the measuring cup before dumping it into the bowl.

MMmm...some for the bread dough, some for meeeee...

I'll soften YOU with butter.
...what?
I'm so sorry. I'm so tired.

Yep. Still making everything in a pie pan.

Because of the complexity of the beer it is an INTERESTING flavor.  I think because I used sea salt instead of iodized salt it ended up being more salt forward and not as sweet as I thought it would be.  But it goes well with other foods.  Like more beer.

Creating a nice bath for your ribs is definitely a good idea.
Listen, just because I don't bathe regularly anymore doesn't mean the ribs should suffer.

Hours later, voila!  A plate fit for a quarentKing or Queen or unemployed actor.  Also featured, butter whipped with 2 gobs of honey and 2 splashes of bourbon.  And some kind of salad.

P.S. I forgot the whole reason I made this meal was because I wanted to watch the movie Uncorked and knew better than to watch it hungry.  Highly recommend this movie, especially with ribs or bbq sauce and a spoon.  And a box of wine or bbq sauce and a straw.

stolen and heavily adapted from food.com

BEER BBQ SAUCE

1 cup onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or butter)
1 cup beer
2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons red wine vineger ​(or cider vinegar)
4 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
2 tablespoons molasses (or honey)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tsp oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)


In a large saucepan, cook the onion in the vegetable oil or butter until tender.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, frequently stirring, for about 20 to 30 minutes, until thickened and reduced to about 2 cups.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.


BEER BREAD
3 cups flour (sifted)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1⁄4 cup sugar
1.5 cup beer
1⁄2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients (If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. ) and beer.
Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Pour melted butter over mixture.
Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

UPDATED NOTES: This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.

If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure.


RIBS

1  Slice onion and place on bottom of slow cooker
2  Cut ribs into halves or thirds and place on top onions
3  Season ribs generously with the seasoning salt.
4  Add to the ribs to the slow cooker
5  Pour on the bbq sauce (repeat steps 4 and 5 if necessary)
6  Cook on high for 4 hours or medium for 6 hours