No-Disaster Sunday Dinner: Ribs, Snow Peas, and Ginger-Scented Rice

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I've got a corned beef brisket in the crockpot, so the Fuji family is gauranteed to have a yummy dinner tonight! What are you eating?
On Sunday the Fuji grandparents came over for dinner. Last week I flagged a bunch of recipes in Saveur and Bon Appétit magazines and decided to try a few of them out for Sunday's dinner. Luckily everything was delicious instead of a disaster and my willing guinea pigs enjoyed their dinner. On the menu? I made Hawaiian-style kalbi pork ribs, snow peas with toasted almonds, and ginger-scented rice. Fuji Nana brought a yummy salad with miso dressing and rich chocolate cherry brownies.
The ribs were tender and flavorful. I let them sit for an hour in a sweet and tangy marinade and then roasted them in the oven, basting them frequently with the marinade that I had reduced, until they were browned and juicy, the marinade creating a beautiful crackly glaze.
The snow peas are a fantastic side dish and come together quickly. They are sauteed with sliced almonds and minced shallots in butter and then finished off with a bit of fresh lemon juice and salt.
The ginger-scented rice was a wonderful accompaniment to everything. The rice had so much flavor. It is made using Jasmine rice. Ginger pulp and juice is added to the cooking water so that the flavor of ginger cooks into the rice. The resulting flavor is intoxicating, but not overpowering.


Hawaiian-Style Kalbi Pork Ribs
Saveur Magazine, March 2009 Issue (available online here)
4 - 6 Servings

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Asian sesame oil
1/4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, finely chopped
3 lbs. pork baby back ribs
3 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile flakes, garlic, ginger, and 1?4 cup water in a large bowl. Add the ribs and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally to coat.

2. Heat oven to 450°. Remove ribs from marinade and arrange, curved side up, on a rack set over a rimmed foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the marinade in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.

4. Using tongs, flip ribs and cook, basting frequently with the reduced marinade, until the ribs are browned, glazed, and tender, 15?20 minutes. Transfer ribs to a platter and garnish with scallions.


Snow Peas with Toasted Almonds
Bon Appétit Magazine, April 2009 Issue (available online here)
4 servings

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed
2 tsp. minced shallot
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook until golden and fragrant and butter begins to brown, stirring frequently, about 1 1/2 minutes.

2. Add snow peas and shallot; sauté until snow peas are crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and serve.



Ginger-Scented Rice
Bon Appétit Magazine, April 2009 Issue (available online here)
4 servings

1 3-inch-long 1-inch-thick piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. coarse kosher salt