Ribs, by Anna

Menu:
Smoky-Flavored Barbecued Ribs, (Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Cookbook, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 1999)
Garlic Fries, (Cooking Light Magazine, April 2002)
Shaved brussels sprouts w/ pancetta, (The Sunset Cookbook, Oxmoor House, 2010)


Special tools:
Crock pot
Mandoline slicer


Recipes:
Smoky-Flavored Barbecued Ribs
3 1/2 lbs pork loin back ribs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons liquid smoke
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup cola
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce

1. Remove inner skin from ribs. Mix brown sugar, pepper, liquid smoke, garlic and salt; rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into about 4 inch pieces. Layer ribs and onion in slow cooker. Pour cola over ribs.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until ribs are tender. Remove ribs from cooker. Drain liquid from cooker and discard.
3. Pour barbecue sauce into shallow bowl. Dip ribs into sauce. Place ribs in cooker. Pour any remaining sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low heat setting 1 hour.

Garlic Fries
3 lbs baking potatoes, use mandoline slicer to cut into 1/4 ince strips
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 Tablespoons butter
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top bag, tossing to coat.
3. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning after 20 minutes.
4. Place butter and garlic in a large nonstick skillet, cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring contantly. Add potatoes, parsley, and cheese to pan, tossing to coat. Serve immediately.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 lb pancetta, cut crosswise into 1/4 ince wide strips
salt and freshly ground pepper

1.  Trim brussels sprouts at base and remove any damaged outer leaves. Using a madoline (see quick tip below), thinly slice brussels sprouts crosswise. (The resulting sprout shavings should resemble confetti.)
2.  Heat oil in a large pot or wok over high heat until hot but not smoking; add pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high; add brussels sprouts and cook, stirring often, until sprouts are bright green and tender 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Quick tip: A mandoline works well for "shaving" the sprouts. Use a fork stuck in the core end of the sprout to keep your fingers away from the blade.2 lbs brussels sprouts