Recipe of the Week: Dinner in Los Angeles; Tomatillo BBQ Ribs

On Saturday night after my adventure at the Getty Museum, I met up with "train" friends Gwen and Eileen for dinner at Border Grill in Downtown Los Angeles.

Described as upscale, modern Mexican food in a vibrant setting, Border Grill is a hip, urban cantina from Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, of Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" and Food Network's "Too Hot Tamales".

Gwen and Eileen

 

Our appetizers; a beautiful fresh form tamale and a plantain empenada

The menu consists of complex authentic dishes based on the home cooking of Oaxaca and the Yucatan. They use organic long grain rice and black beans, as well as beef, lamb, and pork raised without hormones and antibiotics and serve seasonal, locally grown ingredients whenever possible and do not use any products containing artificial trans fat. They are also a member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program.

Our girls night out was excellent and a way for us to connect away from train business.  Although this item was not on the Saturday night menu, it was included on the restaurants website.

Enjoy!

Stacy

Tomatillo Barbecue Ribs and Avocado Corn Relish

INGREDIENTS:

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons hot paprika
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds pork baby back ribs

Tomatillo Glaze:
2 small onions, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
10 cloves chopped garlic
3 Serrano chiles, sliced - since these are so spicy, I would consider just using one to start with!
10 tomatillos, husked, washed, and roughly chopped
1 large bunch roughly chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Avocado Corn Relish:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears, canned corn can be substituted)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 avocados, peeled and seeded
4 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 bunch cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Directions:

Dry Rub:

1. Combine paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pat spice mixture all over ribs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 250-300 degrees Fahrenheit in a convection oven.

3. Place ribs in a single layer in a baking pan and pour in water to a depth of about 1/4-inch. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes in the oven or on grill with the lid closed. Cover with foil and bake for an additional 45 minutes. If finishing the ribs in the oven, brush generously with the glaze and bake another 10 minutes per side, basting with the glaze every 5 minutes. To grill, generously glaze the ribs and grill 5 minutes per side, frequently brushing with additional glaze. Cut the ribs apart and serve hot.

Tomatillo Glaze:

1. In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, sauté onion in duck or pork fat until golden. Add garlic, Serrano chilies, and tomatillos and cook stirring frequently until mixture thickens, about 30 to 45 minutes. Add cilantro and cook an additional 10 minutes.

2. Puree with an immersion blender and add maple syrup. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly and being careful not to burn. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Avocado Corn Relish:

1. Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the corn with the salt and pepper, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

2. Cut the avocados into 1/4-inch dice. Add to the sautéed corn along with the scallions, cilantro, red wine vinegar, and remaining olive oil. Mix well and let sit 20 to 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve at room temperature.


Recipe courtesy of Border Grill Website
Photos taken by moi; thanks to my "two hot tamale" friends.  Ladies, you are truly special!