Sangria & Ribs
Our weather here is very spring like - a little mix of everything but more and more sun! All the flowering trees are blooming, tulips can be seen at every turn and there are blossoms of one sort or another everywhere you look. I definitely have spring fever! And that means my eating and drinking cravings are turning to lighter fare and easy entertaining.
With that in mind, this week’s Happy Hour at Home recipes have a make-ahead, big batch focus. You do a little work early on then relax and enjoy the results a little later.
Classic Sangria
from, “Sangria: Fun and Festive Recipes“
1 orange sliced
1 lime sliced
1/2 lemon sliced
1 1/2 oz brandy
2 Tbsp sugar
750ml bottle light red wine, chilled
12 oz club soda, chilled
about 3 cups ice cubesIn a 2 quart or larger glass pitcher, combine the fruit slices. Add the brandy and sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Slowly pour in the wine, stirring gently. Refrigerate at least two hours or as long as overnight.
When ready to serve, add the club soda and stir gently. Fill highball, wine or other decorative glasses with ice and slowly pour the sangria over the ice, allowing some fruit to fall into each glass.
The first time I planned to make Osso Buco I wanted to practice as the meat is bit spendy. So I took my recipe and substituted baby back ribs for the veal shank. That practice dish turned out so well that it has now become one of my favorite dishes! And the ribs are even better the next day or two after you cook them!
Ribs Osso Buco Style
2 pounds baby back ribs, cut into individual ribs
1 large onion
1 cup small to medium mushrooms, left whole
2 – 3 cloves of garlic
1 15 oz can tomatoes
1 15 oz can chicken stock
1 cup red wine
Several strips of lemon zest
Flour – for dredging
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
3-4 Bay leaves
Olive oilHeat olive oil in large pan. Preheat oven to 325°.
Slice onions into ˝ rounds. Sauté in olive oil for a few minutes, then add mushrooms and garlic. Cook only until onions are translucent and just starting to turn golden, and then remove from pan.
Put flour in shallow dish. Season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge ribs in flour to cover. Add more oil to pan, if needed. Brown ribs on all sides in pan.
When ribs are browned, return onions, mushrooms and garlic to pan. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and wine. Add thyme, bay leaves and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to full boil.
Cover pan, place in oven and cook 2 ˝ hours until meat is very tender and falling off bone.
Ohhhhh! A blog post hasn’t made my mouth water in a long time, but this one did it. You write such fantastic stuff Brenda, and the ribs look delicious.