Sister Act II

I have no doubt that my sister is a better cook than I am. Besides having a cook's intuition, she has a lot more experience by virtue of having to cook out of necessity (i.e. feed her family). She had another cookbook review published in her local paper. My Dad made the best ribs ever, it looks like the crown has been passed on to my sister. I'm so proud of her.

A reader's beef: Great ribs, but where's the recipe?

By Denise

The following review is by a reader who was given a cookbook from the Times. The included recipes were selected and prepared by the reader.

I may not be a big meat-and-potatoes eater, but I'll never say no to a plate of tender, succulent ribs, slathered in sweet, sticky barbecue sauce. The mound of scrunched napkins piled atop my plate at the end of the meal says it all.

According to "Killer Ribs" author Nancy Davidson, I'm not alone. In fact, her quest to find the best ribs has taken her to the most famous rib joints across America and into Canada.

While barbecue may have its roots in the South, regional differences abound. Texans prefer beef. North Caroliners favor vinegar-based sauces, while South Caroliners favor mustard-based sauces. Kansas City is famous for its pork ribs served with sweet-and-sticky sauce. Memphis-style ribs are prepared with a paprika-based dry rub.

I was initially drawn to this cookbook by mouthwatering pictures showcasing slabs of ribs from 50 of Davidson's favorite establishments. I also enjoyed the profiles of the pit masters. Most recipes are for pork, but there are a couple for beef, as well as one for mutton, and even one for alligator.

While most ingredients are familiar, others were foreign. I could not find Saskatoon berries, Everglades Seasonings, or chile caribe. The other challenge I faced was not having a professional smoker. Instead, I improvised with my oven and a Camerons stovetop smoker.

My excitement began to wane, however, when it was time to pick recipes. I realized that the majority of the recipes (43 of 50) were incomplete, if not downright misleading.

But I guess I should have known better. Who wouldn't protect the secrets to their award-winning ribs? I was hoping to create the delicious-looking food I saw in the pictures, only to read "Use your favorite rub" or "Serve with your favorite sauce." To my disappointment, these words echoed throughout most of the book.

My biggest point of contention with this book is the author's advice to purchase sauce through the restaurants' Web sites (not provided) when there is no recipe provided. I'd prefer to have the recipe.

So, using Steve Raichlen's "The Barbecue Bible" to fill in the gaps, I seasoned baby back ribs with Kansas City Bar.B.Q. Shack dry rub and cooked them in the oven at 250 degrees for 3 hours. I also rubbed pork spare ribs and used a Camerons Stovetop Smoker along with hickory woodchips to smoke the pork spareribs for one hour before finishing in the oven for another four.

I made Jones Honey-Barbeque Sauce (omitting liquid smoke) to serve with the baby back ribs and Memphis Blues BBQ Sauce to go with the spareribs. On their own, both were delicious.

Feeling a bit gutsy, I tried Robb's Ribbs BBQ Sauce. I had my suspicions about adding lemon rind and pith into the sauce, but followed the recipe anyway, omitting 1/4 teaspoon chile caribe I couldn't find at the market and substituting jalapeno instead. The sauce was too bitter, probably from the lemon pith, and nobody wanted to try it on meat.

After a final grilling and basting with sauce, the three sets of ribs were ready for tasting. My family of four, along with my brother and his family, held our own rib cook-off. The unanimous winner was the smoked spareribs with Memphis Blues Sauce. With a subtle hickory undertone, the meat was tender, moist, and literally fell off the bone. The savory sauce went well with the background flavors of the rub and hickory wood.

Second place went to the baby backs with Jones Honey-Barbecue Sauce, and third place was awarded to the unsmoked spareribs with Memphis Blues Sauce. All four of the children enjoyed the ribs, one of my biggest criteria for whether a recipe stays or goes.

Although I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in visiting some of America's best rib joints, if it's secret recipes you're looking for, skip this one. "Killer Ribs" is a better travel guide than a cookbook. It seems a bit disingenuous on the author's part to package it as a cookbook when her real motive appears to be exposure for the establishments.

KANSAS CITY BAR.B.Q. SHACK DRY RUB
Makes about 3 cups, enough for 3-4 racks pork ribs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder

• Combine dry rub ingredients and mix to taste.
Per 1/2 cup: 35 calories, 0 protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 0 fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1,750 mg sodium, 0 fiber. Calories from fat: 0 percent.
-- Times analysis

MEMPHIS BLUES BBQ SAUCE
Makes about 4 cups
1 10-ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup French's mustard
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons Durkey's hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water

• Add sauce ingredients to a pot and cook over low heat, whisking thoroughly until smooth.
Simmer for 30 minutes, but be careful not to burn it.

Per 1/2 cup: 190 calories, 4 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g total fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 1,630 mg sodium, 4 g fiber. Calories from fat: 5 percent.
-- Times analysis

JONES HONEY-BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes enough sauce to cover 12 racks of ribs

2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chile powder
1/2 cup onion powder
1 teaspoon pepper
3 teaspoons salt
1 cup vinegar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
6 cups ketchup
1 cup molasses
1 cup honey
1/4 cup liquid smoke, optional
1/2 cup water

1. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and stir thoroughly. Next, add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup, mixing well after each addition. Carefully stir in the molasses, honey and liquid smoke (if using), until thoroughly combined.

2. Pour mixture into medium saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all ingredients have been well-dissolved, adding water to the mixture as needed. Make sure sauce is consistent -- not too thick and not too thin.

Enough sauce for 1/2 rack: 260 calories, 1 g protein, 67 g carbohydrates, .5 g total fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 1,170 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. Calories from fat: 2 percent.
-- Times analysis

• BOOK: "Killer Ribs: Mouthwatering Recipes from North America's Best Rib Joints" ($ 16.95, Chronicle Books, 112 pages).
• AUTHOR: Nancy Davidson, a New York-based food and travel writer and restaurant reviewer, has written for Time Out New York, New York Sun, and contributed to Gastronomica, Gourmet, Cooking Light and Saveur.
• REVIEWER: Denise is a dedicated foodie who loves all aspects of cooking -- especially the eating part.