Root Beer Barbeque Chicken

Why you should make extra Root Beer Barbeque Sauce....
I've had a heartfelt, desperate request for "ANYTHING without bones" and Root Beer Barbeque sauce. While I felt absolutely confident that the smoky-sweet soda sauce would be smashing on chicken, I hadn't actually tried it. Now I can bear witness.

I can relate to the repulsion of eating meat off the bones. After all, I spent a couple of years as a vegetarian after doing a study abroad in Israel. With no refrigeration in the Old City meat markets, even King Henry VIII would have gone veggie. I survived and recovered, but I still think twice before sinking my teeth into a side of ribs. I think twice. Then I gobble them up.

The concept for chicken is the same as for the ribs, except I add a smidgen of olive oil to the marinade because chicken can dry out fast on the grill. I used chicken tenders, but you could use any boneless, skinless chicken you've got around; thighs, breasts, or other sultry cuts.

As a bonus, with leftover chicken and my refrigerator pickles (see yesterday's post), I packed my husband a humdinger of a sandwich: whole grain bread smeared with Caesar dressing and piled high with chicken, pickles, and romaine. In a cruel twist of fate, he left it in his work fridge before we left for a week's vacation. I'm told, by his very reliable and trustworthy coworkers, that the sandwich was in fact worth skipping vacation for.

Root Beer Barbeque Chicken

Estimated Cost: $4.00

Notes: When your store has chicken on sale ($1.77/lb at mine), cram your freezer.

2 cans root beer, divided use

1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce

1/2 cup Dijon mustard, plus 1/4 cup more for marinade

brown sugar, if needed

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken

1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1 tablespoon each paprika and garlic powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a small saucepan, boil one can root beer until thick and syrupy, about 30 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup each smoky barbecue sauce and 1/2 cup Dijon. Taste this sauce and add brown sugar if the sauce needs a little sweetness. (Notes: you should have plenty of extra sauce for dipping-just reserve half of it before spreading it on the chicken.) Meanwhile, smear chicken with Dijon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder; drizzle with olive oil. Place in zip top bag. Pour root beer over chicken, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Grill or broil chicken, about five minutes per side, or until outside is nicely browned and inside is no longer pink.

Coming Tomorrow:

Grilled Cherry Tomato Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette

Root Beer Freezes with Root Beer Syrup

For Memorial Day Dessert

When I was a teenager, my little sister Heidi had a boy...friend. He wasn't a boyfriend. He was a boy...friend. But he wanted to be a boyfriend very badly. (Pretty Heidi always had boy...friends like that.) To prove his devotion, he would try to make himself useful by running errands. Once the rest of the rowdy siblings caught on to his advantageous affections, we moved quickly. We marched him out to "Ruby's Shake Shop" almost nightly to pick up our order of 10 Root Beer Freezes. (Did I mention I'm one of 10 children?) I'm not proud of myself, but I can't promise I wouldn't do it again for the love of a good Root Beer Freeze. What is so wonderful about a Root Beer Freeze?
Well, when it comes to ice cream and root beer, most people stick to root beer floats. While they are good and comforting, they can be problematic. A blob of ice cream floating around in soda is not the easiest thing to consume. Should you use a spoon or a straw? Half the time you break your plastic spoon trying to mix up the two, and the other half of the time, you slurp up your root beer, and eat the plain scoop of vanilla.

A better solution is the "Root Beer Freeze" which is closer to a shake than a float. The blender does the heavy labor of joining soda and ice cream. But, it can still have troubles. It's tough to get the consistency of a shake, which requires very little liquid, to have enough root beer flavor to pack a punch. The solution? A combination of root beer syrup, fizzy root beer and vanilla bean ice cream.

Remember yesterday when you boiled down Root Beer Syrup to make Root Beer Barbecue Sauce? (Scroll down, my friends.) I warned you to make extra Root Beer syrup. Remember? This is why. You might as well make a jar to keep in the fridge for the summer. I'll make extra extra. If Heidi's boy friend should come around 15 years later, I'd want to be ready to make him a freeze every night for payback.

Root Beer Freezes with Root Beer Syrup

Estimated Cost: $4.00 for four

Notes: Root Beer Syrup is an excellent use for flat root beer.

If you can't wait for the Root Beer Syrup to cool down, try making a hot Root Beer Sundae.

3 cans of root beer

vanilla bean ice cream-use any brand that's on sale

In a medium saucepan, boil down two cans of root beer for about 30 minutes, or until thickened and somewhat syruppy. Cool completely. In the bowl of a blender, combine some root beer syrup, some fizzy root beer, and vanilla ice cream. (I used about 1/4 cup root beer, 1 and 1/2 cups ice cream, and 3 tablespoons syrup for each freeze. Please don't measure-you can't go wrong!) Blend. Transfer to pretty glass. Drizzle with additional root beer syrup.

Coming Tomorrow: Old Fashioned Walnut Cookies

A perfect cookie to accompany a Root Beer Freeze

Baby Back Ribs with Tangy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Oh, baby....

Pardon me. I meant to say Oh, baby...back ribs with Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Sloppy, tangy, meaty indulgence. Ribs aren't your typical Monday night dinner. But you can't very well serve bowls of cereal for Memorial Day, can you? Like most special meats, these ribs are a bit pricey. To lure holiday shoppers, my grocery store had them going for $3.99/lb. I'm hopeful you can find a similar deal, or my name isn't Prudence Pennywise. (Well, actually, it isn't, but I still say you can find a good deal.)

As sinfully delicious as these are, you won't want leftovers as they don't reheat too well. Make only enought to eat in one sitting. Oh don't cry-you can make some again soon. For my family of four, I made 3 lbs. Increase the quantity significantly if you invite my littlest (in age and possibly in jean size) sister Mary Kate. She won't stand for less than half a rack to herself and at 28 she still gets cranky if underfed.

You're going to need at least 24 hours of some easy advance preparation. First, you'll mop the ribs with Dijon mustard, then coat them with a savory spice rub, cut them into sections and marinate them in a fizzy can of root beer for 12-36 hours. Still with me?

Ribs should be precooked before heading out to the grill. Some people boil them, others stick them in the crock pot; I simply bake them wrapped tightly in foil for an hour. You can do that a day ahead, too. Flexible, huh? All they require from there, is a simple high heat fizzle on the grill. If you don't have a grill, they'll do fabulously well under a broiler.

Now, what sends these ribs from everybody's yummy to holiday superlative, is the Root Beer Barbecue Sauce. When you taste it, you won't think "Snoopy's soda pop," but you might glow golden from your fingertips and break out in hymns of praise. You'll need to boil down a couple of cans of root beer until thick and syrupy, and then simply stir it up with smoky barbecue sauce and Dijon.

I'm warning you now-make extra. You'll want extra to dip your ribs in, some on BBQ chicken next week, some to spread on a roast beef sandwich, and some to dip your onion rings in after that. You'll also need to save some plain root beer syrup for the most sensational Root Beer Freeze possible (coming tomorrow). Don't say I didn't warn you.

Baby Back Ribs with Tangy Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Estimated Cost: $15.00 and worth every penny

For the Syrup:

3 cans root beer

For the Sauce:

about 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard

about 1/2 cup purchased smoky barbecue sauce

For the Ribs:

3 lbs. baby back ribs

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 can root beer

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring root beer to a boil. Boil until reduced by half and syrupy, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (You'll have lots extra-plenty for root beer freezes.) In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup each dijon, barbecue sauce, and root beer syrup. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

For the ribs, cut ribs into sections-about 3-4 bones per person. Rub generously with Dijon and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, powder, and paprika. Please don't measure-just eyeball it. Let sit for 15 minutes. Place in large zip top bag and pour rootbeer over the top, zip top and refrigerate. Let marinate for 12-36 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil. Discard marinade. Wrap ribs tightly in foil and bake on cookie sheet for 60 minutes. (At this point you can refrigerate ribs again, or head directly to the grill.) Brush ribs generously with Root Beer sauce and place on preheated grill. Grill for 10-20 minutes, turning once, and basting with sauce often until ribs are nicely carmelized. (They are already fully cooked, so you are just going for that great crispy, burnt sugar coating.)

Coming Tomorrow: Root Beer Freezes with Root Beer Syrup