It’s Fourth of July!

Why not host a memorable gathering to celebrate the Fourth of July with a sticky sweet smile on your face! What could be better than delicious sweet and spicy Cherry Cola Ribs and Bourbon Baked Beans! I suggest buying baby back pork ribs, in particular, from Costco – they are high quality, priced appropriately and are easier to eat and less fatty than pork spareribs. Add some delicious fresh fruit or a crunchy slaw and you will have a crowd pleasing meal. Enjoy!

Jill Fisher, a good friend of mine going waaayyyyy back to high school, has a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and is a licensed Personal Chef. She teaches cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks. Jill has also written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living. To contact Jill, let us know!

Cherry Cola Ribs

4 - 12 oz cans cherry cola (flat)

2 cups cherry preserves

2/3 cup Dijon mustard with horseradish

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp Tabasco

7 lbs baby back ribs

Boil cherry cola in heavy large saucepan over medium high heat until reduced to about 1 ½ cups, about 45 minutes. Stir in next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is reduced to 2 ½ cups, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Cover and chill if making ahead of time.

Position racks in top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 325F. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Wrap each rib tightly in foil, enclosing completely. Divide foil packets between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until ribs are very tender, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through baking, about 2 hours total. Cool ribs slightly in foil. Pour off any fat from foil packets. Can be prepared one day ahead. Keep covered in foil packets and refrigerate.

Prepare barbeque to medium low heat. Cut each rib rack between bones into clusters of 2 to 4 ribs. Set aside 1 cup of glaze. Add ribs to bowl with remaining glaze and toss to coat. Grill ribs until brown and glazed, turning to prevent burning, about 5 minutes total. Serve, passing reserved glaze separately.

Bourbon Beans

2 cans (16 oz) baked beans, drained

1/2 cup chili sauce

4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

¼ cup bourbon

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Transport warm. Serves 4