Ribs from the Oven?

During the colder season, I usually have the grills and smokers winterized, so they won't be ruined by the snow and ice.  This basically means wrapping them up tightly in tarps, and storing them safely against the back wall of the shed; sort of like wagons circling against attack.  So how do I get good barbequed food during the winter then?

Two options really; the first is traveling down to Blanding and eating at one of my favorite bbq places, Fattboyz Grillin', or making my own, yes I still can, by getting my oven to do it for me.   Oven grilling can't be as good as a real barbeque grill or smoker you say; and I quite agree, but when life gives you lemons.....

Basically you have to do a little compromising, remember what you know about outdoor cooking, and adapt it for the indoors.  A good rack of ribs would be prepped the same way; removing the membrane located on the curved inside of the rack.  The membrane acts like a "condom", keeping rubs and marinades from seeping into the meat to do their jobs of flavoring and tenderizing.  Secondly you want to remove as much excess fat as possible; keeping the fat on doesn't give the ribs extra moisture.  As it melts, it's taking your rubs and marinades with it and there goes your flavor.  Also, did you ever get flareups when barbeque-ing?  It's mostly caused by melting fat dripping onto your fire source.  No, that won't happen in the oven, but any fat dripping into your pan will eventually dry out, smoke and just cause one heck of a mess.  Using aluminum foil does help, but then your ribs are cooking in a mass of molten fat which gives them a greasy, slimy texture.  Just trust me on this one, and remove as much fat as you can.

After prepping your ribs, give them a good rubdown and here's a repost of my all purpose rub:

All Purpose Rub for Smoking and Grilling

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp each sea salt, ground black pepper, ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp each paprika, onion powder, garlic powder

Preparation:

In medium bowl, mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Rub onto all sides of meat or poultry; refrigerate overnight. Smoke or grill.

Now this recipe will cover a nice 4-6 pound rack, or two racks of 2-3 pounds each; give or take an ounce here or there.  Generously cover both sides of your rack(s), cover in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge all night.  Oh, and if you want your ribs to have that Kansas City style taste, throw in a heaping tablespoon of chili powder; I recommend New Mexico chili powder which has a sweeter, smokier flavor to it.

You want to start cooking up your ribs early in the morning if you want them ready for dinner time.  Set your oven temperature to 185F; line a metal baking sheet or pan with aluminum foil and place a rack on or into. 

Unwrap the ribs from the plastic wrap and rewrap them in aluminum foil; not too tightly, but not too loosely either.  Place this package on the rack; place the entire pan in the oven and leave it all alone for 8 hours, if two separate racks; 10 hours if one large rack.  As you can see, it's going to take as long as if you were using an outdoor smoker. 

To get some char on the ribs, remove the pan from the oven and get your broiler going on a high setting.  Open up the aluminum foil to expose the ribs and place the pan under the broiler; five minutes will give a slight char and dry out the meat a little bit; keep it under the broiler until it's the way you like it, but watch it!  You want char on your ribs, not ashes on your plate.

Once they're ready, slop barbecue sauce on them before serving, or not; your choice of how you like them.  Enjoy!!

Mary Cokenour

Cafe in the Bluff.

Bluff City Cafe

281 East Main
Bluff, Utah, 84512

(435) 672-9956

Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bluff-City-Cafe/352932808118811

Reed Sampson of Fattboyz Grillin fame has once again been able to take over one of the many failed restaurants of his area, and turn it to his advantage. The former San Juan River Kitchens is now the site of the new Bluff City Cafe; featuring a scaled down version of the menu from Fattboyz, but new recipes are in the works to attract the tourists, and artists group known to frequent the Bluff area. The addition of a liquor license will allow the Cafe to serve beer and wine to its diners; a much asked for commodity in this rather "dry" area encompassing the strict "NO alcohol" policy of the City of Blanding; and its influence on the eateries of Monticello also.













The Cafe includes diner type seating with a counter and stools; while tables allow for intimate two person seating to larger groups. Works from local artists decorate the walls; and the dining area itself is open and airy.



We started off our meals with BBQ Chicken Wings; fried crispy texture on the outside with tender meat inside; a delicious, tangy barbeque sauce coating the chicken, but not overwhelming it. Most meals come with a choice of soup or salad; and we chose the salad which is generous in portion for a side.



My husband stayed with a chicken theme for the evening by ordering the Fried Chicken dinner. Three pieces of single batter dipped chicken; the coating so light and crispy, it could be its own appetizer. The chicken pieces were large and meaty, perfectly cooked, juicy and let me stress this...NOT greasy! The side of mashed potatoes were Fattboyz own signature garlic red skinned potatoes.





I enjoyed the special for the evening, the Ribeye Steak dinner; a large, tender steak with a wonderful charcoal flavoring. I ended up taking half the steak home and my hubby got to enjoy a lovely steak and eggs breakfast the next morning. I too had those yummy mashed potatoes.


We treated ourselves to a slice of raspberry cheesecake and wonderful conversation with Juelz Sampson (Reed's sister) and her husband Yock.

Coming back from a trip to Monument Valley or Arizona; looking for a good meal, welcoming atmosphere and friendly people....don't look further than the Bluff City Cafe.

Mary Cokenour


UPDATE:  Owner announced that this restaurant is out of business as of August 23, 2013.

Fattboyz has Seafood Fest.

Culinary student, Leon Sampson, showed us what he can do with seafood this past Thursday and Friday nights at Fattboyz Grillin. Let me tell you first that I finally got to speak with Leon; he is soft spoken, but his face lights up when talking about food. He goes back to school soon to continue his training in the culinary arts this fall; and he and I both agree that he's meant for bigger ideals. Whether he is working at a 4 or 5 star restaurant in one of the big cities such as Salt Lake City; or in one of the posh resorts just outside of Moab; haute cuisine is more his style.


There were two appetizers offered; first was a shrimp cocktail encompassing tempura style shrimp with Cajun seasoning around the rim of a glass containing gazpacho. Gazpacho is a chilled soup of Spanish origin containing vegetables that have been ground up finely. As soon as the plate was set down you could immediately smell the cool cleaness of the soup itself. While I am personally not a big fan of this type of soup, it went well spooned onto crispy tortilla chips, or as an accompanying sauce for the shrimp which was perfectly fried, fat and luscious.


Next came Spicy Crab Cakes with a lime chipotle sauce; the crab cakes were a mixture of lump and flaked crab; finely diced vegetables including spicy chile peppers. Fried on the grill top to give a crispy crust; each bite was a smooth pleasure of crab with just a touch of heat. However, the lime chipotle sauce increased the heat within the mouth; so eventually you lost that crab flavor. Sometimes a little just goes way too far; I voiced my opinion to Leon and he understood fully my concern.




The main course was a Grilled Salmon with Fattboyz famous garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. Alright, I'll admit it now, I didn't have the asparagus, anyway..... The salmon was perfectly cooked; the creamy flesh flaked smoothly and while the taste from the grilling was the only seasoning it needed; I would have loved more of those lovely grilled tomatoes Leon used as a garnish. So wonderfully good with the flavor of the salmon. The mashed potatoes? Well I could go on and on about them as I am a mashed potatoes fanatic; and I should have gotten a large order to go.

When Fattboyz Grillin has their specialty nights, and you don't attend; complete fool is the label you should be wearing on your lapel.

Mary Cokenour

Haute Gourmet Mexican.

Last night Fattboyz Grillin hosted one of their specialty nights, Mexican Night. In June they hosted Italian Night and I'm still crying about missing out on that one. Anyway, the featured chef was Leon Sampson, a culinary arts student destined to be top notch. His creative dishes showed his culinary talents from flavoring to plating.

My friend Heidi and son William accompanied me for dinner; we happily needed wheelbarrows to help us to our cars afterwards. So, lets talk about our Mexican feast.


With our drink order came a basket of multicolored tortilla chips and a freshly sensational salsa. The real opening number was Posole, a soup containing tenderly fat hominy, shredded pork and seasoned broth. A warm, generous portion of Navajo Fry Bread and cilantro pesto paid homage to the posole.


Next came the teaser, Street Tacos, of either shredded chicken or beef; tenderly seasoned with fresh vegetables on crispy mini tortillas. Fun is the key word here.

But wait, there's more!



The Combo Plate featuring a shredded beef enchilada in a red tortilla and a homemade sauce that was dark red, thick and rich; Tamale Pie draped with ancho pod sauce that was sweet with heat; creamy refried beans and moist rice. Just because there is a lot of desert in Mexico certainly does not mean the rice and beans have to be desert dry.

I made sure to taste each item several times and though I wanted to eat more and more, my stomach finally put a halt on the binging. So you know full well what I'm having for a leftover meal tonight.

Congratulations Leon on a culinary feat well executed; Congratulations Reed for getting Fattboyz higher and higher on the map of eateries in the Four Corners area.

Mary Cokenour

Fattboyz Grillin' Gettin' Fatter.

Fattboyz Grillin' of Monticello

296 East Center Street (aka Route 491-across from Maverik)
Monticello, Utah, 84535

(435) 587-2819

Website: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fattboyz-Grillin-of-Monticello/216520631748982

Reed Sampson, owner of Fattboyz Grillin' in Blanding, has expanded his girth and brought his recipes for downhome barbecue to Monticello.


As with the original Blanding location, Reed is starting out in a small location; Guy Fieri of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" would most likely classify it as a "dive", and enjoy the food. The location is a boon for tourists, truckers and locals alike. The goal is to eventually build bigger as the word gets out about Fattboyz' good grub. There are five tables which can comfortably fit 4-6 people; take out service is available. There are plans to have a small salad bar brought into the establishment; however, salads are on the menu and made fresh to order.


The menu is a smaller version of what is available at Reed's larger Blanding location. Since take out is available, picking up sandwiches and salads for a picnic in the mountains or the Canyonlands would be perfect. There are kid friendly meals and for us kid like adults...Hot Wings!




For lunch, I enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich platter. The sandwiches are huge, so come hungry or expect to take some home. There is enough meat in this sandwich to actually make two sandwiches; I had to cut mine in half to eat it without wearing it. If you're brave, pick up the whole thing, but be warned, the meat will be squeezing out the sides. The macaroni and cheese is creamy and cheesy while the deep fried onion rings were crispy on the outside with tender onions inside. I managed to finish it all, but was not surprised to have to skip a meal for dinner; I was so full!

Monticello, Utah is at the crossroads of Routes 191 (to and from Monument Valley) and 491 (Cortez, CO) and hungry folks will be flocking to Fattboyz Grillin'.

Mary Cokenour

Update: On Friday, May 4, 2012, Fattboyz of Monticello was forced to close its doors due to lack of business.  To those of us loyal to Reed Sampson and his Fattboyz Grillin restaurants, this is a loss to us; but we still have his site in Blanding which is doing well.

Fattboyz Grillin' kicks out the Old Tymer.

Fattboyz Grillin

733 South Main Street
Blanding, UT, 84511

(435) 678-3777

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fattboyz-Grillin/135856886470228

On December 26, 2011, Fattboyz Grillin officially opened at its new location, the former Old Tymer restaurant. First, let me inform you that while the Old Tymer sign is still displayed outside, that will be taken down in due time. Don't bypass that location any longer for Fattboyz has taken it over and are serving up awesome barbeque.

The interior of the building is still the same decor and that will be changing also. The bar area is still going to be a bar - a dessert bar! Unfortunately, Blanding is a dry town, so alcohol cannot be served, but don't pass Fattboyz over on that account; you want to go there for the food. The majority of the menu items are now housemade due to the fact that a larger kitchen facility is available with the take over of the restaurant.

For an appetizer, we ordered onion rings; now don't go by the photo on the amount served. My friend and I lost our heads and drove into those rings before I could take a photo. Even though the rings are purchased from an outside source, the onions were tender and sweet while the batter was crispy with a slight smoky flavor. They came with the infamous "fry sauce" which is a Utah thing, but the rings were tasty with or without the sauce.

Fattboyz has a different lunch special daily costing around $5.

Saturday's special was a cheeseburger loaded down with veggies and a mountain of fries. My friend had that and ended up wishing for enough room in her stomach to have another. It was that good!

Fattboyz has an extended salad bar with many choices available. Whether you choose the one trip for $5.99 or the all-you-can eat dinner for $9.99; you will not be disappointed by their salad bar. Also, with the sandwich and burger items, the choice is 2 sides or one trip to the salad bar. As much as I like the sides, that salad bar is worth foregoing the fries.

Now as much as I like Reed's barbequed ribs, I believe my new favorite is his BBQ Chicken Sandwich. The sauce is sweet, tangy and smoky; the chicken was not swimming in it, so you could get a full taste of the chicken. I don't know what Reed does to the chicken, but it was tender and juicy and oh so delicious...just looking at the photo is making me start to drool for another one.

When you go to Fattboyz Grillin, expect friendly service and a happy atmosphere. Need a party place for a special event, they can do that for you too. Remember, when you are traveling through Blanding, Utah and feeling hungry, you want to stop at Fattboyz and get your grub on. Ignore that Old Tymer sign, there's a new sheriff cooking inside and his name is Reed Sampson.

Mary Cokenour

UPDATE: Reed Sampson has announced plans to expand to Monticello, Utah by opening up a second Fattboyz Grillin on Center Street, located across from the new Maverik Station. The grand opening is scheduled for March 16, 2012.

We finally have a barbeque joint in Southeastern Utah!!!

Fattboyz Grillin'164 North Grayson Parkway (previously the Peace Tree Cafe)
Blanding, Utah, 84511

(435)678-3777

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fattboyz-Grillin/135856886470228

When I was planning to move to Utah, one aspect that excited me, hey....all the barbeque places I can visit. Wrong!!! The closest one was two hours away in Durango, Colorado (Serious Texas BBQ - good place too); there used to be one in Cortez, Colorado, only one hour away, but it closed down.

Reed Sampson must have been just as disappointed as I was, fore when he decided to open up a food place, he went barbeque! Thank you Reed!!!

The menu offers a good variety; it's posted on Fattboyz' Facebook page, and we decided to try a few items. Hint, hint Reed, offer a sampler platter on the menu; a little bit of most everything for one price. We'd pay good money for that. So lets get started with the low-down:

Ribs - done on site, meaty, juicy....drool. Nuff' said.

Burgers - meaty, juicy, we loved the charbroiled flavor.

Beef BBQ sandwich - thick, meaty (am I getting redundant?) and just plain ole delicious.

BBQ sauce - hit the Bullseye; nothing wrong with Bullseye, I use it in a pinch, and KC Masterpiece too, but I do wonder if Reed doctors it up a bit...but he won't tell.

That's just the main menu items we tried; now the sides:

Mac n' Cheese - oh yes, it's cheesy and gooey, just the way mac n' cheese should be.

Beans - while they were a nice enhancement to the meat, I found them to be a little plain, but that's me. I would have liked to see them swimming in bbq sauce, diced onions, maybe a little chile pepper thrown in.

Potato salad - good flavor, potatoes were just right; not firm, but not too mushy.

Now I hear tell that the cole slaw is homemade, so next time we stop in, I intend on trying the pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw...is there any other way to eat it?

So, all in all, this place is the bomb diggety, and if you live in the area, or are just visiting, go to Fattboyz Grillin!!!

Oh Reed, in case you want a homemade macaroni salad recipe, check out my "Amish Macaroni Salad" on the Jan 16, 2011 post entitled "A salad isn't a salad...yes it is".

...and here's my recipe for homemade baked lima beans. If you use either or both recipes, just give me credit on your Facebook page, and list a link to this blog...appreciate it.

Baked Lima Beans

Ingredients:
1 (40.5 oz) can Butter beans (lima beans)
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, mild
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) bottle hickory smoked, brown sugar barbeque sauce
6-8 strips thick cut bacon, roughly chopped

Preparation:
Preheat oven at 350F. Spray a 2 quart casserole with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients; spoon into the casserole dish. Bake for 2 hours.

Serves 8.

Mary Cokenour