Nuestra Señora del Rancho Casa Luna (Our Lady of Rancho Casa Luna) watched over all the proceedings at the Rib-O-Rama.
Remember last March, when Mexico Cooks! and a cast of thousands prepared five rabbit recipes at Dianne Kushner's Rancho Casa Luna? A few weeks ago, we all gathered again at the Rancho, this time to cook pork ribs--yes, in spite of the H1N1 (aka swine) flu scare in Mexico. We'd planned this event long before the so-called pandemic that started in late April. Knowledgeable experts agreed that the consumption of pork meat was not a health danger. So: several kinds of ribs, along with huge numbers of botanas (appetizers), guarniciones (side dishes), and postres (desserts) were on the menu for both Friday and Saturday!
On Friday, Ben brought a botana (appetizer) of incredibly delicious home-made pot-stickers and their sauce. Twenty or so dinner guests demolished two platters of pot-stickers in a split second. Several more appetizers prepared by others at the party were gone as fast as a chocolate Easter bunny's ears.
Ben knelt on the floor to baste and turn his magnificent ribs. His recipe (below) includes oyster sauce, lemon grass, and a surprise ingredient: 7-Up. With a little advance preparation, this recipe is a sure winner. Everyone at the Rib-O-Rama loved these ribs.
Far East Spareribs
2 or more kilos baby back ribs
3 tsp fresh garlic, minced fine
1 tsp ground white pepper
4 tbsp freshly ground lemon grass
2 chiles jalapeño (or more, depending on your heat tolerance)
1/2 cup honey
2 large pieces fresh ginger, peeled
2 tsp sugar
3 cans 7-Up or Sprite
1/3 cup soy sauce
In food processor, purée the garlic, ginger, lemon grass, and chiles jalapeño. Mix with all ingredients except the ribs.
Wash the ribs and marinate in the puréed mixture for two to three days.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Put the ribs in a large oven-proof pan and brush liberally with the sauce. Baste and turn the ribs frequently, adding more sauce as they bake. When the ribs are dark golden brown and tender, plate and serve with more sauce on the side.
Jewel-like watermelon and papaya aguas frescas (fresh fruit waters) graced the tables at the Rancho on both Friday and Saturday.
JohnRoy smoked Texas-style ribs, another big hit on Friday. That little pitcher in the background holds more of his secret sauce.
On Saturday, Mexico Cooks! prepared costillas de cerdo en mole estilo Uruapan: pork ribs in mole, Uruapan style, arroz a la mexicana (Mexican rice), and frijolitos refritos estilo Cristina (Cristina's style refried beans)--four and a half kilos of ribs, a kilo of rice, and another kilo of beans went into the preparation, along with countless chiles serrano. The bowls in the photograph are huge.
Henri's enormous platter of Vietnamese pork ribs vanished in no time at Saturday's comida (main meal of the day).
Henri oven-roasted a huge platter of mixed vegetables: carrots, zucchini, onions, beets, and more.
Anado helps himself to ribs on Friday. That's Russi, reflected in the mirror, and that's her pasta salad in the bowl nearest Anado's right hand. Russi added heavenly smoked bacon, along with a slew of other ingredients, to the pasta salad.
Ben baked a sachertorte as one of Friday's desserts.
Billie Mercer wore Betsy's diadema (tiara) and reluctantly consented to have her picture taken. Those huge leaves behind her are penca de maguey--the leaf of a cactus similar to a century plant.
The last dish served on Friday, but certainly not the least, was Billie's marvelously authentic key lime pie! Ever inventive, she made the crust from Marías cookies instead of graham crackers. As one of our San Miguel de Allende friends insisted, "There's always room for dessert--it goes to a special place in your stomach."
Betsy McNair and Ben get down after comida on Saturday. Betsy has to be the world's best get-'em-up-to-dance girl. We had a blast!
The very best dish at the party: our beloved friend Dianne Kushner, owner of the two Casa Luna B&Bs in San Miguel de Allende. Dianne is definitely the hostess with the mostest! Photo courtesy Henri Moyal.
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Everything looks delectable, and the rib recipe will definitely be given a whirl in the very near future. Don't know how y'all survived all that eating, but if you hadn't, what a great way to go!
Posted by: Sharon | June 13, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Cristina, you are killing me with these rib descriptions and pictures.
I plan to use the Far East Spareribs recipe sometime soon.
Gracias y Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Posted by: Michael Warshauer | June 13, 2009 at 08:07 PM