#spare-ribs

#spare-ribs

Elvis loved our ribs. However, he never came to The Rendezvous. Elvis always wanted to rent the whole place out and my father didn't want to lose customers so he refused.

Picanha is a large hunk of beef which comes from an area above the cow's rump, straddling both the sirloin and round primal cuts. Outside of Brazil it's also known as the rump cap or sirloin cap, but it isn't common to find in grocery stores because butchers normally break the large roast down into more familiar sirloin steaks and round cuts.

Unfortunately, though, it can take a long time to cook ribs right. Whether you choose to cook them on the grill or in the oven, you're looking at several hours of cook time, which isn't always convenient when you're trying to throw dinner together in under an hour.

"The longer this halibut sits on that hot grill, the easier it will come away from the grate itself."

Cooking prime rib on the grill rather than in the oven will give you more smoky flavor and that signature char of a steak - just on a juicy, thick cut like prime rib. It's important to note that this method works best for rib steaks that are about 2 inches thick and weigh about 2 pounds.

There's something to be said about the appeal of chain restaurants. In theory, customers can walk into any location and get much the same experience. There's nothing wrong with that, especially considering some chains take quality seriously. Chain barbecue restaurants are fewer and farther between than, say, steakhouse chains, and that's because of some unique challenges, including the differences between beloved regional styles. However, the one thing that unites great barbecue is the need for great sides - which is why we're here.

First things first: Even the most cursory glance around the internet will reveal that virtually every account of monkey sauce -- known in South Africa, even more confusingly, as "monkey gland sauce" -- feels obliged to confirm that no, it does not contain actual monkey (do recipes for monkey bread need to offer this reassurance?). Rather, monkey sauce is a deceptively simple yet hugely adaptable accompaniment to meat, and no traditional South African braai (the local style of barbecue) is complete without it.

If you've ever added Coca-Cola to your rib recipe (like in these three-ingredient crockpot ribs), ginger ale works in a very similar way, but it actually has even more of an advantage due to an enzyme called zingibain. Found in raw ginger, zingibain is excellent at breaking down collagen, which helps tenderize meat. This, along with the citric acid in the soda, works to soften any tough muscle fibers, leading to a fall-off-the bone texture.