New Twists to BBQ Classics

Memorial Day Weekend brought an opportunity to rethink traditional feasting: pasta salad, baked beans, and BBQ ribs.

There was an asparagus bouquet in the produce drawer begging to be part of our meal, so I chopped it and added it to the boiling pasta one minute before the pasta was done. The dressing was mayo, lemon zest and juice, green onion, celery salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and lots of fine grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Because our freezer contains the remains of a recent soup experiment, including a bag of Crowder Peas (a.k.a. Cowpeas, a.k.a. Black-eyed Peas), it was time to experiment with these legumes. They were great in a BBQ and bacon sauce, ala baked beans.

And what holiday weekend is complete without a rack of ribs? I added rhubarb to the BBQ sauce; the tartness brought a new complexity and balance to the meal. About 12-24 hours before dinner rub ribs gently with a combination of spices and brown sugar (cumin, mustard, pepper, cayenne, chili powder, allspice, and whatever else tickles your fancy from the spice shelf). Grill, covered, over indirect heat, turning every 10-15 minutes, for about an hour. Slice ribs into pairs, then dip into sauce and caramelize over direct heat, about 2 minutes each side.