If you like these barbecue and oyster recipes, you're going to love Smoke & Salt, Virginia Living's guide to seriously good BBQ and oysters. Find even more recipes, plus great stories about top pitmasters, champion oyster shuckers, the history of barbecue in Virginia, the revival of the Chesapeake Bay oyster industry and more! On newsstands now. Click here to get your copy.
1 of 4
Southern style ribs.
2 of 4
Grilled oysters with bacon butter.
Photo by Fred + Elliott Photography
3 of 4
Deviled eggs.
Photo by Mark Edward Atkinson
4 of 4
Raspberry and blackberry sorbet.
Photo by Patricia Lyons
Southern Style Ribs
2 racks baby back ribs 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon onion salt ½ teaspoon dry mustard ½ teaspoon garlic salt ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Mix all spices together, reserving 1 teaspoon. Rinse the meat, pat dry and remove membrane from the back of the ribs. Sprinkle both sides of ribs with rub. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 8-12 hours. Remove from plastic and wrap in heavy-duty foil, sealing edges well. Prepare grill with coals stacked to one side (or heat just one side of a gas grill). Grill the ribs over indirect heat for 2-3 hours. Carefully remove from foil and place over direct heat. Baste with sauce and grill about 20 minutes, or until rack bows when lifted and bones loosen easily from the tender meat, turning and basting frequently with sauce.
For the sauce: 2 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce 2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons dry mustard 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon salt
Combine all ingredients. Brush on ribs about 15 minutes before they come off the grill. Can be served on the side as well. Combine all in a saucepan and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and brush over ribs.
Makes 2 cups
Grilled Oysters With Lemon Bacon Butter
6 slices bacon, diced 1 small fennel bulb, finely diced 1 shallot, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, diced ½ cup parsley, chopped ¼ cup lemon juice 2 cups soft breadcrumbs or Panko ½ stick unsalted butter, melted salt and pepper to taste 2 dozen oysters, unshucked
Sauté the bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Remove bacon pieces and reserve. Sauté fennel, shallot and garlic in the reserved bacon fat until soft, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly and add parsley, lemon juice and breadcrumbs. Add the cooked bacon. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill the oysters just until they open, then shuck each to remove the top shell. Spoon a tablespoon of reserved bacon butter over each and return to the grill for several minutes, just until hot. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 dozen
Deviled Eggs
12-15 eggs, hard-boiled ½ cup Duke’s mayonnaise 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons salt pinch of sugar sliced radishes, chives and paprika for garnish
Slice 12 eggs in half and remove yolks to a mixing bowl. Mix the yolks with all remaining ingredients in food processor (add 2-3 extra yolks to mixture, discarding the egg white). Place mixture in a pastry bag and pipe into each of the white halves. Garnish and serve.
Serves 6
Raspberry or Blackberry Sorbet
4 cups water 4 cups sugar 2 pints raspberries and/or blackberries
Purée berries in a blender or food processor, then strain. Heat water and sugar until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool completely. Mix puree with the syrup, then chill for several hours. Proceed according to ice cream maker’s instructions.
Serves 8
