Cooking with tea

Ever get a hankerin' (later, I'll swear I didn't use that word) for smoky BBQ ribs but you just can't get outside? America's Test Kitchen elves really dreamed up an odd combination to recreate that smoky slow cooked flavor of BBQ ribs done on the grill. I grill outside all the time but I was interested in their tricky way of adding the smoke flavor; Lapsang Souchong tea. Would this work?

Doodles and I adore Peet's Tea blend, Russian Caravan but for this recipe you'll need the full strength "kick-ass" tea not cut with anything else. Twinnings in the individual bag is best because it's finely ground, if not, whir it in the coffee grinder.

The quick basics to this was:

• Rub and refrigerate ribs for 24 hours then freeze 45 minutes. I used my rub but ATK has one in the recipe.
• Heat pizza stone in 500 degree oven until really hot. They say 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle the smoky tea on sheet pan, then place ribs on rack above and cover all with heavy foil.
• Place sheet pan on stone and cook ribs for 30 minutes.
• Lower temp to 250 and pour 1/2 cup of apple juice in bottom of pan.
• Continue to roast for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat comes off the bone.
• The ribs will be pale so I sauced them and put them under the broiler.

Now I love the show but the two Test Kitchen folks were just so amazed at how smoky the ribs were. They're always amazed, thrilled, or just plain starved but it's their show and their cooking. I didn't find the ribs to have the same wonderful all-day smoked flavor they raved about though I followed their method exactly. What I did have were some tasty fall-off-the-bone, little bit smoky, ribs that were quite easy and could be done ahead and sauced and broiled later. What I love is they are willing to try some odd combos and this makes me more adventurous in the kitchen.

Recipe on ATK

Editor's note: That BBQ sauce is from Trader Joe's and has no HFCS.

They fatten hogs with corn, right?

High Fructose Corn Syrup, as the linked Washington Post article says, "… acts more like a fat than a sugar in your body."--is in almost everything. Lil bird made us aware of it when she tried to give HFCS up for Lent and had trouble finding simple everyday items, such as ketchup or soda, without it.

There are lots of thought on this subject and you can make up your own mind but it's good to be aware of what is going into our bodies. The article also states there are lots of contributing factors to the rise in Type 2 Diabetes but the USDA figures show the type of sweeteners consumed may help to undermine appetite control and possibly play a role in weight gain.

I did find some soda, albeit too late for the Lenten fast, and good old Trader Joe's has a HFCS free ketchup and BBQ sauce. The Jones Soda isn't bad but the colors and flavors are a bit odd. This shocking green is Green Apple and quite flavorful. The Blueberry Lemonade is an attractive pale blue but that color has always been hard to get past my lips. The Archer Farms soda came by way of a guest for dinner last week. This is carried by Target, of all places, and we enjoyed the flavors.

Of course if you just can't find a soda you like there's always this bottle in the last pix, my all time favorite, lots of fizz, no sugar--it's all turned to alcohol.