Sunday Dinner: B’s Baby Back Ribs and Spring Salad with Grilled Carrots

This salad was inspired by one I used to get regularly from a now defunct restaurant called Rabbit, which served lightly-dressed field greens on a dollop of pesto with grilled carrots on top. I made a more simplified version but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it captured the taste of the original. Oh, and the ribs! B made these for my parents a few weeks ago and they were so good, I begged him to make them again (not that he needed much prodding). I’m really not much of a rib person, but these babies (zing!) are magical.

Spring Salad with Grilled Carrots

For the dressing:
  1 handful fresh basil (around 15-20 leaves)
  10 leaves flat leaf parsley
  tarragon leaves from around 6 stems
  2 cloves garlic
  1 lemon, zested and juiced
  2/3 cup olive oil
  1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
  salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
  1 bag of mixed spring lettuce
  1 cucumber, sliced
  4 green onions, sliced
  6 large carrots, sliced lengthwise and halved crosswise

Toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper and cook over a hot grill until slightly charred and tender. Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, roughly chop all of the dry ingredients for the dressing. With processor running, slowly pour in olive oil and balsamic vinegar until all ingredients are well-puréed.

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. Pour over dressing, toss, and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

B’s Babyback Ribs

  1/2 cup raw sugar
  1 tablespoon garlic powder
  1 tablespoon onion powder
  2 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder
  1 teaspoon lemon pepper
  1 tablespoon paprika
  1 tablespoon sea salt
  1 tablespoon celery salt
  1 tablespoon black pepper

  2 racks of baby back pork ribs

In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients for the rub.

Do your best to remove the membrane from the back of the rib racks with a knife (this might be done already). Liberally apply rub to both sides of the ribs (at least 2 tablespoons per side, per rack). Let sit and come up to room temperature for about an hour.

Cook on hot grill, bone-side down first, turning once, about 6-8 minutes per side until lightly charred, but not burnt, and have a nice red hue. Let stand 10 minutes.

Slice ribs between the bones with a sharp knife and serve. Enjoy!