Blueberry Ribs And Heavenly Roasted Garlic Butter

My husband is always excited when I make him ribs.  His favorite meals include bones - he says it makes him feel like a caveman, that he truly feels primal when ripping meat off bone. Personally, I don't like getting so messy, but I will say that these ribs taste sweet, spicy, and juicy.  I make them in the oven since we can't easily barbecue, and I think they taste just as good.  The roasted garlic butter is an old addiction.  We got some gigantic cloves of garlic at the farmers' market this morning and I decided to indulge in the spicy, flavorful treat.  We developed a serious love for garlic when we lived in Korea, and every now and then I get nostalgic for the dragon breath that my husband emits after inhaling a dozen cloves of garlic.  

The Meat

- 2 racks pork spareribs

The Veggies

- 1 head of broccoli

- 1/2 head of cauliflower

- 2 cups water

- pepper, salt to taste

The Sauce

- 3 tablespoons of ketchup

- 2 tablespoons of wholegrain mustard

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil based mayonnaise

- 1 tablespoon of crushed blueberries

- 1 teaspoon of blueberry jam (no sugar added)

- spice to taste

The Garlic Butter

- 3 tablespoons butter

- garlic (as much as you want!)

- salt, dill to taste (be liberal)

Preheat your oven to 380 degrees.

First, prepare your garlic butter by dicing up the garlic and placing it on an aluminum foil sheet.  Add the salt, dill, and 3 tablespoons of butter on top of the garlic, and then fold up the aluminum until you can make a pouch.  I usually double layer my aluminum foil so it doesn't leak.  Place it directly on the rack and let it cook for an hour.  

Next I made the sauce in a small metal mixing bowl.  You can use a mortar and pestle, or just the back of a teaspoon to squish up the blueberries.  Depending on my sides, I will switch up my spices sometimes for this sauce.  Tonight I just added a little bit of salt, pepper, and red chili flake.  

I put the ribs on my baking sheet and brushed them with the sauce.  They cooked in the oven (next to the garlic) for around 40 minutes.  After 20 minutes have passed, take out your ribs briefly, brushing on more sauce and turning them over.  

I steamed some broccoli and cauliflower for around 20 minutes on high heat in my steaming pot. When the garlic butter was done, I tossed the veggies with it.  Ah-ma-zing.

I use my meat scissors to cut the ribs when they are all cooked, and I usually bring out washcloths and an extra bowl to the table for the bones, because this is one deliciously messy meal.