Buffalo Ribs

Rib date: September 17, 2011

Guests: Many. Stults family, McDonald family + a couple young cousins, Big Paul and his new bride Corine, Ryan & Laura, Eric & Dave. I think that about covers it.

No silly. These are not the ribs from a buffalo. Rather, they are tender pork ribs slathered in that spicy sauce they serve on chicken wings in high quality establishments like Hooters. I know- saying you enjoy the wings at Hooters is a little like saying you read Playboy for the articles. Hooters does have some pretty damn good wings however! The sauce originated in Buffalo, NY. It's what Buffalo was known for before losing every Super Bowl in the 90s.

I have to give credit where credit is due on the Buffalo Ribs. I got the smoker queued up before heading out for a busy day of wine tasting then to an Oktoberfest event. I came back home later in the afternoon and- voila!- deliciously tender, smokey, zingy ribs. My wife Gillian excelled on her inaugural Smokey Joe test drive. I just swooped (OK, staggered) in at the finish line for a half hour of Buffalo sauce basting.

If you dig that chicken wing type sauce, these ribs are for you. I gotta admit, while they were pretty good and done right, they were not my favorites. For one reason, being a wine geek, buffalo sauce is impossible to pair wine with. I continued, unnecessarily some may argue, with the Oktoberfest theme and enjoyed
Some Silverado Brewing Company Blonde Ale. The sauce is basically an entire bottle of Louisiana hot sauce and a stick of butter. Check the recipe in the Ribs Ribs Ribs book, because there is probably more to it.

The book also provides a recipe for gorgonzola cheese dip to accompany celery stalks. Not bad.

All in all, pretty good, but I am looking forward to the next recipe in the series- Maple Ribs.

Comments from the crowd: mainly positive and focused on the sauce and kick it provided. JR said they went well with his 12 pack of Coors Light, an impressive accomplishment given he was with me at Oktoberfest...

Kids' take: my son chickened out entirely when he saw an entire bottle of hot sauce go into it. My daughter said they were a bit spicy, but still pretty good.

Side notes: Ryan almost got punched after comparing Paul to one too many famous fat guys. That would have been funny. Eric relayed that he was afraid to bring his new girlfriend around, so instead he brought an old boyfriend. Just kidding! These are jokes people. Hello, is this thing on? Having no evidence to the contrary, I think Eric may have ordered his new girlfriend off RealDoll.com, making her anything but real. Badumbump. It was nice to catch up with Dave. Sorry- no photos this time. Did I mention Oktoberfest?