Mint Julep Ribs

Rib Date: Saturday, November 12, 2011

Ribsters in attendance: Stults family, JR and Aiden McDonald, Gregory family, Snider family, Eric Jorgensen, his pal Sue, and Jerry Mathers, as the Beaver.

When it came to Mint Julep Ribs, the paint can full of booze stole the show. So let's start there.

Barry Martiner's Paint Can is developing legendary status here in the Legendary Napa Valley, America's Great Wine Capital. An old family recipe from Missouri, the Paint Can features Bourbon, ice, fresh mint stolen from your neighbor, OJ, lemon juice, sugar all mixed up in a brand new, never before used, paint can. This last part is important. You put all that stuff in the paint can, tap the lid shut, and shake the hell out of it, and recite this line repeatedly: "If you ain't shakin', you ain't partakin'." After 10-15 minutes, you have the world's biggest and best cocktail, which, of course, is consumed straight from the paint can, which conveniently has a rag tied to the paint can handle to wipe away the drool and some, but not all, of the backwash. Yum.

I thought the Barry Martiner Paint Can would be the perfect pairing with the Mint Julep Ribs, in lieu of wine. It was.

Oh yeah, the ribs were pretty good too. Steven Raichlen's Mint Julep Ribs with Bourbon Mint BBQ Sauce, from his book, "Ribs, Ribs, Ribs" were fall off the bone tender, with a hint of smokiness. The consensus opinion of the attending ribsters was that they were good, but not great. I thought they were a bit nondescript, lacking in the level of mintiness I anticipated.

The rib rub was a mixture of iced tea mix, sugar, dried mint, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub goes on ribs. Ribs go on smoker. Ribs get brushed with a mint glaze, mainly mint jelly, butter and bourbon, ribs come off and get a drizzle of Bourbon Mint BBQ Sauce, then down hatch.

The real highlight of the evening was neither the ribs nor the paint can. It was Dale Snider saving our house from an electrical fire after the boys all smelled something burning. We had some overheating of the original wiring (1972) in an electrical switch box.

Hopefully there will be no such excitement for our next rib adventure! Next up: Chinatown Ribs!

Silly Sidenotes: Eric brought a bottle of booze to supplement the paint can.  Even though it's technically not Bourbon, he brought Jack Daniels, not for the famous name, but because it came with a free cap (see photo).  What we should have taken a photo of was Eric wearing the cap, because it did not fit on his giant melon.  It kept riding up, irritating JR who tried to help Eric with his style, to no avail.

Silly Sidenote Too: Eric and his friend should rent themselves out as party entertainment.  I am not sure what their fee would be.  Ask him yourself: (707) 226-9814.  He also does windows, mini-blinds and will pressure wash your taint.