Malta and Spiced Rum Glazed Ribs

I am working on catching up on a small backlog of recipes that I made before I had to box my entire kitchen and discover that my baking pantry shelves were suspiciously sticky……don’t tell anyone that, it’s kind of embarrassing.

When you moved, did you discover sticky shelves in your baking pantry….or am I the only one?  Tell me I am not alone and I will feel better.   In my defense the shelf was the very top shelf, over the stove and about 7 feet high.

Okay enough about my sticky shelf, let us glaze…shall we?

I got this idea to make a glaze using malta.  Malta is a non-alcoholic malt beverage that I grew up with.  Every kid growing up in Puerto Rico or in a Puerto Rican family enjoyed a cold malta on a hot summer day.  However my experience is that unless you grow up drinking malta you probably won’t dig it at first.

I LOVE malta but almost everytime I have given a taste to a friend the reaction is mixed. But don’t let this put you off to this delicious glaze, it’s good eats!

First gather the glaze ingredients together, because there are more then a few of them.   I know that Captain Morgan looks like he is running on empty but trust me behind the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks there is a cup of rum.

Dump all the glaze ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.  Once the mixture starts to boil like a jacuzzi, reduce the heat to medium and allow the mixture to reduce to a glaze consistency, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the glaze from the stove and strain though a fine mesh strainer. Set aside and keep warm until ready to schlep on some yummy ribs.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Exfoliate the ribs by rubbing them down with some Adobo seasoning.  Place the ribs on a baking sheet with cooling grid and allow to sit for 20 minutes.

Pour chicken stock into the baking sheet and cover the ribs with foil, making a tight seal.  Place the ribs in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the ribs are tender.

Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the foil and drippings from the sheet pan, and allow the ribs to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Adjust the oven to the broil setting and position the oven rack to the lowest level. Brush the ribs with a generous coating of the glaze, about 3 tablespoons of the glaze per set of ribs.

Just schlep it on there real good!

Place the sheet pan with the ribs (of course) back in the oven, broil until the ribs are browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes.

Remove the ribs from the oven and lay on a cutting board meaty side down. Use a sharp knife to cut the ribs apart.

Now pretend like you have lost all decorum and decency and gnaw into those ribs like your a cavewoman, man or person….whichever you prefer, straight out of “When Dinosaurs Ruled the World”.

My caveman gnawed on his plate of ribs and grunted in approval in complete unadulterated neanderthal-ness.   With joy we downed a whole slab together and sucked the bones clean.

No judging!

Print Recipe

Malta and Spiced Rum Glazed Ribs (adapted from Emeril Lagasse)

Glaze:

• 2 (12-ounce) bottles malta*
• 3 Tbs guava paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbs worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Adobo
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 8 peppercorns
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup spiced rum
• 1 cup sugar

Ribs:

• 4 to 5 pounds baby back ribs (2 full slabs, each cut in 1/2)
• 2 Tbs Adobo seasoning
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions

To make the glaze, place all of the ingredients for the glaze in a 6-quart pot or larger, and cook over medium-high heat. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and allow the mixture to reduce to a glaze consistency, about 25 to 30 minutes longer. Remove the glaze from the stove and strain though a fine mesh strainer. Reserve and keep warm, until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Place the ribs on a sheet pan or baking sheet with cooling grid. Use 1 tablespoon of the Adobo seasoning to cover each of the ribs. Rub the seasoning into the meat and allow it to sit undisturbed for at least 20 minutes.

Pour the chicken stock into the sheet pan, and cover the pan with aluminum foil, making a tight seal. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the ribs are very tender.

Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the foil and the fat and oil from the sheet pan, and allow the ribs to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust the oven to the broil setting and position the oven rack to the lowest rung. Brush the ribs with a generous coating of the glaze, about 3 tablespoons of the glaze per set of ribs. Place the sheet pan back in the oven, and broil until the ribs are browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and lay on a cutting board meaty side down. Use a sharp knife to cut the ribs apart. Serve the ribs with some of the leftover glaze on the side, if desired.

*Malta can be found at your local Latin or Asian grocery.

Rum Glazed Cornish Hens Stuffed with Sweet Plantains

This Christmas Obed and I spent our first Christmas alone…..well really our second Christmas, since we spent our first Christmas in the hospital.  Last year I was hospitalized on Christmas Eve with chest pains.  Turn out it was a pulmonary embolism, in laymen’s term….I had a clot in my lung. FUN!   Let me tell you that sucker hurt, but the doctor’s were kind and pumped me full of drugs.   The hypothosis was that the clot was brough on by the “I don’t want to get knock-up pills” that I had started taking 30 days, to the day, prior.   Obed and I got to spend our very first Christmas as a married couple in the hospital opening presents.  Although we did have quite a parade of friends and family come to visit.  No worries though, everything is back to normal, clot gone and treatment done.

So I consider this Christmas our first “real” Christmas, since we managed to stay out of the hospital this year and actually open presents under the Christmas tree, but it was our first Christmas away from family.  I wanted to make it a little special so I thought I would get “down-home” and a little “fancy” with some Cornish hens.  Although we were far from family and friends this year, it beats last year’s Christmas without a doubt and it was a white Christmas to boot. 

Let’s cook shall we……

In a blender combine garlic, onion, orange juice and lime juice with seasons sugar, cumin, oregano, lemon-pepper, black pepper, salt and cilantro.  Blend until thoroughly incorporated. Pour in the olive oil, and blend until smooth.

Divide marinade and marinate Cornish hens in large Ziploc bags for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.  Trim the ends of the ripe plantains and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until skins are dark and begin to split. 

The plantain will also push out the ends.  Remove from oven and cool.  Once cool enough to handle, peel plantains, slice and place in a medium bowl.

Whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, garlic and rum in a small bowl.  Add 3 tbs of the butter rum mixture to the plantains.  Using a fork or potato masher, mash the plantains and set aside. 

Try not to eat them straight out of the bowl….you will be tempted.

Turn oven up to 400 degrees.

Remove Cornish hens from marinade and pat dry.  (Advisory:  This is a photo before marinating.  I forgot to take a photos after marinating….oops.)

I will confess that I thought these were so funny and cute I held them up by the wings, sang a little song and made them dance.  I was sure to call Obed over to watch.   He asked if I had taken any medication. 

Now brace yourself, this is when it starts to get frisky.

Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the hen, season the hens under the skin and inside the cavity with salt and pepper, then rub the butter rum glaze under the skin and in the cavity.   Reserved half of the butter rum mixture for basting.

Loosely fill the cavities of the hens with mashed sweet plantains.  Tie up the legs with roasting twine.  (I was out so I used sewing thread….shhhhh…don’t tell)

Place in a roasting rack or pan and generously brush the skin of the hens with butter rum glaze.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hours, basting periodically with butter rum glaze and drippings, or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees.

Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes.

This chicken was fantastico!  I got many praises and grunts from the spousal figure.  He even took the bones of my plate and sucked them clean.  I know that sounds  a little gross, but well….whatever.

The chicken was tender and juicy, full of flavor and the glaze gave it a hint of sweetness.  You can easily do this same recipe substituting the hens for a whole chicken if you like. 

My favorite part were the sweet plantains.  They soaked in all the flavor of the chicken and were absolutely divine.  I will be making this again without a doubt.

Print Recipe

Rum Glazed Cornish Hens Stuffed with Sweet Plantains

Mojo Marinade

This marinade can also be used for steaks, pork and fish minus the sugar.

• 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tbs of sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano flakes
• 1/2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup olive oil

In a blender combine garlic, onion, orange juice and lime juice with seasons sugar, cumin, oregano, lemon-pepper, black pepper, salt and cilantro.  Blend until thoroughly incorporated. Pour in the olive oil, and blend until smooth.

Divide marinade and marinate Cornish hens in large Ziploc bags for 2 hours or overnight.

Cornish Hens

• 2 3 lb Cornish Hens
• 3 large ripe plantains
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 3 1/2 tbs of brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of dark rum (I use Captain Morgan Spiced Rum)
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silicon mat.  Trim the ends of the ripe plantains and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until skins are dark.  The plantain will also push out the ends.  Remove from oven and cool.  Once cool enough to handle, peel plantains, slice and place in a medium bowl. 

Whisk together butter, brown sugar, garlic and rum in a small bowl.  Add 3 tbs of the butter rum mixture to the plantains.  Using a fork or potato masher, mash the plantains and set aside.

Turn oven up to 400 degrees.

Remove Cornish hens from marinade and pat dry.  Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the hen, season the hens under the skin and inside the cavity with salt and pepper, then rub the butter rum glaze under the skin and in the cavity.   Reserved half of the butter rum mixture for glazing.

Loosely fill the cavities of the hens with mashed sweet plantains.  Tie up the legs with roasting twine.  Place in a roasting rack and generously brush the skin of the hens with butter rum glaze.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hours, basting periodically with butter rum glaze and drippings, or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees.  (If skin begins to brown before hens are ready tent with aluminum foil.) Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes.

Serving suggestion :  Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas)