I’ve gone on record saying that there is no such thing ever as a gimme meal when it comes to cooking for kids. But I’m just going to come right out and say this: If ever there was a gimme meal, these ribs are it.* Not only because they are so melty and gooey and quintessentially summer, but because they demand the complete abandonment of whatever table manners you have attempted to hammer into your children thus far. I think it’s the only time all year I encourage my girls to eat with their hands and get as messy as they want to. (It’s not like they’re ever more than 10 minutes away from washing up via pool/sprinkler/hose anyway.) (more…)

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Last year, we hosted Christmas dinner for the first time – the full deal, too, with both sets of grandparents, brothers, sisters, kids, cousins, and an insane puppy, all wilding through the house. We needed a meal that everyone would like and were determined not to serve chicken fingers and crinkle cut fries. We discussed various festive options — filet (too expensive), turkey (too Thanksgiving), goose (too inedible) – but just weren’t feeling any of them. So I asked my friend Adam , who has the kind of dinner parties that make you wonder why you even bother trying. Adam’s a man of strong opinions. About everything. There’s a right way to do things, and a wrong way to do things. “Dude,” he said. “You make a smoked ham. And you glaze it so it gets all shiny and shit. Put it in the middle of the table and let people admire it.”

His recipe contained all of two ingredients – apricot jam and dark rum – took about fifteen minutes to prepare, and was, as Adam would say, rindonkulously tasty. Guests were practically weeping with joy as their sodium levels skyrocketed, and the kids loved the crackly, candied crust. The dog seemed to approve of the leftovers.

Fast forward six months, to last Saturday night. A beautiful, warm June night, the perfect night for grilling. The only kids wilding through the house were our own. We decided to try Adam’s glaze on a one-pound pork tenderloin we’d had in the freezer for a couple of weeks. We added one ingredient (rosemary), but otherwise, we’re pleased to say that the same technique works for any occasion. Clean plates all around. We’ll be making this one again soon. – Posted by Andy (more…)

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