Missouri’s Date of Statehood – August 10th, 1821
Sometimes, you want to have a delicate meal with linen napkins and candlelight. And other times, you want to use a paper towel as bib and dig into something with your hands. Nothing gives you that primal, cave-man feeling quite like ribs. Messy, meaty, and so tasty! Pair that with a NON-MAYONNAISE based cole slaw (Rejoice, all mayonnaise haters!) and a slice of gooey, sticky butter cake and you have a meal fit for a nap! Yum!
Tips and Tricks
- Gooey Butter cake will seem like it is uncooked in the middle. That is intentional. Do you best to ignore all the warning bells in your head and DON’T cook it longer.
- The dry rub calls for whole spices toasted and then ground. You can skip this step and use pre-ground spices, but 1/2 tsp LESS of each spice.
- St Louis Style Ribs refers to the cut, rather than the preparation. St. Louis-style spare ribs are the meatier ribs cut from the belly of the hog after the belly is removed. They are usually trimmed down by cutting away the hard breastbone and chewy cartilage, otherwise known as connective tissue. St. Louis-style ribs are flatter than baby back ribs, which makes them easier to brown. There is a lot of bone but also a higher amount of fat, making them very flavorful.
- Before you apply the dry rub, be sure you remove the thin, silver skin membrane. to do this:
- Loosen the Membrane at One Edge: To find the membrane, flip the ribs over so that they are curved toward you. A thin, somewhat translucent layer of white tissue is attached, and this is what you want to remove. The first step is to pull up a corner of the membrane at one edge of the slab of ribs. You can slide the point of a blunt knife (such as a table knife) underneath to get it started, but you can often pull it up using your fingers. The membrane is the only part of the ribs you should be able to easily separate from the ribs, so don’t worry about pulling off the wrong thing.
- Pull the Membrane from the Ribs: Once you have it detached from one end, simply get a good grip and peel it away from the ribs. You can use a paper towel to help get ahold of the membrane since it can be a little bit slippery. Continue to pull away from where you started, and it should come off the ribs in one whole piece.
- Discard the Membrane and Prepare Your Ribs: Once the membrane is removed, you’ll see how elastic the peritoneum is. That is exactly why it’s best to remove it. When the membrane remains on the ribs, it’s like chewing on a big rubber band. Once you’ve removed it, discard it and continue seasoning and prepping your ribs.
St. Louis Style Ribs
Serves 4
Dry Rub
- 2 Tbs Whole Fennel Seeds
- 2 tsp Whole Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tbs Coriander Seeds
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbs Salt
- 2 Tbs Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tbs Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbs Onion Powder
- 1 Tbs Ground Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tbs Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tbs Dried Oregano
- 1 Tbs Dry Mustard
Ribs
- 3-4 lbs. St Louis Style Ribs, silver skin removed
- 1/4 Cup Yellow Prepared Mustard
- 1/4 Cup Apple Juice
- 1 Cup Missouri Style BBQ Sauce (I used Heinz Kansas City Style Sweet & Smoky)
Step 1: Place a small, non-stick skillet over low heat. Add the whole fennel, cumin, and coriander seeds to the skillet and toast, swirling the pan constantly, until the spices become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Once toasted, remove from the heat and grind the spices into a fine powder.
Step 2: In small bowl, whisk together the freshly toasted spices, brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, dried oregano, and dry mustard. Set this aside.
Step 3: Take the ribs and rub the 1/4 cup of yellow mustard evenly over both sides. Then apply the dry rub to meat, evenly coating the ribs. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Step 5: Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the ribs, bone side down, on the foil and place them in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Step 6: After 30 minutes, remove the ribs from the oven. Carefully remove the ribs from the baking sheet and place them on a new piece of aluminum foil that is large enough to completely cover the ribs AND is watertight. Fold up the sides of the foil and pour the apple juice over the ribs. Seal up the foil and return the package to the baking sheet.
Step 7: Increase the heat to 375 degrees and return the ribs to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Step 8: After 30 minutes, decrease the heat to 250 degrees. Unwrap the ribs, remove them from the foil, and place them back in the oven on the baking sheet. Baste the ribs with the BBQ sauce and continue to cook for 30 minutes or so until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees.
Step 9: Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Missouri Cole Slaw
Serves 8
- 1 Head Green Cabbage, large outer leaves removed and shredded
- 2 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 3 Tbs White Vinegar
- 1/2 Medium White Onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Medium Carrots, peeled and shredded
- 2 Tbs Evaporated Milk
Step 1: In a large bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage and 2 tsp salt. Place a heavy plate or bowl on top of the cabbage and place several canned goods on top, to press the cabbage down. Set aside for the water to be drawn out of the cabbage for 1 hour.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, and evaporated milk.
Step 3: After the hour salt time, place the cabbage in a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Then place the rinsed cabbage on several layers of paper towels and squeeze as much water out as possible.
Step 4: Place the drained and dried cabbage in a large bowl and add the carrots and onion. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to thoroughly combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Serve cold.
Gooey Butter Cake
Serves 10
Cake
- 3 Tbs Whole Milk, at room temperature
- 2 Tbs Lukewarm Water
- 1 Envelope Rapid Rise Instant Yeast
- 6 Tbs Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 3 Tbs Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
Topping
- 3 Tbs and 1 tsp Light Corn Syrup
- 2 Tbs Water
- 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 12 Tbs Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Cup and 3 Tbs All-Purpose Flour
- Powder Sugar, for garnish
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 Tbs room temperature milk, lukewarm water, and the yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Set this aside for 10 minutes, or until the yeast becomes foamy.
Step 2: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the 6 Tbs room temperature butter, 3 Tbs sugar, and 1 tsp salt until the mixture is a pale yellow color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Mix on low until the egg is incorporated.
Step 3: Alternately add about 1/3 of the 1 3/4 Cups flour and the milk/yeast mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition. Once all of the flour and all of the milk/yeast mixture has been added, mix the dough on medium speed for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Once mixed, press the dough into an ungreased 9×13 baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, dark place for 3 hours.
Step 5: Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 6: In a small bowl, mix together the 3 Tbs and 1 tsp Light Corn Syrup, 2 Tbs water, and the 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract. Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the 12 Tbs butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 tsp salt until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg.
Step 7: Once the egg is fully incorporated, alternately add about 1/3 of the 1 Cup flour and the corn syrup mixture, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition.
Step 8: Once the flour and corn syrup mixture has been fully incorporated, spoon the topping in large dollops over the risen dough in the baking pan and spread it out into an even layer.
Step 9: Place in the hot oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. The cake will rise and fall in waves and have a golden brown top but will still be liquid in the center. Allow to cool in pan before sprinkling with confectioners’ sugar for serving.
Fun Facts about Missouri: 1. Missouri was named after a tribe of Sioux Indians called the Missouris. While often mistranslated as “muddy water,” the word actually means “town of the large canoes.” 2. Famous Missourian writers include T.S. Eliot, Maya Angelou, Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams, and Sara Teasdale. 3. With more than 6,000 known caves, Missouri’s also known as The Cave State. Richland, Missouri, is the only city in the U.S. with a cave restaurant. 4. The 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis introduced the masses to a number of new treats, including the waffle cone, cotton candy, iced tea, and Dr Pepper. 5. Missouri is also home to the most destructive tornado in U.S. history. The Tri-State tornado, which set down on March 18, 1925, killed 695 people, injured 2027 people, and demolished an estimated 15,000 homes throughout Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Annapolis, Missouri, was 90 percent destroyed. 6. Aunt Jemima pancake flour was invented in St. Louis in 1889. It was the first ready-mix food to ever be sold commercially.
Edible U.S. 