Classic Potato Salad - Recipe Video

You are entering Carb Heaven, please take a seat at my celestial table! Summer is here and it's time for a picnic or patio party cold Potato Salad! You know you want to serve it with your next backyard barbeque.

Nothing better than a creamy cool side with your hot grilled burger, whether it's a veggie one or a beefy one.

Potatoes are the cheapest vegetable. I get mine at my local Latin Market, Superior Grocers,  or 99c only Stores.

I like a little crunch in my Potato Salad, so there is chopped celery and onion. And these are cheap ingredients, too!

I like a rich Potato Salad with the addition of boiled eggs and a lot of real mayo. It's up to you how many eggs and the amount of mayo you like.

And Vegan Potato Salad can be had by leaving out the eggs and substituting vegan mayo.

You can get budge condiments like mustard and pickle relish at a regular grocery or Dollar Tree.

Of course, you can keep the Potato Salad vegan and use a mayo substitute and leave out the eggs.

This recipe comes together quite easily. Just boil the potatoes for an hour and the eggs for 10 minutes. Let them cool down then chop, chop, chop.

I peel my potatoes, but you can leave some skin on for a rustic version -- okay a lazy version!

I use about 5 large Russet potatoes on sale, but you can use more expensive Red or White potatoes, too.

My Mom makes a creamy Cajun Potato Salad that is more like mashed potatoes. I like her version too, and you can see it by clicking here.

Spring and summertime are when I pull out my yummy homemade Potato Salad. I'll make it several times for sure, and for the 4 of July too!

Potato Salad - Video

Play it here, video runs 2 minutes, 46 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 russet potatoes - large. Roughly mashed or cubed.
• 4 eggs - I used medium size. Okay to use less.
• 1/2 chopped onion - I like a finely chopped onion. 
• 1 stalk celery -  chopped.
• 3/4 cup mayo - add more or less to suit your tastes.
• 1 tablespoons mustard - any type, I used brown mustard.
• 2 tablespoons pickle relish - sweet or regular.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
Start by rinsing potatoes and add to a pot to a low boil. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until they are easily pierced with a fork or knife.

Remove and allow to cool down for 5 or 10 minutes. When they are cool enough peel them. Potatoes are easier to peel when cooked.

Roughly break them apart into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large bowl.

You can boil eggs at the same time, but just for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool down afterward. Peel and roughly chop eggs.

Chop half an onion and one whole rib of celery. I like to chop these a little on the fine side -- not too chunky. Just my preference.

Now time to bring it all together in a large bowl. Add chopped veggies and egg.

Add 2 tablespoons of pickle relish, a tablespoon of any fave mustard and 3/4 cup of mayo.

Okay to add a couple tablespoons of mayo at a time to reach desired creaminess. Mix as you go and give a quick taste as you add relish, mustard, and mayo and stop when you like it!

Finally, add a little salt and pepper. Again, taste and adjust to your liking.

Mix well, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I've made a Potato Salad without celery and pickle relish, so you can adapt my recipe to the ingredients you can afford, or have on hand.

Easy Smoked Ribs - Video Recipe

Summertime is right for ribs. I guess anytime is fine, but I usually smoke ribs in my patio during the warm weather months. My latest recipe features cheaper Pork Spare Ribs but you can use any you like or find on sale, include Beef Ribs.

My method gets you halfway there quicker after seasoning the ribs and wrapping them in foil. Then you bake them until tender, about 3 to 4 hours.

It's important to wrap the ribs in foil so they do not dry out and will stay moist with steaming and reach fall-apart tenderness.

I use a simple dry rub of garlic and chili powder along with salt and pepper, that's it. You can even buy store bought versions, or use your own family recipe. BBQ sauce is cheap everywhere.

Click on any photo to see larger.

If you don't want to smoke the ribs you can add barbecue sauce with the dry rub and bake only.

I do an easy smoking method, that is, I smoke the cooked and baked ribs for just an hour only, in a gas grill instead of using a regular old school pit BBQ.

My simple smoking method uses a pan of wood chips that rest over the low gas flame. I find the dry wood chips start smoking in less than 5  minutes. I only have to add more chips a couple of times, pushing aside or removing the burnt wood.

The flame is under the wood chips only, so the ribs get indirect heat from the smoke. After an hour the barbecue sauce will dry out some and the meat will get a crunchy coating.

If you have a patio BBQ party, I bet most of your guest will eat the ribs up, and will not be able to tell you took a shortcut and were not slaving over a smokey grill all day! And your closest neighbor may even thank you for not smoking up the block, ha.

I get my Pork Spare Ribs for about $2 per pound from my local Latin grocery store called Superior Grocery, now that's a good deal.

My simple dry rub ingredients come from a local Dollar Tree and 99c only Store. Barbecue sauce is cheap at any grocery store. If you have a local fave then use that.

I've tried out this recipe on friends and they've raved by eating every last smokey fall-off-the-bone tender rib on the plate. I don't make these tasty Ribs enough, but I'm singing a different tune this summer, you can be sure I'm making them again, and soon!

You can watch my easy to do smoking method for barbequing ribs in the video below. Watch the first half up to and including the baking portion and stop cooking if you like, or go all the way to the end for Easy Smoked Ribs.

Easy Smoked Ribs - Video

Play it here. Video runs 3 minutes, 29 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• 1 large rack pork spare ribs - about 4 pounds. You can use this recipe for any favorite pork or beef ribs.
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder - any dried type of garlic.
• 2 tablespoons chili powder - okay to substitute with paprika.
• Salt and Pepper to taste - I used about a tablespoon each
• Wood Chips - 4 cups for smoking ribs one hour on a gas grill. Add more if needed.

* If you have a favorite premixed or grocery store Dry Rub then use that instead of garlic powder and chili powder.

Directions
With the meat side up, apply garlic and chili powder, follow by salt and pepper - sprinkle over pork spare ribs. You can lightly rub seasoning onto meat side. For extra meaty ribs then add seasonings all over the ribs.

If you are only baking the ribs, and not going to the smoking stage, then it's okay to add your favorite barbecue sauce to the ribs. And can you sprinkle on a half a teaspoon of Liquid Smoke? Sure, why not. I usually add barbecue sauce just before the smoking stage.

I only season the flesh side of the ribs. You can rub in the seasoning.

Some recipes call for removing the bottom rib membrane. I don't because the ribs are cooked so long the tough membrane renders to a soft fatty texture.

 If I was grilling only (no baking stage) then I would slice away most of the membrane on the rib/bone side. In that case, the grilling would not last long enough to tenderize, so the membrane would be tough and stringy.

Rib membrane

To prepare the ribs for baking, wrap Spare Ribs in foil tightly. Try not to tear the foil or leave any holes or the meat juices will steam away and the ribs will dry out a bit too much.

Place the meat wrapped in foil on a rack or pan. Some meat juices will leak out a little bit, so best to have a pan to catch it. I keep the meat side facing up. If meat is in contact with a hot pan surface it will fry, dry and toughen.

Bake at 350 degrees for 3.5 hours. The meat will steam and tenderize. You can serve these oven-roasted ribs if you like, or go on to my final Easy Smoking stage.

The view inside foil.

When done baking carefully unwrap the ribs, they may still be hot. If any meat juices are left you can pour them out to save. I add it to the pan I smoke the meat in.

Add the meat to a pan or rack with a bottom. You can also just put the meat on your bbq grill. This is when I add a layer of barbecue sauce to the rib meat. Put on as much or as little as you like. Hey, you can even leave it off.

I do an easy smoking method, that is, I smoke the cooked and baked ribs in a gas grill with a cover for just an hour only. For the real thing, you normally have to smoke meat all day.

My simple smoking method uses a pan of wood chips that rests over a low gas flame. I find the dry wood chips start smoking in less than 5  minutes. I only have to add more chips a couple of times, pushing aside or removing the burnt wood.

The flame is under the wood chips only, so the ribs get indirect heat from the smoke. After an hour the barbecue sauce will dry out some and the meat will get a crunchy coating.

Spare Ribs have most of the meat on one side so make sure the meat is facing up to get all the smoke flavor. Some ribs have meat on both sides, so turn the meat a couple of times during smoking time.

I like to serve my Easy Baked Ribs with cool Coleslaw or Potato Salad, click on recipe names to read all about them.

Again this is a quick smoking method, so it won't satisfy the most hardcore BBQ enthusiast, but your average nosher will like my version of Easy Smoked Ribs just fine.

Easy Baked Ribs - Video Recipe

Summertime is right for ribs. I guess anytime is fine, but I usually smoke ribs in my patio during the warm weather months. But for this recipe I make it easy by only baking the Ribs.

My latest recipe features cheaper Pork Spare Ribs but you can use any you like or find on sale, include Beef Ribs.

I first add a 3-ingredient dry rub and favorite barbecue sauce on the ribs. Wrap them in foil. Finally, you bake ribs until tender, about 3 to 4 hours.It's important to wrap the ribs in foil so they do not dry out and will stay moist with steaming to reach fall-apart tenderness.

I use a simple dry rub of garlic and chili powder along with salt and pepper, that's it. You can even buy store bought versions, or use your own family recipe.

Memphis Style BBQ dry rub mix

You can use any local favorite dry rub and barbecue sauce that's on sale.

Click on any photo to see larger.

I get my Pork Spare Ribs for about $2 per pound from my local Latin grocery store called Superior Grocers, now that's a good deal.

My simple dry rub ingredients come from a local Dollar Tree and 99c only Store. Barbecue sauce is cheap at any grocery store. If you have a local fave then use that.

This summer I'm racking up with slabs of Easy Baked Ribs for my summer patio parties. How about you?

Easy Smoked Ribs - Video

Play it here. Video runs 2 minutes, 26 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• 1 large rack pork spare ribs - about 4 pounds. You can use this recipe for any favorite pork or beef ribs.
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder - any dried type of garlic.
• 2 tablespoons chili powder - okay to substitute with paprika.
• Salt and Pepper to taste - I used about a tablespoon each

* If you have a favorite premixed or grocery store Dry Rub then use that instead of garlic powder and chili powder.

Directions
With the meat side up, apply garlic and chili powder, plus salt and pepper - sprinkle over pork spare ribs. You can lightly rub seasoning onto meat side. For extra meaty ribs then add seasonings all over the ribs.

Can you sprinkle on a half a teaspoon of Liquid Smoke? Sure, why not.

Finally, add BBQ sauce. Okay to leave it off, if you like your Easy Baked Ribs plain.

Some recipes call for removing the bottom rib membrane. I don't because the ribs are cooked so long the tough membrane renders to a soft fatty texture. But if you want to follow the crowd go ahead and remove membrane.

 If I was grilling only (no baking stage) then I would slice away most of the membrane on the rib/bone side. Shorter times of grilling would not last long enough to tenderize, so the membrane will be tough and stringy.

rib membrane

To prepare the ribs for baking, wrap Spare Ribs in foil tightly. Try not to tear the foil or leave any holes or the meat juices will steam away and the ribs will dry out a bit too much.

Place the meat wrapped in foil on a rack or pan. Some meat juices will leak out a little bit, so best to have a pan to catch it. I keep the meat side facing up. If meat is in contact with a hot pan surface it will fry, dry and toughen.

The view inside foil while baking.

When done baking wait 5 minutes and carefully unwrap the ribs, they may still be hot. If any meat juices are left you can pour out and save to drizzle on ribs when serving.

I like to serve my Easy Baked Ribs with cool Coleslaw or Potato Salad, click on recipe names to read all about them.

Hindsight - Easy Smoked Baked Ribs
Follow my baking directions above. Just leave off the barbecue sauce. When done wait a few minutes then unwrap and remove foil carefully as ribs will be very hot.

Add the meat to a pan or rack with a bottom. You can also just put the meat on your bbq grill. This is when I add a layer of barbecue sauce to the rib meat. Put on as much or as little as you like. Hey, you can even leave it off.

I do an easy smoking method, that is, I smoke the cooked and baked ribs in a gas grill with a cover for just an hour only. For the real thing, you normally have to smoke meat all day.

My simple smoking method uses a pan of wood chips that rests over a low gas flame. I find the dry wood chips start smoking in less than 5  minutes. I only have to add more chips a couple of times, pushing aside or removing the burnt wood.

The flame is under the wood chips only, so the ribs get indirect heat from the smoke. After an hour the barbecue sauce will dry out some and the meat will get a crunchy coating.

Spare Ribs have most of the meat on one side so make sure the meat is facing up to get all the smoke flavor. Some ribs have meat on both sides, so turn the meat a couple of times during smoking time.