Labour day weekend is the first weekend of September and is often considered the last weekend of Summer. It therefore symbolizes the end of the things we hold dear to us during the summer: BBQs, Boat raft ups, beach picnics and gathering with family and friends. One of my favourite things to eat at any (or all) of these summer traditions are spare ribs. You can satisfy your appetite and indulge your inner-child with finger-licking good satisfaction. In honour of the last weekend of summer, cook up your ribs with my family’s rib rub recipe and serve with coleslaw and potato salad.
Rib Rub
2 tbsp of sugar
2 tbsp of brown sugar
1 tbsp of dry mustard
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of pepper
2 tsp of paprika
2 tsp of dry minced garlic
2 tsp of chilli powder
Rub into the ribs and bake in pan with a little water. Cover in foil and bake for 3 hours at 225°
Glaze ribs with favourite BBQ sauce and brown on the BBQ
Creamy Coleslaw
1 large head green cabbage, about 3 1/2 pounds, finely shredded on a mandolin, cuisinart or by hand.
1 large red onion, finely sliced on a mandoline or by hand
1 large carrot, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
For the Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
For the Slaw Mix: Combine cabbage, onion, carrot, and parsley in a large bowl, leaving plenty of room to toss. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and toss to combine. This step may seem slightly unusual but the sugar and salt will draw out all the water in your cabbage leaving the coleslaw crisp and allow it to soak up the dressing rather than sit at the bottom of your salad bowl.
Let rest five minutes, then transfer to a large colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Make sure to get every inch rinsed or you’ll have very salty cabbage.
Transfer rinsed mixture to a salad spinner and spin dry. Alternatively, transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet lined with a triple layer of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and blot mixture dry with more paper towels. Return to large bowl and set aside.
For the Dressing: Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, black pepper, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until homogenous.
Pour desired amount of dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to coat.
Potato Salad
Desired amount of fingerling potatoes
1/3 -cup olive oil
2 tsp vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
Pinch of sugar,
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Boil potatoes until tender, drain and leave to cool in a bowl. Mix the rest of ingredients to form a vinaigrette and pour over the tops of potatoes before mixing well. Top with 1/4-cup chopped fresh parsley and green onions if desired.
