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Columnists - Columnists: Kerry McCray

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009

McCray: Are you ready for some football favorites?

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Everyone has a cookbook these days. And I do mean everyone.

Did you know "Prince of Tides" author Pat Conroy has written a cookbook? (Think Southern food like breakfast shrimp and grits). So have musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan (plantain soup and other Cuban fare), as well as actor Morgan Freeman (well, he didn't actually write it — it's a collection of chef and celebrity recipes, with proceeds going to hurricane relief).

Even the Desperate Housewives have a cookbook. (Would anybody, outside of Wisteria Lane, cook oysters poached in Champagne and cream?).

NFL football players have a cookbook, too. They're among the contributors to "The Sunday Night Football Cookbook: 150 Great Family Recipes from America's Pro Chefs and NFL Players" (Time, Inc., $27.95).

Most of the recipes come from chefs. But a few are from players and sports broadcasters. They look surprisingly yummy.

Take this week's recipe, Korean-style short ribs, by former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber. I picked it because Barber's picture is on the page and he is one of the few sports personalities I recognize. Barber is a regular on the "Today" show. I read somewhere that he is being considered to replace co-host Matt Lauer when Lauer retires.

I'm not a short-rib fan, but I like Asian food, so I decided to give Barber's recipe a try. Shopping was surprisingly simple. I thought I would have trouble finding the thinly cut boneless beef short ribs the recipe called for, but they were right there in the meat case at the grocery store.

When I got the short ribs home, though, some of them seemed a little thick, so I sliced them lengthwise. You could have the butcher do this for you.

The trick with this recipe is to remember to marinate the meat. I did, and left it in the fridge for just shy of three hours. It was surprisingly tender and flavorful — nothing like the tough, dry short ribs I remember my mom cooking when I was a kid.

Ah, cooking the short ribs. Be sure you use a nonstick pan because the marinade burns. And don't turn the heat up too high. I did, and I still can't get the residue off my pan.

My husband and I wrapped the short ribs in lettuce leaves and were surprised at what a kick they had. The lettuce gives a refreshing taste to the spicy meat.

The short ribs were wonderful, but not were worth burning a pan beyond recognition. I'm not sure I would make them again.

Still, I'd be willing to try more celebrity recipes. But, no offense to Pat Conroy, I'm not sure about shrimp for breakfast.

Bee staff writer Kerry McCray can be reached at 578-2358 or at kmccray@modbee.com.

Delicious is the verdict for the Korean short ribs. The preparation is so simple: a little bit of chopping and measuring and the marinade is ready. I couldn't find boneless ribs, but my butcher assured me that the strips with the bone would work fine and the bone would add flavor. We cut the bone off at the table. The meat really absorbs the marinade taste and cooks quickly. I think the lettuce leaves add a nice crunch with the meat, although some of the guests didn't like the cold lettuce with the hot meat. I served them with fried rice and green beans. This is definitely a keeper and the marinade would be just as good on other meats.

This recipe is easy until one gets to the last two sentences. "Remove the meat from the marinade and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side." How does one do this with two pounds of thinly sliced beef short ribs? It might be done by flipping the skillet so that all the meat at one time flips over. I haven't reached that level of expertise. Fortunately, I worked with only a small amount of beef (less than ¾ pound); I could turn the pieces individually, but even so, I don't think I succeeded in cooking each piece "1-2 minutes on each side." The last sentence says, "Serve . . . with lettuce leaves for wrapping." How does one do that? What should I do with the meat after I remove it from the skillet? How do I prepare the lettuce leaves? Should I wash them and spin them dry? Blot them with paper towels? And how much meat goes into each lettuce leaf? Speaking of meat, how is each piece sliced? "Very thinly" to me meant about the thickness of thick-sliced bacon. By the way, the meat was tender and delicious. I'll serve this again, but next time over rice.