Emeril's Bam-tastic Barbecue

June 24, 2005 — -- Chef Emeril Lagasse brought a fantastic summer barbecue idea to "Good Morning America" -- baby back ribs with Asian plum sauce and a sassy summer salad.

Here are the recipes if you want to re-create this crowd pleaser in your own back yard.

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Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Asian Plum Sauce

Makes four servings

2 full slabs baby back ribs, about 5 pounds, cut in half

2 teaspoons salt

1½ teaspoons ground black pepper

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons Emeril's Rib Rub

1 recipe Asian Plum Sauce, recipe follows

Sesame seeds, for optional garnish

Green onions sliced on the bias, for garnish

Rinse the ribs with cold, running water and pat dry. Season both sides of the ribs with the salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the orange juice and rib rub, stirring to make a paste. Rub the paste into both sides of the ribs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator, discard the plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature while heating the grill, or for 30 minutes.

Arrange the coals in a pile under half the grill and light. Allow the coals to get hot, about 20 minutes. (If using a gas grill, only light half of the burners.) Place the ribs on the grill opposite the heat source, meat side up, and grill covered, for two hours, adding more coals to the grill as needed to keep the temperature at a constant 250° to 300°F heat.

Turn the ribs meat-side down, and grill, covered, until tender and cooked through, about one hour, adding more coals as needed. Remove the ribs from the grill and baste both sides generously with the Asian Plum Sauce. Return the ribs to the unlit side of the grill and cook, covered, for 15 minutes to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Cut between each rib bone and arrange the ribs on a serving platter. Garnish with the green onions and serve with the remaining Asian Plum Sauce on the side for dipping.

Asian Plum Sauce

Makes about 1½ cups

1½ pounds ripe red plums, pitted and roughly chopped

5 whole dried pitted prunes, diced

¼ cup white vinegar

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup minced green onions

Combine the all of the ingredients except the green onions in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened and reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the minced green onions, and cool slightly.

Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use with Grilled Baby Back Ribs.

(The sauce can be made in advance and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to five days.)

Grilled Romaine and Shrimp (or Chicken) Caesar Salad with Grilled Croutons

Makes four servings

1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), pounded to an equal thickness, about ½-inch thick

¼ cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence, or Creole Seasoning

Pinch red pepper flakes

4 hearts of Romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise, keeping halves intact

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 firm-ripe Hass avocado, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)

Caesar Dressing, recipe follows

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Grilled Croutons, recipe follows

In a bowl, combine the shrimp, ¼ cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, Essence, and pepper flakes and toss to coat the shrimp evenly. Let marinate, refrigerated, for at least one and up to two hours. (Alternatively, if using the chicken, marinate in the same oil-lemon mixture for at least one and up to two hours.)

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Remove the shrimp from the marinade and skewer on metal skewers or wooden skewers that first have been soaked in water for 20 minutes. Grill the shrimp, turning, until opaque, pink, and cooked through, about three minutes. Transfer to a platter and remove the skewers when cool enough to handle. (Alternatively, if using the chicken, lightly season with salt on both sides of each breast and grill until the chicken is firm to the touch and cooked through, five to seven minutes per side, depending upon the size of the breasts. Transfer to a platter and let cool slightly before serving.)

Brush the Romaine hearts on all sides with the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook, turning once, until wilted, three to five minutes.

Place one heart of romaine on each of four plates, cut side up. Divide the shrimp and avocado among the hearts and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle each serving with two tablespoons of the cheese, season with freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

Caesar Dressing

Makes ¾ cup

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon finely minced garlic

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon finely chopped anchovies

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup grated Parmesan

In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire, anchovies, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. While whisking, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl a few drops at a time and continue until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture is emulsified. Fold in the Parmesan and adjust seasoning to taste.

Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. (The dressing will keep refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

Grilled Croutons

Makes 8 slices

Eight ½-inch thick diagonal slices Italian or French bread

¼ cup olive oil

2 large whole cloves garlic, peeled and smashed, optional

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush both sides of the bread with oil.

Place the bread slices on the grill and cook until marked and lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and rub one side of the bread with the crushed garlic, if desired.

Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Recipes courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, Copyright 2005.