If You Teach a Boy to Cook... You Just Might Get Black Cherry Glazed BBQ Beef Ribs

Last night we got to host dinner for the woman I have to thank for Beni's culinary influence, his mother. I know she'll be reading, so THANKS, LAURA! I hope you enjoyed it.
Our kids definitely have an interest in diverse foods and in cooking. I encourage all you moms and dads out there to teach your kids to cook. It's a life-skill that I think has been disappearing in this age of frozen meals and fast food for the "on-the-go" lifestyles we lead. And when we're all old fuddy-duddies and become dependent on our children for care, would you rather they heat you up a frozen dinner or whip up something like this...


Saturday night's menu:
Chunky slaw made with Farmers' Market cabbage and peppers, plus carrots, white wine vinegar, and a little sugar.
Creamy potato salad made with red and gold potatoes, red onion, dill weed, olive oil mayonnaise, sour cream, and a whole garlic bulb which Beni smoked in the cooker for a while.
And the star of the show, 2 kinds of smoked ribs (and you thought we just ate healthy all the time). Traditional BBQ pork ribs and Beni's own invention, Black Cherry glazed Beef Ribs, inspired by the cherry wood he used in the smoker.

Dinner was finger-lickin' fantastic. The beef ribs had a thin crunchy layer of charred cherry glaze which instantly gave way to the tender juicy smoked meat underneath that slid right off the bone.
The fresh tartness of the slaw was an excellent partner to the sticky sweetness, and the creamy potato salad rounded out the trio of flavor combinations.

As my sons continue to grow like weeds, left-overs are occurring less frequently in this house, but when we have them, we don't let them go to waste.
You're not going to believe what Beni did with the leftover pork rib meat... for Sunday breakfast!