Boneless Pork Ribs & Basil Garlic Spread

 Boneless Pork Ribs & Basil Garlic Spread

    This isn't a recipe, it's just something I made. These two items do not go together; I just wanted to talk about the boneless pork ribs I cooked last night in my large, cast iron skillet. This story starts with some seasoning I bought at the Dallas Farmer's Market on Saturday. I didn't realize it, but I heard someone say it was "Small Business Saturday", so I'm happy that I was supporting some small businesses which operate at the market. 

    First up, I was happy to find that a small business, Brother's Products had a booth there.  Brother's Products used to have a booth at my local farmer's market and I have enjoyed the products I have purchased from them. They have feta cheese, flavored olives, hummus (flavored & plain) and my favorite product, is their Basil Garlic Spread.  The spread contains fresh garlic, fresh basil, lemon, olive oil & salt. The 8oz container was $6 and will last a month in the refrigerator. If you love garlic, you would love this.  This time around, I spread it on toast, because that's what I had on hand, but you could put it on anything you wanted. 

    Second, I taste tested some "Spice & Chili Mix" seasoning from Arial's Spices, a business new to me. It had a really good kick, so I bought a 4.8oz jar for $7.  The Spice & Chili Mix has ghost pepper, cayenne pepper, red chili pepper, paprika, onion, garlic, salt and select natural herbs. And then, this is now where the boneless pork ribs come in.  Last night I sprinkled the seasoning on the boneless pork meat which I had thawed out. I browned all sides in my pre-heated cast iron skillet. I didn't measure the seasoning because I wasn't sure how spicy it would be with what I had put on.  It is easier to add flavor after the fact and pretty impossible to remove it, so I was being sensible. After I had browned all sides of the meat, I covered the pan with a lid and turned the heat to low.  I've no idea how long I cooked it (I'm kind of "loosey goosey" if I'm not using a recipe), but when I was sure it was thoroughly cooked, I poured some Aldi store brand, barbecue sauce on it.  I'd thought the barbecue sauce would go well with the seasoning. I maintained the low temperature and just heated the barbecue sauce.  

    The verdict? The meat was good, but I'd hoped for a little more 'spicy'. So, when I ate my leftovers today, I added a little extra seasoning.  No biggie.  Am I excited to use this seasoning on more things? Yes.  Would I also be interested in checking out their other seasonings? Also, yes.  

    Lastly, please support your local, small businesses and if you ever get the chance to go to the Dallas Farmer's Market (mostly market right now, not so much veggies/fruit) or if you happen to see them at another Dallas area market, I highly recommend Brother's Products and Arial's Spices.