Maven's take on Alton Brown's Baby Back Ribs

I told you that I was going to make them. Just not in the oven. It’s the Fourth of July weekend, afterall. Otherwise, I followed his technique, and it’s great. Marinating them overnight ala A. Brown, this afternoon I got a heap of hot coals going the the BBQ.

The ribs went on with the corn.

By this stage - above - they were juicy and falling off the bone tender. All told, it took about 45 minutes.

Indoors, we baked some Tomales Bay oysters on the half shell, which just seemed to make a perfect match with the succulent ribs.

The oysters are super simple - once you get them shucked, that is. Leave the plump oysters, attached, in the deepest side of the shells on a baking tray. Mixed some bread crumbs with melted butter, olive oil, smashed garlic, onion powder, Old Bay seasoning, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and a few drops of worcestershire sauce. Blanch some spinach - or since I didn’t have any spinach, I grabbed some collards out of the garden and julienned and blanched those. Put a small bunch of blanched and drained greens on the oyster, then the bread crumb mixture. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the oysters are firm and the bread crumbs are toasty on top.

Yum. Paired it with a mixed greens salad and of course, the grilled white corn. A nice crisp white wine on the side.

The oysters are from Whole Foods and were $1.00 each. They are super big and meaty, so you could easily get away with just one per person - unless you’re piggy about oysters like we are, then you’ll need two each.

Oh, and the BBQ sauce is excellent on the oysters, too! We’re saving and washing the deep shell halves as usual. Then when you find a jar on shucked oysters on special, just do it the same way - or mix it with a little crab meat.

Be creative.

It's summer and time for grilled oysters on the BBQ

We were in Whole Foods the other day, passing through the fish market and I saw some of my fav Tomales Bay whole oysters for barbequing! They’re a buck apiece, but for an amazing appetizer they’re so worth it.

Even better, they’re so simple!

Preheat barbecue grill. Scrub the oyster shells under cold running water with a brush. Discard any open shells, as the oyster is dead and not edible

Place oysters (cup side on bottom) on hot grill about 4 inches from hot coals. Cover barbecue with lid, open any vents, and cook 8 to 10 minutes (depending on size) or until shells begin to open to indicate doneness. I like to add some smoking pellets to my BBQ - perhaps a mesquite flavor.

Remove all oysters when the first one opens. Some shells will not be opened, so some prying will be necessary. Using a BBQ mitt or kitchen towel to protect your hand, remove the oysters from the grill, taking care not to spill those delicious juices.

Pry the oysters the rest of the way open with an oyster knife, paring knife, or screwdriver. Sever the muscle that connect the shells, leaving the oyster on the half shell. Transfer onto a serving platter. Serve with melted butter, your favorite hot sauce, and lemon wedges.

Choose a light, crisp white wine to drink with the oysters.

Cooking oysters this way can be a fun thing to do during a warm weather cocktail and appetizer party. Let your guests put their oyster on the grill and watch it cook.

Simply delicious: Tomales Bay oysters on hot coals

Wandering through Whole Foods the other day, I saw these giant, as in Freaking Huge BBQ oysters for only 65 cents apiece. I had to try this BBQ technique.

I went home with about a dozen, assured by the fishmonger that they were some of the biggest, meatiest she’d ever seen. Oh, baby! Was she ever right.

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Oysters on the grill by Bobby Flay

Nothing, absolutely nothing is more succulent and wonderful than grilled oysters….