Labor Day Recipe: Szechuan Barbecue Beef with Tomato + Peach Salad
Labor Day weekend certainly crept up on us - As it does every year. Summer seems to be going along smoothly, and then all of a sudden, it’s Labor Day and we’re left clamoring to make the most of every last sweet cocktail and patio meal. We need to make the most of these glorious summery days! If you want to dine out and about in Chicago, we have plenty of recommendations for delicious meals and fun activities you can take advantage of throughout the weekend!
But for those who want to stay in and entertain at home, we will let 2x BRAVO Top Chef alum Chef Nini Nguyen take the lead with her home-cook friendly BBQ recipe that will impress your guests! Her Szechuan Barbecue Beef with a Tomato + Peach Salad has everything we love about a summer recipe: grilling, fresh seasonal produce, bright flavors …and a delicious drink to go with it! She recommends pairing her dish with Silk & Spice wine for an amazing end-of-summer meal. Get the fire going and dig in!
Chef Nini Nguyen’s Szechuan Barbecue Beef with Tomato + Peach Salad with Silk & Spice Red Blend
Ready in 3.5 hours | Serving Size 2
INGREDIENTS
Ribs – whole beef short rib (1 large bone per person)
1T mustard powder
¼c brown sugar
½t salt
¾c ketchup
3T red wine vinegar
1T Worcestershire
1T soy sauce
2T Szechuan chili oil
For the peach + tomato salad
2 peaches
2 large or a pint of tomatoes
2T dried chives
¼c red wine vinegar
½c olive oil
Salt to taste
METHOD
Season beef ribs with salt and pepper and wrap them tightly with foil.
Bake at 300 degrees for 3.5 hours ahead of time.
For the rib sauce, combine mustard powder, brown sugar and salt together in a small sauce pot.
Add ketchup, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire soy sauce and chili oil. You can add a little or a lot of the chili oil, depending on how spicy you like it!
Glaze the ribs with the sauce and place on the second to top rack in the oven. Broil until the glaze is bubbling and charred on the edges.
Repeat glazing throughout broiling.
For the peach tomato salad, place cut peaches and tomatoes into a bowl.
Season with salt, pepper then add chives, vinegar and olive oil.
COOKING NOTES
Prep ribs ahead of time by seasoning them with salt + pepper and wrapping tightly with foil then baking them at 300 degrees for 3.5 hours. You can do this up to 3 days in advance and keep them in the fridge before you heat / glaze and serve them.
PAIRING NOTES
With its distinctive rich flavors and spicy aromas, Silk & Spice showcases Portugal’s indigenous grapes (Touriga Nacional & Baga). The rich wine delivers juicy flavors of blackberries and plums along with sweet notes of vanilla, black pepper, pink peppercorn and hints of mocha. These flavored, combined with the full-body of the wine, make for a perfect pairing with the sweetness of the peach salad as well as the spice in the rib sauce. A smooth, long finish will mean you can linger and take your time enjoying each sip throughout the long weekend.