Jun 30

cava grill is here to upgrade your holiday

The Fourth of July is (not-so-secretly) one of our favorite holidays.

The patriotism. The red, white and blue outfits. The cold beers. The time with family and friends. The fireworks.

THE FOOD.

Any good chef worth their salt knows that the Fourth of July is a time to shine. Fire up that grill, break out your most impressive recipes – people will talk about it for the rest of the year. But with that much pressure, how do you choose what you’re going to make?

Cava Grill is here to help. (We love you guys. Mean it.)

All week long, they’re going to be rolling out a delicious menu of Fourth staples, jazzed up with a little Cava kick. Check their (& our) social feeds for the full lineup – which includes options for everyone, including vegetarians! -, but today we’re bringing you two of our favorites :

Grilled Ribs with Spicy Harissa BBQ Sauce and Crazy Feta Mac ‘n’ Cheese.

Oh. Yes. They. Did.

All recipes, concepts, images and deliciousness by the excellent team at Cava Grill.

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Grilled Ribs with Spicy Harissa BBQ Sauce

for ribs

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground caraway

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons ground mustard

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 full racks baby back pork ribs (about 5 to 6 pounds)

To prepare ribs:

Place all of the ingredients except the ribs in a medium bowl and stir to combine; set aside.

Cut 4 (24-by-12-inch) pieces of aluminum foil; set aside.

Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Remove the thin membrane attached to the underside of the ribs: Flip the ribs over so they’re bone-side up. Starting at the end of 1 rack, slide the tip of a paring knife between the membrane and the bone, then lift and cut through the membrane. Grasping the membrane with a paper towel, pull it toward the other end of the rack and completely remove it. Repeat with the second rack.

Cut 1 rack in half crosswise and place the 2 pieces side by side on a sheet of foil. Repeat with the second rack and a second piece of foil. Evenly coat both sides of the ribs with the spice rub. Enclose each set of ribs in foil for 2 completely enclosed packets.

Place the packets side by side on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet tightly with the remaining 2 pieces of foil.

You can roast the ribs immediately, but we recommend refrigerating them for at least a few hours (and up to 24 hours).

Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and arrange a rack in the middle. (If you rubbed the ribs in advance, remove them from the refrigerator and set aside at room temperature while the oven is heating, at least 20 minutes.)

Place the ribs in the oven and roast until fork-tender, about 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the sauce.

for barbecue sauce

½ cup Cava harissa

2 containers ‘Chups Spicy Pineapple Ketchup

½ cup water

½ cider vinegar

½ cup light or dark molasses (not blackstrap)

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon mustard powder

To make barbecue sauce:

Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer, whisking occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the sauce has reduced down, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to grill.

Sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated.

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To grill the ribs:

Heat grill to medium heat.

Remove ribs from the foil, place them meaty-side up on the grill, and brush them with some of the sauce. Cover the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and brush the ribs and cook another 5 minutes. Continue to cook, flipping and brushing every 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the ribs are heated through and have grill marks, for a total grilling time of about 25 minutes.

Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and cut the racks between the bones. Transfer the remaining barbecue sauce to a serving bowl and serve with the ribs.

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Crazy Feta Mac ‘n’ Cheese
1 pound medium pasta shells
2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or whole milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1 package Cava Crazy Feta, at room temperature
8 ounces sharp white Cheddar, shredded
8 ounces white American cheese, shredded if from a block, otherwise diced
2 tablespoons white wine (optional)
kosher salt to taste
2 ears sweet corn, kernels carefully cut off
jalapeño slivers for garnish
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Set aside.
Melt the coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes (be careful not to burn the flour). Slowly whisk in the milk. Reduce to low heat, bring to a simmer and cook until it becomes a thin gravy, about 5 minutes. Add the white pepper and ground mustard and stir to combine. Add the Crazy Feta and stir until fully incorporated. Stir in the Cheddar, American cheese, and wine, and cook until fully incorporated. Taste and add salt as needed.
Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to thoroughly combine. Stir in corn kernels and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes. Sprinkle with extra white cheddar cheese, then broil for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and warmed through. Top with thin slivers of jalapeño.

 

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