Oven Roasted Ribs with Peanut-Chipotle Sauce & Peanut-Green Onion Relish
Serves: 4

Mesa BBQ Sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 cups canned plum tomatoes and juices, pureed
1 cup water
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoon honey
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons pasilla chile powder
2-4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, pureed (depending on how spicy you like it)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 30-40 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.
2. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.

Peanut Chipotle Sauce
2 cups Mesa BBQ Sauce or your favorite store bought brand
½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons pureed canned chipotle
1 ½ tablespoons honey

1. Whisk together barbecue sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, chipotle and the honey until combined. May be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Peanut-Green Onion Relish
1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup finely sliced green onion
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, just before serving.

Ribs
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 racks of pork ribs (12 ribs each)
Salt
¼ cup Bobby Flay's Dry Rub for Steak & Ribs
1 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped ginger
2 ½ cups Peanut Chipotle Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 500 F.
2. Heat the oil in a large roasting pan over two burners until shimmering. Season racks on both sides with salt and rub on top side with the rub. Place in the pan, rub-side down and cook until golden brown and a crust has formed, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the ribs over and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove the racks to a cutting board or baking sheet.
3. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the soy sauce, 4 cups of water and the ginger and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into the bottom of the roasting pan and place the ribs on a rack in the pan. Brush with the Peanut-Chipotle Sauce.
4. Place in the oven and bake for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours, basting every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into single ribs, place on a platter and sprinkle with the Peanut-Green Onion Relish.

Lobster Poached in Mango-Chile Butter with Corn-Coconut Milk Sauce & Crispy Tortilla Salad
Serves: 4

Mango-Chile Butter
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted diced
½ cup mango nectar or orange juice
½ habanero chile
2 tablespoons honey
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salt and freshly butter

1. Combine the mango, mango nectar, chile and honey in a small sauté pan and cook over high heat until the mango is very soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Transfer the mixture to a food processor with the butter and process until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

Corn-Coconut Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small Spanish onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels
¾ cup dry white wine
1 cup coconut milk

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and corn and ½ cup of water and cook until the corn is softened, and the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
2. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, thin with a little water. Strain through a strainer into a bowl, return to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Crispy Tortilla Salad
2 cups canola oil
2 blue corn tortillas, halved and cut into very thin 1-inch strips
Salt
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon honey
½ cup canola oil
2 cups micro greens
Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a medium high-sided sauté pan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the tortillas and cook until just crisp, about 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, season with salt.
2. Combine the lemon juice, orange juice, honey, salt and pepper in bowl and whisk until combined. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified.
3. Combine the micro greens in a bowl and toss with some of the dressing, season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the tortilla chips.

Poached Lobster
Mango-Chile Butter
3 lobster tails (12 ounces each), parboiled, meat removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

1. Melt 1 stick of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the lobster pieces and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped cilantro.
2. Pour some of the coconut-corn sauce into large shallow bowls, using a slotted spoon, add some of the lobster to each bowl and top with some of the tortilla salad. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Caramel Apple Shortcake
Serves: 6

Caramelized Apples
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ vanilla bean, split or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup apple juice

1. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan.
2. Add the vanilla bean and apple slices and cook until the apples begin to brown.
3. Stir in the sugar and apple juice and continue to cook until the apples caramelize and begin to soften, stirring frequently. If the mixture begins to look dry, add a little more apple juice.

Shortcake
1 ½ cups AP flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

1. Preheat 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and a large bowl.
3. Cut the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until it turns a light yellow and the butter is still visible but in much smaller pieces. Gently stir in ½ cup of the buttermilk, keep stirring in more buttermilk until a soft dough is formed. All of the buttermilk may not be used.
4. Pat dough out on a floured surface to 1½ inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch rounds with a metal cutter or the top of a glass; dip cutter or glass into flour before cutting each time.
5. Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops of each biscuit with the milk or cream and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
6. Bake the biscuits on the line baking sheet until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and let cool.
7. Split the shortcakes in half and place the bottoms on the plate. Spoon several heaping tablespoons of the caramelized apples on the shortcake bottoms then top with a dollop of the whipped cream and another drizzle some of the caramel sauce from the apples over the whipped cream. Replace the top.

Sour Whipped Cream
¾ cup very cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
¾ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Whip heavy cream and brown sugar until slightly thickened. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and continue to whip until soft peaks form.