August 2025 - Cooking with Rum

by ,

               Brown Sugar and Rum Pork Ribs

Ingredients:

Basting sauce:

  • ½ C. Brown Sugar, packed
  • ¼ C. Apple Butter
  • ¼ C. Apricot Jam
  • ¼ C. Dark Rum
  • ¼ C. apple cider vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. apple cider
  • 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Ribs:

  • 1 Tbsp. Coarse Sea Salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1½ tsp. Powdered Mustard
  • 1½ tsp. Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
  • ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
  • 2 – 2 lbs. Baby Back Pork Rib Racks
  • 1 Large Onion, sliced
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick, broken in half
  • 6 thin rounds peeled fresh ginger
  • 1¼ C. Apple Cider
  • ¼ C. Dark Rum

Directions:

For basting sauce:  

Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended.

For Ribs:  

  1. Mix the first 7 ingredients in small bowl. Using small sharp knife, loosen membrane from underside of each rib rack and pull off (or score membrane).
  2. Rub 1 tablespoon seasoning mix into each side of each rib rack. Place ribs in large roasting pan. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours (and up to 1 day).
  3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove ribs from pan and scatter onions, cinnamon stick, and ginger in pan then pour in the apple cider and dark rum. Return ribs to pan (meat side down). Cover pan with foil.
  4. Roast ribs until meat is tender and begins to pull away from bones, about 2 hours. Uncover and allow ribs to cool at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
  5. Heat barbeque grill to medium-high heat and grill ribs until heated, about 5 minutes per side. Brush basting sauce generously on all sides of racks.
  6. Grill until sauce becomes a sticky glaze, about 3 minutes. Transfer rib racks to cutting board. Cut racks between bones into individual ribs. Arrange on platter and ready to serve.  Put the remaining sauce in a bowl for extra dipping sauce for ribs.  Yield: 4 servings.
  1.                                          Photo credit: www.emeldaison.blogspot.com

                 Old-Fashioned Rum-Caramel

                       Pecan Pound Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake

  • 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 C. Granulated Sugar
  • 1 C. Turbinado Cane Sugar
  • 1 C. Brown Sugar, packed
  • 5 Large Eggs
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp. Caramel Extract 
  • 4 Tbsp. Dark Rum
  • 3 C. All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp. Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • 1 C. Whole Milk
  • 1 C. Chopped Pecans, toasted
  • For the Caramel Glaze
  • 1 C. Brown Sugar
  • ½ C. Heavy Cream
  • ½ Stick Unsalted Butter
  • 4 Tbsp. Dark Rum
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • For Garnish
  • 1 C. Chopped Pecans, toasted

Instructions:

Make the Cake-  

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt (or 10-inch tube) pan.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, turbinado cane sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and caramel extract, and dark rum. 
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Don’t overmix the batter, just blend until smooth.
  4. Fold in the pecans, then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Rum-Caramel Glaze-  

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then stir in the brown sugar and heavy cream.  
  2. Bring to a low boil and stir constantly for 2–3 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened.  
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the rum, vanilla extract and salt.  Let the glaze cool slightly before using.
  4. Pour the warm rum-caramel glaze generously over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the top with toasted pecans. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.