Orange and Soy Glazed Ribs, and Used By Dates

  Orange and Soy Glazed Ribs  

This is a simple recipe that takes time, but your patience is rewarded with sweet salty glazed fall of the bone ribs.

I simplified the original recipe that came from The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen. I am certainly not claiming to improve the recipe in my own test kitchen, just taking short cuts and simplifying it. The original recipe suggests cooking the ribs in part of the glazing liquid and draining the liquid. The remaining glazing liquid is reduced and used for glazing. I used all the glazing liquid to cook the ribs and reduced it. The result was still marvelous.

By cooking ribs in the glazing liquid and reducing the same liquid, you keep all the meat juices. On the other hand if you throw away the liquid in which you cook the ribs and reduce just the glazing liquid you get a cleaner flavor, free from the meat juices. I don't know which is better or worse but I was quite happy to reduce the effort required. I hope I haven't confused you. The recipe is available here.

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Interesting and useful information on how far past the "best by" dates do foods remain eatable.

·         Ketchup: Ketchup will maintain its quality for six months in the fridge. It's still safe to eat after this date (unless it has developed an off odor or mold appears).

·         Olive Oil: Olive oil can stay fresh for 18-24 months either in or out of the fridge. It is recommended that you keep it in a cool dark place -- and refrigeration is suggested if you live in warm climates.

·         Eggs, Raw In The Shell: Eggs stay good for 3-5 weeks in the refrigerator and up to one year in the freezer (note: it's not recommended to freeze them in their shell). Eggs will normally keep long past the sell-by date; but to ensure that they last as long as possible avoid storing them in the refrigerator door -- the coolest part of the fridge is best.

·         Milk, Pasteurized: Milk will stay good one week past the sell by date, and three months in the freezer. But of course, if milk has developed on off odor or flavor, it's best to discard it.

·         Yogurt: You have a 7-10 day window after the sell by date to enjoy your yogurt, (and one to two months if stored in the freezer.)

·         Mayonnaise: An open jar of refrigerated mayonnaise is safe and good for consumption up to 2-3 months after the marked expiration date. And even then, the product may still be safe to eat, it just might begin to change in terms of texture and color

·         Peanut Butter: An open jar of peanut butter will remain fresh up to three months in the pantry. After that point, it's recommended to store the peanut butter in the fridge (where it can maintain its quality for another 3-4 months).

·         Pickles: Pickles, once opened, stay good for a whole year in the refrigerator. Same goes for brine-packed jars of olives and capers

·         Soy Milk: soy milk has a similar self life to regular milk. It lasts about 7-10 days after the date indicated on the carton

·         Sour Cream: Sour cream is a tough food item to judge, since it's supposed to have a slightly soured taste. It can keep two weeks, tightly covered, in the fridge.

·         Vinegar: The shelf-life of vinegar is almost indefinite

·         Honey: honey's quality remains unchanged over time.

·         Mustard: When mustard lasts anywhere from one to two years past its expiration date. This variation is due to differing storage methods -- when left unopened in the pantry, mustard lasts an extra year.

·         Almond Milk: almost milk lasts 7-10 days past its printed date, unless it's stored unopened in the pantry, in which case this beverage can stay good up to a month after

·         Whipped Cream: Canned whipped cream can last up to three months past its printed date, whereas Cool Whip only lasts about 7-10 days

·         Butter: Butter lasts about 2 weeks after its expiration date; Stick butter in the freezer and it can last up to 9 months longer.

·         Half and Half: Once opened, half and half, and all other liquid creams, last about 5-7 days after their expiration date.

·         Coffee: An open container of ground coffee will last 3 to 5 months past the best before date, whereas coffee beans will last up to 6 months

·         Pasta: Dry pasta will last 1-2 years past the best before date.

·         Deli meat: Packaged lunch meats last about 7-10 days longer than the best by date, whereas fresh meats will last around 5-6 days. Salami and pepperoni last much longer -- around 2-3 weeks

·         Syrup: Syrup may get thicker or darker when it gets older -- it may even crystalize. But it is never technically "spoiled.

·         Tea: Whether your tea leaves are packaged or loose, they'll last anywhere from 6 months to a year past their expiration date.

·         Spices: With the exception of mint, which has a slightly shorter shelf life, most spices from cinnamon to cayenne pepper last 2-3 years past their expiration date