RECHARGING WITH AUBREY’S COMFORT FOOD

After Saturday’s punishing hike to the White Oak Sinks, the waning explorers stopped at the nearest restaurant with draft pulls! The closest and the best on our trip back was Aubrey’s Restaurant in Maryville, Tennessee.

The rounds went something like this, Pabst Blue Ribbon (on draft no less for Steve), iced tea (Corey), Sierra Nevada (followed by a Bass for Mushy), another Sierra (for Ron), Newcastle (for Matt), and Bud Light (for Gary)! After clinking glasses, we downed the first glasses in short order.

Next in order of importance – food – comfort food, and lots of it for tired trail hands!

In the same order, except that I missed Gary’s prime-rib sandwich, our choices from the menu:

- Peanut Crushed Catfish Fingers
- Boston Scrod with loaded back potato and macaroni

- Rattlesnake Pasta with chicken and spinach
- Grilled Tuna Sandwich
- Ragin’ Cajun with Firehouse Chili

Times don’t get any better than that guys!

QUICK AND TASTY RIBS

We were a little rushed for our evening meal tonight and there was little to be found in the pantry. However, I finally found a rack of frozen baby back ribs in the freezer, a packet of heat and eat rice pilaf, and enough lettuce, carrots, onion, and tomatoes for a small salad each.

The quickest way to get juicy tender ribs is to boil them for 45 minutes on low to medium heat.

I cut the rack in to so they would fit into my boiler, filled with water that just covered the meat, poured in a beer (not one of favorites – too precious to waste), added salt, garlic powder, and a little cayenne pepper for subtle flavor.

While the boiling was going on I opened a Blue Moon for myself and relaxed.

I then took the ribs out of the water and placed them on a slightly oiled Pampered Chef baking dish. I covered both sides of the ribs in sweet honey barbeque sauce and tomato catsup. I baked them for 1 hour, taking them out in 30 minutes to recover them in more sauce.

That left time for another Blue Moon!

Say hello to my little ribs! Delicious!