How to Build a Recipe

I haven't written very many original recipes. Actually only two or three that I can think of. I actually like writing recipes though, so I going to do more of them.

The first thing you need is a premise. The first recipe that I wrote was for Barbequing spareribs. I wanted to enter the ribs into a "burn-off" like the one they have annually in Cleveland OH.

So I started researching the dish. I looked in several cook books and watched some PBS cooking shows. When the process was understood, I started looking for ways it could be customized to make my process original or at least identifiably my own, the way that would make the ribs mine.

I read about the "secret ingredients" - swamp water, rendered pork fat, combinations of spices and herbs, etc. I decided against using any of these in favor of straight forward flavors - clean and simple.

Finally, I wrote up the recipe and made my first batch. It was very well received, but I immediately started tweaking the ingredients.

I heard about other methods to achieve even better flavor, or optimum tenderness, so I went into the experimentation phase. I finally hit upon the combination that made my ribs good, and distinctively mine.

I have given out my rib recipe to quite a few people, and they say that they've done pretty well with it. Most people just say that it looks like a lot of work. Maybe it is, but I think the results are worth it.

I'm sorry that I haven't entered it into any contest, but that seems to be the really hard part. Where are the qualifiying contests and how does one enter them? This is what I need to find out.

I'm working on a new rib recipe to lower the sodium level in the ribs - Hypertension isn't any fun at all. Back to the experiments - I'll let you know when its' done.