The Rosemary Greyhound
The Rosemary Greyhound is an old fashioned cocktail livened up just a touch with an herb but is still the tart and sleek Greyhound of old. Just three ingredients make for a lovely refreshment that is fantastic all year round.
When citrus season hits, I want to make everything possible that incorporates lemons, lime, oranges, and grapefruits. The first three get their due in my kitchen but I admit I too often forget the grapefruit. I do love it but if I’m honest I’ve also hated that business about cutting all those sections before serving it and that has kept them at the bottom of the totem pole. Not today; today all that was necessary was juicing and slicing and I can do that! Besides; did you know it’s National Grapefruit Month…how could I not?
To tell you the truth, I don’t think I’ve ever included the basic Greyhound Cocktail in these pages but I really loved the hint of rosemary so much I don’t know if I’ll ever go back. If you are not in the same camp and you feel like you’re eating or drinking a Christmas tree whenever Rosemary is involved, simply omit it from the recipe.
While I did rim this drink, which may not be standard practice, it’s simply sugar. If it were rimmed with salt it would be called a Salty Dog. I don’t put sugar on every rim but I do love how they add some texture to photographs and since this was a tart drink, it worked beautifully. The truth is, Wilton Cake Decorating Sugar is more decorative than it is another taste element; it doesn’t melt in your mouth like regular sugar but it sure does look pretty doesn’t it? I have several jars of different colors…and I’m not sure I’ve ever used them on a cake but they are fantastic for decorating cocktails and my favorite sugar cookies too.
As an aside the recipe might call for rosemary sprigs for garnish. Oops…my cocktail has none. But I have a good excuse! I saved the little, charming rosemary plant someone gave me for Christmas shaped like a Christmas tree. I’ve re-potted it and it’s thriving but it doesn’t quite have sprigs yet; the way they shape those plants into trees makes for VERY short branches. I’ve got tons for using in recipes but nothing quite long enough for a nice garnish. But don’t let it stop you…if you’ve got some, it’s pretty either by itself and with the grapefruit section.
As for the grapefruit? Try to find some of the Red Ruby variety; they have such beautiful color to them. I love using my citrus juicer for juicing them too; makes for quick work and I’m sure extracts more juice too.
Now go grab some of those luscious grapefruits at the market; this one should be a regular in your cocktail rotation and of course, Cheers!
More grapefruit cocktail favorites:
Creation
Ingredients
For the Ribs:
- 3 ½ to 4 pounds of boneless country-style pork ribs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt kosher or sea
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
For the Sauce:
- 4 strips bacon finely diced
- ½ cup finely diced onion about 1/2 small onion
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 16 oz can tomato sauce
- ½ cups cider vinegar
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp hickory smoke seasoning
- 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- Coarse salt sea or kosher, to taste
To Finish the Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp Water
Instructions
To Make the Ribs:
- Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on all sides of the ribs.
- Select the Browning control on your appliance and add the oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, lightly brown the seasoned ribs on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pot, it will take a couple of batches to do all of the ribs. Put the browned ribs on a plate after they brown and set aside.
To Make the Sauce:
- Place the bacon in the pot of the pressure cooker. Using the same Browning control, cook until the bacon is just browned, stirring often.
- Add the garlic and saute for one minute.
- Add the remaining ingredients except salt and let come to a boil using the Saute function. Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 30 minutes until thickened. Season to taste with salt.
- Blend in the pot with a stick blender or remove from heat and pour into a blender to blend until smooth. If using blender, put the sauce back in the pot.
To Finish:
- Add the country ribs to the sauce in the pot and make sure all pieces are thoroughly coated.
- Put the lid on the pressure cooker and lock it in place. Select High Pressure and set the timer for 15 minutes cooking time. When the beep sounds, let the pressure cooker natural release for 8 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. When the valve drops, remove the lid.
- Remove the meat with tongs to a large plate and cover with foil to keep them warm.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, whisking until the cornstarch dissolves and the slurry is smooth. Select Sauté on the pressure cooker to bring the sauce to a boil. Whisk in half of the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. If not thick enough. add the remaining slurry and repeat.
- Add the ribs back to the pot making sure to coat all of them and simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the ribs absorb some of the sauce, stirring occasionally.
- Serve the ribs and sauce with pasta (I made mac & cheese), rice or potatoes and a green vegetable.
I like rosemary, and we grow it every year in our herb garden. So I may wait to make this one until the weather warms up (and although it’s citrus season now, this looks like a great summer drink, too). I’ve not had this, and hadn’t heard of it (although I do know the Salty Dog, of course, and this looks like a fun variant). Good stuff. 🙂 Thanks!
You might not have heard of it because I just made it up (although I would be foolish to think I was alone in that endeavor). I have all of this rosemary growing like crazy inside so thought it sounded good. It looks pretty too but I was serious, no real sprigs, just a whole bunch of tiny little branches. It is a great summer cocktail too but I had some gorgeous grapefruit and well, today it became a winter one. 🙂