What Goes Best with Wild Whiskey Smoked BBQ Beef Ribs?

Wild whiskey smoked BBQ beef ribs have been one of our featured recipes, and for good reason. As we focus on game day foods, it is exactly the kind of thing that makes a great treat while sat around the television; finger food with great taste that really fills people up, ensuring they don't feel the need to go looking for something else to eat just as the action in the game is getting exciting.

Of course, when Wild Whiskey Smoked BBQ Seasoning is involved, any chef will know they are packing a lot of flavour into those ribs.

Indeed, a great feature of this recipe is that it can be cooked swiftly and yet pack in loads of flavour, with the whiskey, the tabasco, the ketchup and the meat all being brought together in a delicious combination in just a few minutes. Provided the ribs are given their 3.5 hours in the oven first, this makes possible the swift and large-scale production of the ribs, which is good news when the restaurant is filling up fast on game day.

These really are an ideal accompaniment to a big game. It should be appealing to men - who might feel eating red meat is the thing to do on a day when they are excited about the sporting combat ahead. There is, after all, something deeply satisfying and almost animalistic about gnawing the meat off a bone. But roasting it with some vegetables will add a little dietary balance; the day cannot be all about eating bad food to go with all that beer.

A question might be, therefore, what else might go best with those ribs? There are many options that could be suggested, and the following ideas will just be some of the possibilities; indeed, it may serve to inspire a few more thoughts and some great new innovations, all of which could help create a compelling new food offering.

Fries may seem the obvious thing to have with the ribs. After all, it balances vegetable with meat, they offer plenty of flavour and in their plain style they will be a tasty, salted savoury to complement the richer, sweeter taste of the BBQ seasoning.

Given how much many people like to dip their fries in BBQ sauce, these contrasting flavours, when brought together, make a popular and tasty combination.

However, plain, slightly salted fries are just one option of several. After all, they come with a range of dip flavour alternatives, and this month's special recipe brings in elements of these, from BBQ to tomato ketchup.

This leaves a couple of alternatives. One might be to coat the fries in something else, such as batter or cheese. The latter offers a huge array of possible flavours, from blue to melted hard cheeses, all of which could offer a tasty and enjoyable contrast with the ribs. Alternatively, you could spice them up a bit to add a bit more heat.

A second possibility is to try an alternative to fries. Wedges are a good potato option, but other vegetables might provide a similar sliver of delight to complement the ribs.

Examples of this could include green beans, fried carrots, zucchini chips or even breaded zucchini fries. With lots of possible coatings - cheese, sauce, breadcrumbs and a range of dips - there are many possibilities.

However, perhaps there is a particularly brilliant alternative that is versatile, tasty, healthy and offers a wonderful contrasting compliment to the ribs - sweet peppers.

Red, orange or yellow will do, but red peppers tend to be the sweetest and juiciest of all. However, that does not mean they need be left plain. A wide range of flavours can be added to them, from salt and pepper to garlic powder or cayenne. Equally, they can be served without a dip, or with something like hummus, ranch sauce, blue cheese dressing or even sweet onion. Ideally, a wide array of alternatives should be on offer.

The key with this combination is that it offers loads of great taste and is also sufficiently filling. It is also not too exotic or spicy and can be enjoyed with a game day beer.

So, while tacos and pizzas are great game day options, it may be that ribs and a choice of fries or red peppers makes the most wonderful meal combination of all.