There Was a Shaq Attack in Carol Ann’s Kitchen

My son and daughter gave me cookbooks for Mother’s Day. Leelee gave me Shaquille O’Neill’s Family Style, and my son Brian picked Good Things by Samin Nosrat, the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Since my PEO sister, Lori, told me her husband gave her Shaq’s cookbook for Christmas, I dug into it first.

I am a cookbook collector, but I have never counted the exact number I have because if I had a number I’d have to quit collecting. My husband estimated 1,000, then changed his guess to 500. Whatever the number, I’ve read my share of cookbooks. I absolutely loved Shaq’s cookbook. It has personality! Shaq sprinkled his book with his larger-than-life persona and with the most charming quotes: “Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.” “Besides Frosted Flakes, sandwiches have always been my number-one performance enhancer.” “I got this way…by being me!” “Shaq’s Diesel…fuel for when you want things healthy(ish).” “It ain’t over ‘til there’s Banana Pudding”, his favorite dessert. “Make people laugh and they will remember you.”

I had to try his recipes. Now, I am going to be honest, Shaq uses a lot of butter and condensed milk, something I have never been a big fan of. Since my husband loves ribs, I tried his BBQ St. Louis Ribs with Creamy Blue Cheese Coleslaw. This week instead of sharing one of my recipes, I am sharing my kitchen adventures with Shaq. His recipes are packed with flavor, so yes there was a Shaq flavor attack in my kitchen. However, his rib recipe was a bit messier than I anticipated. In Shaq’s recipe you place the ribs on a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. You fill the baking sheet with beer. As I tried to put the baking sheet into the oven, beer splashed on my floor and my oven door.

When the ribs are done cooking, Shaq drizzles them with one pound of butter, two cups of honey and one puréed can of chipotles in adobo sauce and then puts the ribs under the broiler. As I got to this step, I said, “OMG.” My husband asked, “What’s wrong?” “Shaq pours a whole pound of butter over the ribs. That’s way too much.” I reduced this mixture by half, which is still a lot. When I tried to remove the baking sheet from the oven, the beer/butter mixture spilled all over my feet, the floor, the counter, inside the oven, and even doused our dog. I had a Shaq attack everywhere. The floor was a slippery mess. The dog needed a bath. I made comments inside the recipe that follows on how to avoid this from happening.

Although they were messy, Shaq’s ribs are too die for. His coleslaw recipe is the best I have ever eaten. My husband usually rates my recipes on a scale of 1 to 10. He rated Shaq’s as a three pointer from mid-court. If you need a coleslaw recipe for Memorial Day, give Shaq’s a try.

Shaq’s BBQ St. Louis Ribs with Creamy Blue Cheese Slaw

Makes 6 servings

BBQ St. Louis Ribs

¼ cup paprika

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon ground mustard

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 racks ribs, 3 to 4 pounds each

¼ cup yellow mustard

2 (12-ounce) cans lager beer

1 pound unsalted butter (I used ½ pound.)

2 cups honey (I used 1 cup.)

1 (7-ounce) can chipotles in adobo, pureed (I used ½ can.)

To prepare the ribs: Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. (You may need two baking sheets for this.) Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the paprika, brown sugar, kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, black pepper, thyme, onion powder, cayenne, and cumin.

If the butcher hasn’t already done so, use a sharp knife to carefully remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Rub the yellow mustard all over the ribs (his recipe doesn’t specify, but do the meaty side) and then coat with the spice mixture. Set the seasoned ribs on the baking sheet(s). (If desired, cover the ribs with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Remove the foil before proceeding.)

Preheat the oven to 325º F.

Pour the beer into the baking sheet(s). Wrap the entire baking sheet and ribs with a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. (The foil protects the plastic wrap in the oven.) I couldn’t bring myself to do this. I only used aluminum foil. Bake the ribs for 2 ½ hours, or until the bones are visible and the meat is fork-tender. To check for doneness, being careful to avoid the steam, peel back the foil and plastic wrap and, using the tines of a fork, test to see if the meat pulls apart. If it does not, rewrap and continue to cook, testing for doneness at 10-minute intervals.

In a small pot over medium heat, melt together the butter, honey, and chipotle puree. Set aside until the ribs are done cooking.

Creamy Blue Cheese Slaw

8-ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 ½ cups mayonnaise (I only used 1 cup.)

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

¼ cup dried chives

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

1 teaspoons celery salt (I used 1 teaspoon celery seed because I didn’t want to purchase celery salt.)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ small head green cabbage, thinly sliced (I used ½ large head.)

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

1 large Granny Smith apple, shredded (I cored my apple before grating it.)

½ red onion, thinly sliced

To make the slaw: While the ribs cook, in a large pan over medium heat, cook the bacon for about 8 minutes, or until its’ browned and crispy. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a plate and reserve the bacon fat. (I lined my plate with paper towels.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, blue cheese, chives, vinegar, granulated sugar, whole-grain mustard, celery salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and reserved bacon fat. (Because I list all ingredients in my recipes, following garlic powder I would have listed reserved pan drippings. I would never say bacon fat. Since it wasn’t listed, it was out of sight, out of mind. I forgot to add the bacon fat. It was still delicious.) Add the cabbage, carrot, apple, and red onion and toss thoroughly to coat. Top with the crispy bacon.

When the ribs are done cooking, spoon the melted butter mixture all over them. (Before doing this, I would hold the baking sheets over the sink and drain out the beer before adding the butter mixture. Otherwise, you might have a Shaq attack in your kitchen too, and your dog might need a bath as well.) Turn on the broiler and return the ribs to the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they are nicely glazed and browned. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Cut the ribs into two-bone pieces and serve the slaw alongside.

Tips on selecting pork: Pork products are often injected with water, broth, salt, and extra flavorings. I avoid buying injected pork. To determine if pork is injected, read the ingredient label. Ingredients should be only pork. You may find the words “extra tender” and “juicy” on injected pork. It will also be high in sodium. If the nutritional label indicates a higher sodium count than 100 mg, the pork has been injected. Injected pork will contain too much liquid and may be difficult to sear. Once cooked, the meat may seem mushy and spongy. With the price of meat these days, who wants to pay for water?

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates