12.17.07
Christmas dinner
This article in Food & Wine has several interesting dishes (list at the right). For example, this one:
Horseradish-and-Herb-Crusted Beef Rib Roast
Active time: 20 min
Total time: 4 hrs 15 min
Serves: 12Besh opts to smear the roast with a horseradish, garlic and herb butter, which bakes to form an irresistible crust.
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 head of garlic, cloves coarsely chopped
- 1 cup prepared horseradish
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
- 3 tablespoons chopped rosemary
- 3 tablespoons chopped sage
- One 16-pound rib roast of beef
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Preheat the oven to 325°. In a food processor, combine the butter with the garlic, horseradish, thyme, rosemary and sage and process to a paste.
- Stand the roast in a very large roasting pan. Season generously all over with salt and pepper and set it fatty side up. Spread the horseradish-herb butter all over the top. Bake for about 3 1/2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 125° for medium rare. Transfer the roast to a carving board to rest for at least 20 minutes or for up to 1 hour before serving.
MAKE AHEAD The horseradish-herb butter can be refrigerated overnight. Let the butter soften before using.
NOTES If making Pat’s Popovers, reserve 3 tablespoons of the beef fat from the roasting pan.
WINE This impressive rib roast will pair well with a substantial Cabernet Sauvignon; Cabernet’s firm tannins help cut the richness of red meat, and its slight herbal edge makes a nice partner to the herb-horseradish crust. The 2004 vintage in Napa Valley produced fleshy, generous wines that are easy to drink now; two to look for are the blackberry-inflected Robert Mondavi Napa Valley and the curranty 2004 Provenance Rutherford.
Also this:
Creamy Potatoes with Bacon
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 1 hr
Serves: 12Adding farmer cheese to creamy mashed potatoes gives them a nice tangy flavor; crunchy bits of bacon make this dish taste even better. Chef John Besh advises seeking out artisanally made bacon, like the kind from Tennessee’s Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams (bentonshams.com). It’s smoked in hickory wood, and Besh swears it’s the best bacon out there.
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3-inch chunks
- Salt
- 1 pound thickly sliced bacon
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup heavy cream, warmed
- 1/2 cup farmer cheese
- 1/2 cup minced chives
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon in 2 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Drain the bacon on paper towels and coarsely chop it.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Shake the pot over moderately high heat for about 20 seconds to dry the potatoes. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large pot. Add the butter, cream, cheese, chives and bacon and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
John said,
17 December 2007 at 8:36 pm
I’ve purchased a rib roast for Christmas, but 10 lbs. lighter than this one! My, a 16 lbs. prime rib would cost way over $100!!! The one I purchased was a choice grade and 6 lbs. and still cost $35.
The herb paste looks to be too high in fat with two sticks of butter (for me). My recipe is similar, but without the butter and horseradish:
1 Tablespoon fresh garlic, finely chopped.
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped.
2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped.
2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped.
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped.
1 Tablespoon freshly ground corse black pepper.
4 Tablespoons olive oil.
Mix all ingredients to make a paste and rub the past over all surfaces of the meat. Let the roast sit at room temperature for two hours prior to cooking.
I picked this up from a barbecue web site. Not as much added fat or salt.
LeisureGuy said,
17 December 2007 at 8:42 pm
Well, for a 6-lb roast, one would reduce the paste contents proportionately. (Notice that he planned to serve 12.)
Your rub sounds quite delicious, too. We also will have a rib roast, cooked via this method and with the horseradish sauce whose recipe is in Update 2 in that post.