Holiday Cooking

With the “Holidays” upon us everyone is thinking of “special” foods to prepare. In the past I usually cooked Turkey for both Thanksgiving and Christmas but this year I decided to roast a prime-rib. Before beginning I decided to do some “research” on the topic and here is what I came up with:

Prime Rib Roast

1 - 3-4 rib standing rib-roast
1 large onion, cut into large pieces
2 large carrots, cut into large pieces
6 unpeeled garlic cloves
First thing you need to do is purchase a rib roast that has a good amount of marbling in it. It is the marbling that gives it flavor plus helps to make it more tender. Rib roasts come from ribs 6-12; rib 6 being closest to the shoulder. Ribs 9-12 are the most “prized” - also called the “first-cut.”
Trim off any excess fat, leaving about 1/2-inch thick to cover the roast.
Pat roast dry with paper towels. Liberally season (I found a number of seasonings from using just salt and pepper to using a package of au jus - it is up to you.) pressing the seasonings right into the meat.
Rub the surface of the roast with a light coating of grape-seed oil over the seasoning.
Temper the roast: Set a rack over a baking tray and place the roast onto the rack. Let the roast sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to about 4 hours, depending on the size of the roast. The closer the roast is brought to room temperature, the less cooking time will be required. This will result in a juicier roast.
Preheat your oven to 450: F. You can check your oven temperature to make sure it is accurate with an oven thermometer.
Cut onion and carrots into large pieces. Place the vegetables into the bottom of a suitable-sized roasting pan. You can place a roasting rack over the vegetables, if you prefer or place the meat directly on the bed of vegetables, fat side up.
Place the roast into the center of the hot oven and let sear for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a nice, brown crust develops.
Once seared, remove the roast from the oven and keep the oven door open for about 3 to 5 minutes. Let the oven cool down to 250° F (120° C).
While you are waiting for the oven temperature to cool, turn and baste the roast.
Once the oven reaches 250° F (120° C), return the roast to the oven. Roast the meat for approximately one hour, turning and basting the roast about every 30 minutes.
After the roast has cooked for 1 hour, remove it from the oven. Using a meat thermometer, test the internal temperature of the roast. Insert the thermometer into the very center of the roast, away from any bones.
The temperature will likely be close to 100° F (38° C). Once the roast reaches this temperature, it will not take much time at all to reach the desired doneness.
Baste and turn the roast and return it to the oven for another 30 minutes or so.
Test the temperature of the roast again. Continue to roast the meat (remembering to turn and baste about every 30 minutes) until the thermometer registers 130° F.
Once the internal temperature of the roast reaches 130° F, remove the roast from the oven (to achieve medium doneness). It is important to remove the roast from the oven before it reaches the FINAL desired temperature.
Place a rack over a baking tray and transfer the roast onto the rack. Let sit, uncovered for about 5 to 10 minutes before tenting with vented foil.
Let the roast rest for at least 45 minutes. During this time, the temperature will increase about 10 degrees (and reach a medium doneness), due to the carryover cooking. About half way through the resting period, turn the roast to allow the juices and heat to evenly distribute.
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups beef stock
To prepare the jus, strain the contents of the roasting pan. Remove the excess fat and return the juice and vegetables back to the pan.
Place the pan over medium-high heat and let the juices reduce and the mirepoix caramelize. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up any bits. Add the stock and let simmer and reduce by about half to concentrate the flavors. Strain and skim off any fat. Pour the jus into a small pot. Set aside while you carve the roast.
To carve the roast, cut of the strings, if applicable. Cut off the bones alongside the roast.
Using a sharp knife, gently saw back and forth across the grain to cut into thick, even slices.
As you are carving the roast, bring the jus to a quick simmer so it is nice and hot. Taste the jus and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve the roast immediately with a few tablespoons of jus and some warmed popovers.

Popovers or Yorkshire Puddings

Popovers are similar to Yorkshire puddings only they use butter instead of beef fat, making them lighter and more versatile.
2 large eggs - (room temp)
1 cup whole milk - (room temp)
1 t. unsalted butter - melted
4 3/4 oz all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
Gather all of the ingredients and make sure to let them come to room temperature.
Rub each of the popover cups with a bit of butter, making sure to lube up the bottom as well.
If you do not have a popover tin, a muffin tin will work just fine.
Before starting the batter, preheat your oven to 400° F.
To prepare the batter, mix everything together in a blender. Run the blender for 30 seconds to a minute. This will create the bubbles that will help the popovers to rise from the steam.
Quickly fill the prepared popover tin about 1/2 to 2/3’s full.
Immediately place the popovers into the hot oven and quickly close the door. Do not open the door again until they have finished baking; otherwise, the popovers will fall and/or not set properly.
Bake for approx. 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Note: After about 20 mins or so (after the popovers have risen and set), have a look at them. If they look like they are getting too dark, you can turn the oven down to 350°F (190°C), to finish the cooking process.
Once done, remove from the oven. Using a skewer or small paring knife, make a small slit in the popover. This will allow the steam within to be released. This is important, otherwise the popovers will collapse as they cool. Print this post