Rubbed the Wrong Way

Wines by Bea:
Samsara 2003 Syrah
Kosta Brown 2005 Pinot Noir Rose

Bea joined us for dinner. We decided to cook prime rib. It is something we have never cooked before.

On Monday night we ate at Campanile like we do every Monday night. They have a different family dinner each Monday. That night they had roasted duck. It was great. We asked at the end of the meal for a piece of duck to take home for our cats Parsifal and Polenta. When they gave us a container it had a whole duck breast in it. Much more than the cats could possibly eat.

We had an idea to create a duck salad out of the remaining duck. Cathy found a recipe for duck salad in the Chez Panisse Café Cookbook. The recipe is for a Warm Duck Salad with Green Olive Relish. It turned out great. On Friday I happened to stop by La Brea Bread to purchase some pastries and bought some green olives there. They made a great relish. The recipe taught us a cool technique we had never used before. We have a metal shallow salad bowl that we use all of the time. After we dressed the salad we actually placed the bowl directly on the stove and over a medium heat heated and wilted the salad. It was a great technique an we will use it in the future.

The New York Times had a recipe for Spice-Crusted Prime Rib with Mashed Potatoes by David Burke on December 28, 2005. The article was entitled: Ringing in the New Year With Luxury and Ease. We had placed in the back of our mind the idea that some day we would make it. The trick was to get dry aged Prime Rib. We purchased one from Harvey Gussman.

He serves it with a home made steak sauce and mashed potatoes. The Rub was TOO Hot! The crust of the Prime Rib was VERY spicy, next time we will cut the pepper way down! The steak sauce is great, sweet and tangy. We are especially interested in the use of the Rib Bones in a future meal. We saved the them to make Deviled Ribs. Here is what David Burke says about Deviled Ribs…''I love these deviled,'' broiled to a crisp with mustard, he said. So did James Beard, who called deviled ribs ''one of the most satisfying gastronomical experiences I know.'' We found James Beard recipe and are going to make them.
For desert I had picked up both Apple and Cherry Tarts from La Brea Bakery. We also had Pomegranate and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream by Sheer Bliss.
Following that we served Tequila and Drambuie. We then walked Bea home - it was a spectacular night.
SPICE-CRUSTED PRIME RIB WITH WHIPPED POTATOES
Adapted from David Burke
Time: About 2 1/2 hours

For the roast:
13-rib portion of prime rib (6 to 8 pounds, preferably dry-aged), trimmed of excess fat (reserve it) and tied
1/2 cup ground cumin
1/3 cup ground cayenne
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup freshly ground black pepper

For the steak sauce:
2 cups Worcestershire
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Tabasco
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened2 teaspoons sesame oil

For the potatoes:
3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 scant cup whole milk
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.
1. Remove roast from refrigerator 2 hours before cooking. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Set roast fat-side up on counter and rub a thick layer of spice mixture over entire surface. Transfer roast to a wire rack in a shallow roasting pan and place in oven for 13 to 15 minutes per pound.
2. While meat roasts, prepare steak sauce and potatoes. In a medium-size pot, combine Worcestershire, ketchup and Tabasco and set over medium heat. Reduce for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened. Lower heat to warm and whisk in butter and oil. Transfer to gravy boat or bowl and allow to cool before for serving. (Stored in an airtight container, sauce will last in refrigerator for 2 weeks.) 3. While sauce reduces, place some trimmed fat in a small, heavy-bottomed pot over low heat until it melts. Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, add salt and place over high heat. When water boils, lower heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Shut off heat.
4. After roast has cooked for an hour, check temperature by inserting a meat thermometer deep into its thickest part, away from any bone. For medium rare, remove from oven at 125 degrees. Allow to rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
5. While roast rests, finish potatoes. Place a small pot over medium-low heat,add milk and garlic and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Shut off heat and discard garlic. Drain potatoes in a colander. Pass them through a potato ricer or sieve back into pot in which they were boiled. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper, place pot over low heat, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or whisk. Add olive oil, stirring, and a few tablespoons of rendered fat. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to warm.
6. Carve roast. Remove bones by slicing down their sides: reserve for later use or serve in a bowl with meal. Carve an inch-thick slice per person. Place on plate with whipped potatoes and sauce on the side.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.