The Best Prime Rib Ever!

5 Bone 40 Day Dry Aged Prime Rib!

The Torching of the Prime Rib, Click below to watch the Video.

McCalls Yule Log

Fabulous Wines

Leftover Beef Stroganoff became Roast Beef Hash!

Roast Beef Hash

Appetizers with Truffle Honey

Cheese from Scott and Tom

Brown Butter Hazelnut Cake from Proof

Leftover Prime Rib became Beef Stroganoff

I wanted Prime Rib, and Cathy found an outrageous recipe in Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook for Blow Torch Prime Rib. It requires you to use a blow torch to sear the meat before you place it in the oven. You aren’t supposed to brown the meat just seal in the juices. I had to go to our local hardware store to buy a blow torch. As you can see from the short movie clip, it really works. I was afraid I would burn down the house, but it was safe to use.

Robert isn’t supposed to eat meat or drink wine, but he fell off the wagon for this superlative meat-a-thon. This was also one of Bea’s first trips out since her hip surgery. Tom and Scott also joined us.

We purchased 40 day old dry aged prime rib from McCall’s Meat and Fish. It was a huge 10-1/2 pound 5 bone prime-rib. It was enormous, tender, delicious and expensive! It was worth it.

Robert and Darryl brought Homemade Guacamole and Chips to start us off. We then had Butternut Squash And Tomato Soup. This is a wonderful thick Moroccan soup. You can find the recipe in our blog of: October 26, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

We then had the Prime Rib - it was succulent and delicious! With the Prime Rib we served Garlic –Mashed Potatoes. This recipe from the Balthazar Cookbook, is the best. You can find the recipe on our blog of: November 12, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

Bea brought excellent wine and we provided wines to go with the dinner. For dessert we had a Yule Log from McCalls. And Tom and Scott brought a Pear Tart. It was an amazing dinner.

We had served 7 people from the Prime Rib and we sent Bea home with leftovers.

I then had 2 Prime Rib Sandwiches made from the leftovers. They were delicious.

We then made Beef Stroganoff and 5 people over for the Beef Stroganoff. We used the recipe from Julia Childs to make it. You can get the recipe for the Beef Stroganoff from our blog entry of September 3, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.

We now had leftover Beef Stroganoff, Cathy realized with the meat, mushrooms and Cream, it could for the bases for Roast Beef Hash! So the Prime rib leftovers morphed again into Roast Beef Hash.

Once again we used a Julia Child recipe, this time for Corned Beef hash, substituting the Beef Stroganoff. Superb! You can get the recipe on our blog of: September 29, 2006. Click the date to get the recipe.

The Prime Rib provided us with many great meals!

Blowtorch Prime Rib Roast

Ad Hoc at Home

Thomas Keller

One 2-bone center-cut rib roast (about 4-1/2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat

Kosher salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

Gray salt or coarse sea salt

Horseradish Cream (recipe follows)

I cook rib roast in a very low oven to ensure that it is a rosy medium-rare from the very center almost to its outer edges. But we like the dark caramelized surface, for flavor and for visual appeal, which is typically achieved through roasting at high heat. We discovered that if you start by giving meat a quick heating using a blowtorch, though it won't look particularly brown after the toasting, it will develop a beautifully browned surface even in that very low oven.

Propane torches are inexpensive and easy to use. Available at most hardware stores, they usually cost less than $20; replacement cylinders are usually less than $5. Avoid the smaller butane-fired torches sold at gourmet shops; propane torches are more effective. You can use a torch for caramelizing sugar on creme brulee, browning meringue, and, as we do, giving a crust to your roast beef. Be sure to store your torch in a safe place.

Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 275°F.

Put the roast on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Hold a blowtorch about 1 inch from the roast and turn to lightly brown the fat on all sides; the idea is to start the fat rendering and to torch the meat just until the surface begins to turn gray. Season the roast generously with salt and pepper.

Transfer to the oven, with the meat toward the back of the oven, and cook until the roast registers 128°F in the center. The total cooking time will be about 2 hours, but begin to check the temperature after 1-1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest in a warm spot for at least 30 minutes for medium-rare.

To carve, cut the meat away from the bones. Separate the bones and put them on a serving platter. Cut the roast in half through the center, turn each piece cut side down, and slice straight down into slices that are about V2 inch thick. Arrange the meat on the platter and sprinkle with gray salt and pepper. Serve with the horseradish cream on the side.

horseradish cream

1/2 cup very cold heavy cream

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

About 1/4 cup drained prepared horseradish

½ teaspoon fleur de sel, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

This is a basic, and very easy, horseradish sauce—prepared horseradish and cream, seasoned with salt and pepper and a little bit of sherry vinegar. It goes especially well with grilled or roasted beef, like this prime rib roast, and the Peppercorn-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

Put the heavy cream and vinegar in a medium bowl and whisk until the cream holds a soft shape. Whisk in the horseradish, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week, makes about 1 cup.

Note

When you season food with salt (or other seasonings, for that matter), whether the food is raw or cooked, always season from high above the food to ensure an even distribution. By contrast, when you hold your hand right over the food as you sprinkle the salt, the seasoning winds up concentrated in a smaller area.

Hungry Cat Salad

Once again we made the Hungry Cat Salad. This is another favorite salad of ours. You can read about why it is called The Hungry Cat Salad on our blog post of: November 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Two Winter Salads and Risotto of the Vigil

Every year around Christmas Time we make Risotto of the Vigil. It has a lot of ingredients in it, but it is worth the effort. You can find the recipe on our blog of: December 22, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. We had for several nights (it makes great leftovers). One night we had a Pear Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese and Walnuts, another night we had a Shredded Radicchio with Anchovy Vinaigrette, Bread crumbs, & Sieved Egg  You can find the recipe for the Radicchio Salad on our blog of: Jan. 11, 2007, click the date to get the recipe.

Sausage and Mushrooms with Polenta

We decided to make Sausage and Mushrooms with Polenta. McCall's has wonderful house made sausage. This is a very hearty dish, that reheats well. I love sausage, this is a great preparation.
You can find the recipe on our blog of: Feb. 25, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

Pork Stew with Prunes

This is a favorite winter recipe. I love the Polenta with the Pork and Prunes. Of course we got the meat at McCall's Meat and Fish. You can find the recipe on our blog of: September 26, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Brisket Soup

Lets start with the basics. MAKE THIS SOUP! It is called exactly what it is: Brisket Barley Soup with Crispy Kale. We found it in the New York Times. This is one of the best winter soups we made in a long time. It is delicious! We started with the best brisket possible from McCall’s Meat and Fish. I especially loved the crispy Italian Cavalo Nero that is crumbled over the soup just before serving. Everyone who tried the soup loved it. Serve this soup with a Red Wine and hot French Bread and you will be in heaven.

Brisket Barley Soup with Crispy Kale

New York Times

By MELISSA CLARK

SUMMARY

Making soup out of brisket has a major advantage over the usual braising: Because you are cooking the meat submerged in broth, it stays juicy. As it simmers, the brisket cubes soften enough so you can cut them with your spoon. The chewiest thing in the soup will be the barley, but in a good way. Some slabs of brisket comes more thoroughly trimmed than others, so you may have to do some knife work when you get it home. But fear not, if your broth ends up a little greasy, just chill it and then spoon the fat off the top when it’s cold.

TOTAL TIME

3 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS

                        3 pounds brisket, fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes

                        1 1/2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt, more as needed

                        1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, more as needed

                        3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

                        3 leeks, thinly sliced

                        2 celery stalks, diced

                        2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

                        3 thyme sprigs

                        2 bay leaves

                        2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

                        2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

                        2 medium turnips or kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

                        2/3 cup pearled barley

                        2 teaspoons white wine vinegar, more as needed

                        10 ounces Tuscan kale (1 large bunch or 2 small), ribs removed and leaves sliced 1-inch thick

PREPARATION

1.

Season brisket with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add brisket in batches and cook, turning occasionally, until well-browned, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Drizzle in additional oil if pan seems dry. Transfer browned meat to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add leek, celery and garlic to pan; cook until soft, about 7 minutes.

3.

Return meat to pot. Pour in 12 cups water, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, part covered, for 1 hour. Stir in carrots, parsnips, turnips, barley and remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until barley is cooked through and meat is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Stir in vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

4.

Just before serving make the kale: heat oven to 450 degrees. Make sure kale is very dry, then toss kale with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt. Spread it out on one or two baking sheets. It should fit in one layer without crowding. Roast until leaves are crisp in places (some spots will still be soft), 5 to 10 minutes. Serve kale on top of soup.

YIELD

8 servings

Thai Fried Rice

When ever we eat at Mozza’s Chi Spacca we seem to order the fantastic and huge Tomahawk Pork Chop. It is more than Cathy and I can eat. We bring home the leftovers and make Thai Fried Rice. I like this version of fried rice because it is spicier than Chinese fried rice and has the zing of the lime juice that is squeezed on it at the end – just before serving. We use the recipe for: Fried Rice with Crab from Thai Street Food by David Thompson. We simply substituted the Crab with Pork. You can the recipe from our blog of April 4, 2013. Simply click the date to get the recipe.

Thai Turkey Soup

Shumon joined us for dinner. We made turkey stock from the carcass of our Thanksgiving Turkey. We froze half of the tasty stock to use later in the year. With the other half we made one of my favorite soups: Thai-style Turkey Soup with Tamarind, Lemongrass and Fragrant Herbs from the Los Angeles Times. This is a very rich and delicious soup. You can read the recipe on our blog of: November 25, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe. I hope you make it, you will like it.

With the soup we served left over Risotto. You can't serve a South Asian too much rice!

Thanksgiving

12 Pound Turkey on the Rotisserie

Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread

Carrot Puree With Caraway And Feta

Autumn Salad from Barbrix

Creamed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon 

Mushroom Dressing From Cook's County

Turkey with Orange Noodles (yuk bad picture but good food!)

Apple Pie

Chocolate Pie

Persimmon Pudding with Whipped Cream

Thanksgiving for us is a collaborative event. Tom, Scott, Tim, Shumon, Barbara, Michael and Robert all came to celebrate. Barbara even helped to cook! We make the turkey and some sides and then we order in some food to complement the meal. We were hoping that Bea would join us, but she had recently had surgery and couldn’t make it. She did, however, send over some great wine. Later we delivered her Thanksgiving dinner to her.

We made the same Renaissance Turkey that we cooked last year. It is wonderful and I believe will be an annual event for us. Cathy found a recipe in TheSplendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper for Christmas Capon (Cappone Natalizio). This recipe was for a spit roasted capon, we substituted a Heritage Turkey from McCall’s Meat and Fish. What made the dish so incredible was another recipe from the same cookbook for: Tagliatelle with Caramelized Oranges and Almonds, a Renaissance preparation of pasta that the sliced turkey was to be served over. This is a great recipe, totally different from what people expect (other than those that came to our house last year). You can find this recipe on our blog of: November 23, 2012.

We started with a new dish for us Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread from Jerusalem by Ottolenghi & Tamimi. It was good, but I don’t think we will make it again, I like the other dish we served as an appetizer better: Carrot Puree With Caraway And Feta from Moro The Cookbook by Sam & Sam Clark. With both of the dishes we served Pita Chips from Joan’s on Third. These are absolutely the best chips I have ever had.

After appetizers and drinks we went to the table to start the serious eating. We started with the Autumn Salad from Barbrix. This is a great salad. Next time you are at Barbrix and if you haven’t had the salad you should try it. It is very crispy and I love the blue cheese in it.

As a side, we served a new recipe for us: Creamed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon from Two Dudes One Pan by Shook Dotolo. Bacon is my favorite seasoning. Anything in a cream sauce has to be good. This is a keeper! I really liked it. Expect to see it next Thanksgiving!

What would Thanksgiving Turkey be without dressing. Once again this year we got the Mushroom Dressing from Cook’s County. This is a delicious super rich dressing. Yum.

Deserts were plentiful. From Cook’s County we purchased a Chocolate Pie and an Apple Pie. Tom made a Persimmon Pudding with Whipped Cream.

The dinner started at 6:30 at midnight we finally finished, we have a year to recover!

Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread

Jerusalem Ottolenghi & Tamimi

SERVES  6  TO  8

1 very large butternut squash (about 2-1/2), peeled and cut into chunks (7 cup in total)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

5 tbsp light tahini paste

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 small cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds (or just white, if you don't have black)

1-1/2 tsp date syrup

2 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

salt

Date syrup, which we use here to add intensity, is a popular natural sweetener with wonderful richness and treacly depth. Use it for salad and vegetable dressings, to sweeten stews, or to drizzle over porridge in the morning. It is available from health food stores and Middle Eastern groceries but can be substituted with maple syrup or molasses.

This dip seems to be fantastically popular with anyone who tries it. There is something about the magical combination of tahini and pumpkin or squash that we always tend to come back to Serve as a starter with bread or as part of a meze selection.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Spread the squash out in a medium roasting pan.

Pour over the olive oil and sprinkle on the cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together well, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and roast in the oven for 70 minutes, stirring once during the cooking. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Transfer the squash to a food processor, along with the tahini, yogurt, and garlic. Roughly pulse so that everything is combined into a coarse paste, without the spread becoming smooth; you can also do this by hand using a fork or potato masher.

Spread the butternut in a wavy pattern over a flat plate and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, drizzle over the syrup, and finish with the cilantro, if using.

Creamed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Two Dudes One Pan

Shook Dotolo

1       tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

2       pounds Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed

12     ounces sliced bacon, halved crosswise

2       shallots, halved and thinly sliced

3       garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3       cups heavy cream

1       teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Jon: A lot of people who say that they don't do Brussels sprouts end up getting into this dish. Cream and bacon mellow Brussels sprouts' cabbagey qualities.

VINNY: We add so much bacon, butter, and cream, though, you'd have to be insane not to totally get into this dish! We get a lot of requests for these Brussels sprouts around Thanksgiving. There are a few families whose Thanksgiving dinners we've been catering for years; we've become a part of their tradition. That's really cool.

FILL a Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil. Add the 1 tablespoon of salt and the Brussels sprouts. Cook until tender but not mushy, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the sprouts, then place them under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain again, transfer the sprouts to a cutting board, and halve lengthwise. Set aside.

Wipe the pot dry and place it back on the stovetop over I medium-high heat. Add the bacon (if it doesn't all fit in the pot, cook the bacon in two batches) and cook until both I sides are browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined I plate to drain. Once it is cool enough to handle, crumble the bacon.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and add the shallots and garlic to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat I until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes, and then add the cream. Simmer the cream until it has reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes, and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper. Stir in the Brussels sprouts and gentry coat in the sauce. Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the crumbled bacon.

Serves 6 to 8