Sunday, December 25, 2011

Standing Rib

Standing Rib




4 pound beef rib roast, bones still attached, tied.
small onion, chopped
1/2 the amount of the onion in finely chopped carrots
1/2 the amount of the onion in finely chopped celery (optional)
salt
pepper
rosemary
thyme
3 tbl spoons arrowroot (aprox) dissolved in water
2 pints dark beef stock
vegetable oil


This technique works for roasting any red meat, similar techniques will work on poultry. Variation in cooking time for different degrees of doneness is the only real variable, although there may also be some slightly different spicing and of course use an appropriate stock, dark beef won't work well with chicken.





Bring your roast to room temperature, or at least let it stand outside the refrigerator for a couple of hours, be more cautious with poultry than red meat, but still leave it out of the refrigerator for a while.


Put a small amount of oil into the bottom of a large frying pan, do not use non-stick as you wish the meat to stick to develop a fond, it will also be going in the oven.

Heat the pan to just below the smoke point, put the roast in, season the upside with the salt and pepper.




The roast will stick to the pan, when it is loose, turn it so another side is down. Do this until all sides except the concave back are browned and seasoned.





Add the carrots and onion, and celery if using and season with the rosemary and thyme and put the roast on top of the mire poix.






Put in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes the pound for medium rare, but use a thermometer as well, when the roast is 125-130 remove and let sit 20 minutes covered in foil.






The brown in the bottom of the pan, which is the fond, the pan juices and the mire poix with the beef stock will form the sauce.








Add a little of the stock, the Madera and the arrowroot mixture, and work the fond loose with a wooden spoon, add more stock and stir, slowly adding stock and bringing to a near boil. 





For the most elegant presentation, run this through a blender or food mill and bring back to temp, but for a family setting it isn't needed but do strain it.







At this point free the meat from the bones with a carving knife, discarding the string in the process. Stand the roast up on its back and carve to order. 








And above the sauce, the starch, the wine, the vegetable and the plate.




Camera Nikon D-90 AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f2.5-5.65G or AF-S 

NIKKOR 50mm 1:1.4f with internal flash.

Standing Rib (with photos)  Downloadable PDF  Link doesn’t work 

on the PDF itself

Standing Rib (recipe only) - Downloadable PDF Link Doesn't 

work on the PDF itself

As always feel free to use and distribute, if you use our pictures 

and/or text then give us credit – thanks.

© 2011 Virginia L. Dyson & Warner W. Johnston  




Saturday, December 24, 2011

Fabrication

Your super market is running a loss leader on Standing Rib, it is that time of year, but you can only buy one.

And there are only two of you.

So you buy as large a one as you can, and cut it in two. So simple anyone can do it.


Unwrap the beef.


Note that is tied, always tie a roast if it isn't, with this cut you could even cut the bones off and tie them to the meat, but I prefer to do this after roasting.




We are going to make our cut just to the right of the middle bone. There is a clear, bone free path through the roast, although you will have to make a slight jog to cut through the joint between the right two bones.





A nice 4 pound roast, looks good and will star in dinner tonight.




Camera Nikon D-90 AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f2.5-5.65G with internal flash.

Roast Fabrication  Downloadable PDF  Link doesn’t work on the PDF itself

As always feel free to use and distribute, if you use our pictures and/or text then give us credit – thanks.

© 2011 Virginia L. Dyson & Warner W. Johnston  

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Potatoes Savoyard


3-4 Yukon gold potatoes; peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
Medium onion, peeled, sliced and separated into rings
shredded Gruyere or Swiss
stock
1 lg. garlic clove; finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
3 tbl spoons butter, in 12 cubes
Salt and pepper


Oven at 375


Lay potatoes in the bottom of gratin or other fire proof dish.



Layer of the onions, sprinkle with cheese, a third of the butter cubes garlic and a pinch of thyme. Salt and pepper.

A second layer of potatoes, onions, butter, thyme, salt and pepper as above.



Cover with potatoes and the remainder of the cheese, butter, salt, pepper and thyme.






Add the stock to half fill dish. Stock should be from the same meat as the roast if possible. Or to remain vegan use vegetable stock.




Cook at least an hour and fifteen minutes.



Camera Nikon D-90 AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f2.5-5.65G with internal flash.

Potatoes Savoyard Downloadable PDF  Link doesn’t work on the PDF itself

As always feel free to use and distribute, if you use our pictures and/or text then give us credit – thanks.

© 2011 Virginia L. Dyson & Warner W. Johnston