Every year as I'm contemplating what to make for Christmas dinner, I consider such tantalizing offerings as a beautiful glazed ham or a crown roast of lamb or pork. Invariably I return to my all-time favorite Christmas entrée, a succulent standing rib roast with its comforting accompaniment of Yorkshire pudding. Expensive, yes, but it is Christmas! And so simple to make. Let the flavor of the meat reign supreme by adding only salt and pepper as seasonings. About the only thing you could do wrong is to overcook it. Be sure to have an accurate meat thermometer.
Ingredients:
three-rib standing rib roast (about 6 lbs.)
salt
pepper
10 medium potatoes
1 1/2 cups red wine (Cabernet recommended)
Procedure:
A three-rib roast will generously serve six people with leftovers which will be no problem. Roast beef sandwiches are delicious. Buy a top choice roast from the small loin end. Have the butcher remove the feather bone and the chine bone as this will make carving easier. Let the meat sit out at room temperature for a few hours before roasting. Pat dry and salt and pepper the roast liberally.
Place on a rack in a roasting pan and set in a 500 degree oven for 25 minutes until the roast is well seared. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees until it is done to your taste. The cooking time for rare beef will be about 18 minutes per pound; for medium rare, about 22 minutes per pound. About an hour before meat is done arrange potatoes around roast. Let them cook and brown in the fat and drippings. Baste and turn them over after a half hour.
Remove from oven at 120 degrees if you like rare beef. It will continue cooking about 10 additional degrees. Cook to 130 for medium rare and 140 for medium. Let the meat stand for 15 to 30 minutes before carving to let the juices settle. You will need this time to prepare an au jus accompaniment and make Yorkshire pudding. Pour pan juices into a fat separator. Set the fat aside for Yorkshire pudding. . Place roasting pan over two burners on
your stove. Deglaze with pan juices and add 1 1/2 cups of red wine, stirring and reducing by half. Strain and season to taste. Slice roast into 1-inch slices and serve with hot au jus and Yorkshire pudding.
Yorkshire Pudding
The classic accompaniment for roast beef is crisp and puffy Yorkshire pudding.
1 cup flour
½ t salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup beef drippings
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift the flour and salt together onto a sheet of wax paper. In a bowl beat the eggs and milk until well combined and foamy. Gradually beat in the flour and salt just until combined. Pour the drippings into an 8-inch square baking dish or muffin tins or popover pans. If using tins or pans, pour only ½ full. Place in the oven and get it
smoking hot. Carefully remove the pan and pour in the batter. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Return the dish to the oven and bake until puffed and dry about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
Photographer Bill Brady <http://bit.ly/9wFYxm>
Recipe by Phyllis Kirigin sweetpaprika.wordpress.com Phyllis is a resident of Croton-on-Hudson and is an avid cook and food blogger. She loves all things culinary, focusing on using fresh ingredients and promoting local farmers and artisans. She can be reached at
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