When it comes to Christmas dinner, I don’t change things very much. Our day is pretty much the same, year after year: Church in the morning, followed by a late morning brunch, and then a game our family calls “Baer Family Trivia.” Opening presents follows, along with a rather lazy afternoon.
Our Christmas dinner is always in the early evening and is usually a small gathering of about eight sitting around a candlelit table. This year might be a little less tranquil as a precious chocolate lab puppy will be joining us.
After the excesses of Thanksgiving, I keep Christmas dinner pretty simple. I always make a standing rib roast with potatoes cooked along the side, a simple green vegetable and maybe a Sicilian salad of sliced oranges, red onions and black olives. Desert is often just cookies or slices of bourbon cake made weeks before the holiday.
My biggest challenge for Christmas Day is not winning Baer Family Trivia but rather not turning the rib roast into one giant hockey puck. Believe me; I have done this on more than one occasion.
I usually order my roast at the Farmers’ Market and ask for one larger than my butcher says we will need. And as my mother taught me, I ask for the roast to be cut from the “small end,” which is said to be tenderer. My butcher seems to know what this means. A rib roast is expensive, but often you can find holiday specials at the grocery store. The rule of thumb is usually to allow one pound per person, adding more if you like leftovers. Cold roast beef sandwiches are wonderful with lettuce and mayonnaise.
There are many views on how to cook a rib roast. Some people believe that slow roasting is best, while others (like me) simply cook it at moderate heat after searing the meat briefly on high.
Over many years, this is what I have learned:
- Buy a good meat thermometer. There is no substitute for this.
- Dry the roast with paper towels before cooking.
- Let the roast come to room temperature before placing in the oven. (Important)
- Oil the ends of the roast to “seal” them. (Olive oil is good although some use butter)
- Salting the beef is optional. Some people believe it draws the juices out of the meat. But many recipes call for a salt and herb crust to top the roast. (Experiment)
- For a ten pound roast, my total cooking time is as follows:
- Sear at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Then turn the heat down to 325 and roast for about 2 ½ hours.
- The most important thing is the internal temperature of the roast: About 130-135 degrees for medium rare, 140-145 degrees for medium and 150-155 degrees for medium well.
- Remember that after you take the roast out of the oven, it will continue to cook as it rests. So watch the internal temperature closely.
Mid-way through the cooking time I place quartered and salted Russet or Idaho potatoes around the roast, basting them with the pan juices. By this time, the most heavenly smell will have permeated the kitchen.
When the rib roast has reached the internal temperature you desire, take it out of the oven, place it on a platter and tent it with heavy duty foil for about 20 to 30 minutes. Place the pan with the potatoes back in the oven and raise the heat to 450 degrees. This will brown and crisp the potatoes and make them irresistible.
The “Roast Beast” is now ready for the Grinch to carve. In our house, our son James is “Chief Carver.” A good friend of ours, after viewing our struggles with bad knives, gave us an electric knife a few years ago and this has made our lives much easier. But no matter how rare the meat turns out, my husband will proclaim it overdone. I do think he should get his portion from the zoo.
Slice the meat and place it on a large platter with the potatoes arranged alongside. Garnish with watercress or parsley, serve with horseradish and you will have a meal fit for a king.
Oh, and I wish all TheBurg readers a happy and blessed Christmas. Boun Natale.
