Standing Rib Roast(Prime Rib) and Yorkshire Pudding

Not much has to be said about a Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib). It speaks for itself in tender cuts of beef, herb crusted and delicious on its own or served with a creamy horseradish sauce and au jus.

Yorkshire Pudding is really more like a puffed pastry style bread flavored with the savory beef drippings. It is light and fluffy and yet loaded with salty roasted prime rib flavor.

Serve with Creamy Horseradish or Apple and Horseradish and Au Jus





Rib Roast Buying Guide:

When buying one you want to choose a roast at least 3 ribs big, each rib is about a serving and a half. Consider the size of your oven, i.e. make sure it will fit.

Specifically, prime rib is actually a prime cut of meat and the best quality, anything else is a standing rib roast. However, prime rib is also a generalized name.

Aged beef is preferred, it tenderizes and amplifies the taste.

Bones add flavor, don't have them removed. AND they can be used for soup stock the next day!

Have the butcher cut off the chine bones from the bottom of the roast and the rib bones from the meat just along the bone line, but SAVE THEM! Any butcher can do this, you do not need a specialized meat shop if that intimidates you, cheers if you do! 

3 ribs	7 to 8.5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	1 3/4 to 2 hours	135 degrees F
4 ribs	9 to 10.5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	2 to 2 1/2 hours	135 degrees F
5 ribs	11 to 13.5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	2 1/2 to 3 hours	135 degrees F
6 ribs	14 to 16 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	3 1/4 to 3 1/2hours	135 degrees F
7 ribs	16 to 18.5 pounds	450 deg/325 deg F	3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours	135 degrees F

Standing Rib Roast 

3-5 rib standing rib roast
Salt
2 tbs. coarsely cracked pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced into paste
2 tbs chopped rosemary
2 tbs chopped thyme
2 tbs chopped parsley
2 tbs chopped oregano
Olive oil

Rib roast is one that thing I love to start a few days in advance. Salt the meat a full 48 hours before you are going to cook it. Cover it and return it to the fridge.
Before cooking, tie roast to rib and chine bones, this keeps the tender meats from separating and drying out. Mix the herbs, garlic, olive oil and pepper into a paste. Rub it all over the meat and let it sit out for an hour or two a room temperature. Insert meat thermometer into deepest part.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Place roast on a rack in a large, heavy roasting pan; roast elevated on a rack, bone side down. Roast for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 325°. Place at least 1 cup-2 cups water in bottom of roasting pan, water should not touch roast. Roast at 325 degrees F for 1.5-2 hours (or 16 min per pound), or until internal temperature (stay away from the bone while checking temp) reaches 135 degrees F. Remove from oven, remove from roasting pan, loosely tent and allow to rest for 15 minutes while making the au jus and Yorkshire Pudding.
Reserve the bones for some incredible beef stock or French Onion Soup!

Individual Yorkshire Pudding

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pan drippings from roast prime rib of beef

12 muffin tin, or cast iron skillet, or oven proof baking dish

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In blender, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy, add salt and flour on high. Stir in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.

CAST IRON OR BAKING DISH- After removing roast from oven, reserve beef juices. Pour the drippings into a 9-inch pie pan, cast iron skillet, or baking dish.
Put the pan in oven and get the drippings smoking hot.
Carefully take the pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Put the pan back in oven and cook until puffed, 15 to 20 minutes. slice into serving sizes and serve immediately along with Prime Rib. 

• INDIVIDUAL-After removing roast from oven, reserve beef juices.
  Measure 1/2 teaspoon of remaining 2 tablespoons beef fat into each cup of standard muffin pan.
  Place pan in oven to heat for 3 minutes (fat will smoke).
  Working quickly, remove pan from oven, close oven door, and divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
  Immediately return pan to oven. Bake, without opening oven door, for 15-20 minutes.
  Using hands or dinner knife, lift each pudding out of tin and serve immediately with Prime Rib.

Venison (or Beef) and Wild Mushroom Stroganoff

Though I make this recipe with venison backstrap, which is naturally very low in fat, you can easily make a delicious variation with beef tenderloin or even hamburger!
Creamy, saucy and delicious Stroganoff is thought to have its origins in old Russia. and brought abroad by soldiers returning from war.


I know that many people cook dishes like this one with canned condensed soup mixed, but I hope once you learn the trick of, 2 tbs butter and 2 tbs flour starter, starting a roux, you will never find reason to ever buy processed gravies, soups, or sauces again! It really is simple. Start your flour in a fat (butter, oil, or fat) and you will never find a lump again.

Venison and Wild Mushroom Stroganoff
30 minutes

1-2 lbs venison backstrap or tenderloin
OR
1 2 1/2-pound piece beef tenderloin or sirloin, well trimmed, meat cut into 2x1x1/2 inch strips
5 tbs butter
5 tbs flour, using 2 tbs first, and 3 tbs later.
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pound wild mushrooms, or cremini
1 clove garlic
1 1/2-2 cups (12-16 oz) organic beef broth
2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy (optional)
2-3 tbs Worcestershire sauce, to taste
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley(optional)


12 ounces wide egg noodles
4 tbs butter
1 tablespoon paprika


Cut tenderloin strips or medallions. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and flour lightly with first 2 tbs flour. Heat oil and butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, working in batches, add meat in single layer and cook just until brown on outside, about 1 minute per side. Set aside.

Add 1 tbs olive oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until tender, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add button mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper and sauté until liquid evaporates, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic in last minute. In the middle of skillet, clear an area and melt 3 tbs butter, and 3 tbs flour, letting it melt into each other. Remove all of the flour taste by browning lightly for about three minutes. Whisk in beef broth. Simmer until liquid thickens and just coats mushrooms, about 14 minutes. Stir in sour cream, Worcestershire . Add meat that was set aside, and any accumulated juices. Simmer over medium-low about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Put back in pan, and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter; toss to coat. Divide noodles among plates. Top with beef and sauce. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve with finely chopped fresh Italian parsley.

Thai Massaman Curry- Beef and Chicken or Vegetarian

This Thai curry is unusual as it is not spicy or hot. Savory, deep, rich and creamy and melting with the most tender chunks of beef.

Thai Massaman Curry

2 lbs of beef, cut into 1.5-inch cubes (The tougher the better. I suggest a beef shank, or other bone in style roasts)

-OR-
Authentic Chicken uses thighs and bone in pieces.  I prefer a chunk so I use 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast.  Cubed.
-OR-
Cauliflower(1 head broken into bite size pieces), New Potatoes and Chickpeas

2 cans good coconut milk
1 lb of waxy, potatoes like Yukon Gold or Yellow potatoes; cut into 2-inch chunks.
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
One 4-ounce can of Massaman curry paste, or to taste (1/2 can if like it mild)
2 tablespoons of prepared tamarind paste
2 tbs. Fish sauce, or to taste ( I know it sounds GROSS, but do not be afraid of fish sauce)
2 Tbs Palm, coconut, or brown sugar
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Optional add ins
7-8 lightly toasted white or green cardamoms, optional
1 teaspoon of lightly toasted cumin seeds, optional
3 Star Anise

Scoop out about 3/4 cup of the top, creamy part of the coconut milk and put in a large heavy-bottomed pot along with the curry paste. Fry the paste in the coconut cream over medium-high heat until the mixture turns into a creamy paste, bubbles up, and the coconut starts to turn oily.
Add the meat into the pot; stir to coat the meat with the curry paste. Add the remaining coconut milk and just enough water to barely cover the meat.
Turn up the heat just until everything comes to a boil; immediately lower the heat so that the curry is gently simmering. Cook, covered, until the meat is almost tender. The cooking time varies, depending upon the cuts of meat usually 1 1/2-2 hours. Beef shank, on the other hand, could take up to 3-4 hours. Chicken and cauliflower takes about 15 minutes so do with potatoes.
Check on the meat periodically. If more water is needed to keep the meat submerged, add it to the pot and restore the gentle simmer after each addition.

Add the onions and potatoes to the pot along with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. You should add the onions and potatoes at the point where you feel it would take about 20 minutes for the meat to be perfectly tender. Add the vegetables before that point and they become mushy and fall apart by the time the meat is properly cooked. Add the vegetables after the meat has been perfectly cooked and by the time the onions and potatoes are tender, the meat will have been falling apart. This is the part where exact time requirement is not practical and common sense is necessary.
About 5 minutes before the potatoes and onions are ready, start seasoning the curry to taste with the tamarind paste, sugar, and extra cardamom and cumin, if desired. If more fish sauce is needed, add it now. Try to recall the taste of the version of Massaman curry which you like and keep seasoning it with tamarind, sugar, and fish sauce, and tasting until you achieve that flavor. (I like mine a bit on the sweet side with some tang.)

Serve with Coconut Rice and top with chopped peanuts.

Chicken Massaman

Hints: I do not suggest adding other vegetables or using baker potatoes as it affects the perfection of creamy taste and texture.  Also do not use lean and tender cuts of meat.  They will be mushy and ruin the Massaman. 

Homemade, Meaty, Cheesy, Melty Lasagna

I used my left over True Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs sauce, mushrooms and burger to produce a second delicious Italian dish.  Homemade Meaty Lasagna, was actually solving the leftovers problem. I was on my way out to go hunting with my daughter(See Hunting Women), and last years bounty was using up valuable space in my freezer so I browned up the rest of the Elk, Venison and Moose burger that I had left and added it to the amazing sauce. I knew when I got back from 4 days in the cold and elements this would be a welcome premade, yet homemade, meal the whole family would love! Below is a the basic recipe I use not only if you do not have the premade sauce,  but also using ground beef. 

Meaty, Cheesy, Melty Lasagna

Sauce:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or Venison or another game ground)
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 onion

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes (hand crush as pour in)
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

Cheese Layer:

1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese or ricotta 

1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan

2 tbsp freshly chopped Italian flat leaf parsley or 1 tbsp dried

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

9 uncooked lasagna noodles if cooking immediately, or boiled for half package directions if freezing

2 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saucepan, combine ground hamburger, sausage, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain.

Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, and eggs.
Spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.
Bake 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Freeze- seal tightly with Tin Foil.  I use the disposable Tin Pans over and over.  If frozen bake at 375 for  2 hours. 1 if thawed.

Ready for the Freezer in a Flash!