Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Rib-Eye Roast


It's my birthday next week and it just so happens to be the same day that the town of Sausalito is having their annual Christmas Light Boat Parade and fireworks.  We've decided to have 4 couples over for dinner and I think this has to be what I am going to make.  I found this recipe while I was flipping through the new December issue of Bon Appetit and my mouth started watering.  I've never made a rib-eye roast but there is no time like the present! 

Bacon and Spinach-Stuffed Rib-Eye Roast
Stuffing
  • 1 pound applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups cooked (or three 10-oz. bags frozen, thawed) spinach, squeezed dry, chopped
  • 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  • 2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs made from day-old white bread
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, whisked to blend

Roast

  • 1 5-bone standing beef rib-eye roast (10–13 lb.), chine bone removed, fat trimmed to 1/4" thick
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

Stuffing

  • Pulse bacon several times in a food processor to coarsely chop. Scrape bacon into a large skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until brown but not crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off and reserve 2 Tbsp. bacon drippings for another use. Return pan to medium heat. Add celery, shallots, and garlic; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and crème fraîche; cook, stirring occasionally, 2–3 minutes longer. Scrape mixture into a medium bowl.
  • Stir breadcrumbs, scallions, sage, thyme, and nutmeg into stuffing mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic and refrigerate, Stir in eggs. Spread stuffing out on a rimmed baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap and chill until stuffing is firm, about 1 hour.

Roast

  • Let meat stand at room temperature for 4 hours.
  • Arrange a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 450°. Set a V-shaped rack inside a large roasting pan. Place roast on a work surface with bones standing straight up. Using a knife, cut along bones so only 1" of meat is attached at base of bones.
  • Season roast (including the bones) generously with salt and pepper, rub with oil, and sprinkle with thyme. Place roast, bones facing up, in prepared pan; wrap bone tips in foil to prevent burning.
  • Pull bones away from meat to create a 3–4"-wide pocket at the top. Lightly pack stuffing into pocket. Starting at one end, tie kitchen twine horizontally around bones to keep them in place and secure stuffing. Tie the roast vertically between each bone.
  • Roast beef for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and continue roasting for 3 hours–beginning to probe center of roast at the 2-hour mark–until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 110°–115° for rare and 120°–125° for medium-rare.
  • Transfer roast to a carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Remove twine.
  • Carving option 1: Cut between ribs to make 5 large bone-in steaks to share.
  • Carving option 2: Spoon stuffing into a serving bowl. Slice off rib rack by cutting through strip of meat at base of bones. Slice between bones and transfer ribs to a platter. Place meat on a work surface; cut into 1/4–1/2"-thick slices. Transfer slices to platter with ribs and serve with small spoonfuls of stuffing on the side.

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Brooks' Sweet Onion Tart


I am cooking my very first Thanksgiving meal at my house this year - WOO FREAKING HOO!  This has been a dream so needless to say, I am pretty excited.  I really want to incorporate recipes and traditions from my family and this onion tart is one of them.  My aunt really goes all out on Thanksgiving and I will be serving up some of her best dishes from over the years but this tart has always been a staple.  It's actually from a local specialty store called Foodstuffs in the northern suburbs of Chicago and the only dish she doesn't make from scratch.  They couldn't ship them to me on the West Coast but they were kind enough to share the recipe. 

Brooks’ Sweet Onion Tart
Serves approximately 6-8
Ingredients :
Spanish Onions 1 lb
Unsalted Butter 1 Tbsp
Brown Sugar 1/2 cup
Baby Swiss Cheese, Shredded 1 cup
Eggs, Beaten 1 cup
Heavy Cream 3/4 cup
Pie Shell, Pre-Baked 1 each
Puff Pastry Sheets 1 each
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Slice onions 1/4” thick. In a sauce pan, add butter and cook onions.
Add brown sugar and caramelize onions. In a separate bowl, add beaten eggs and cream.
Add cooked caramelized onion mixture to egg mixture and blend. Add all ingredients into
the pre-baked pie shell. Bake in a 350 oven for approximately 60-90 minutes until set.
Slice puff pastry sheets into 1/2” ribbons. Place on baked tart in a lattice (criss-cross)
form. Place back into the oven for another 8-10 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

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