Tis’ Season For the Crofut - 12 Recipes Of Christmas!

On the first day of Christmas my truelove gave to me ...I big hunk of meat called prime Rib! (..Yeah me!!)

The Holidays are always about tradition and what is more traditional in the Midwest than Prime Rib on Christmas Eve? Some people may shy from this mammoth piece of meat, though it is the easiest to prepare of all red meats. All you need is some simple seasonings, a couple carrots, celery and onions on a bottom of a roasting pan and oven. What could be hard about that?

Start off with a raw prime rib. They're often around 16 pounds, but most butchers are more than happy to cut you a specific weight.

Prime Rib Rub

1 c. Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/4 c. Ground Coffee

Simply mix together the coffee grounds and the montreal seasoning. I know that some are hesitant to use coffee, but it intensifies the flavor of the beef in which the manner we are going to roast it.

In a roasting pan larger enough for the beef, place a couple handfuls of large chopped carrots, celery and onions. This is simply just lay the roast upon to not only keep the roast from sticking to the pan, to also give flavor to the sauce which we will talk about later...

Cover the roast with the rub, place in the pan and put it in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes. I call this step “Blasting”. You are simply dry-searing the beef to lock in the juices. After 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 200 degrees for roughly 60 minutes or until the middle of the roast reaches the temperature of 135 degrees. Pull from oven and let rest for a minimum 10 minutes before slicing.

The outer cuts should be a perfect medium and the center should be a perfect medium rare for the die-hard carnivores.

Now lets talk sauce.
Most Prime Rib is served with a simple mixture of half sour cream and half grated horseradish mixed together. (Those of you that know me, know I’m not like most.)

Strain out the veggies and reserve the pan juices. Place a sauce pan on medium high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in a couple tablespoons of flour to create a light roux. To the roux, add pan drippings and 2 cups Crofut North Woods or Frontenac and bring to a boil to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. I like to add a little horseradish to the wine sauce and serve on the side of the perfected cut of meat... Yum!

On A Side Note: Why start a new tradition and purchase your meat from many local farmers and growers listed on the Minnesota Grown Website?

Keep it Simple, Keep it Local
-Richard