It's time to plan Christmas dinner, and you're so over turkey.
A dramatic hunk of beef would be nice. But what to buy? How to prepare it? What if you spend all that money and then ruin it?
Chef Peter Geoghegan says the first step is to take a deep breath. You can, in fact, do this, he says. And it's far more simple than you think.
Geoghegan is a chef with Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Meat Solutions, which produces the Sterling Silver brand of meat common in local grocery stores, and he is charge of cooking protein. His belief: A big, beautiful cut of meat provides the centerpiece for an indulgent and impressive holiday meal, he said.
"It's Christmastime. You might as well splurge and just make it a memorable meal," he said.
Recently, Geoghegan demonstrated in his deluxe kitchen at the Cargill Innovation Center how to prepare one of his favorite recipes: a roasted black pepper prime rib roast with sweet onion marmalade. His finished product yielded thick slices of medium rare rib eye steaks with a peppery crust that was beautifully complimented by the sweet and sour onions on top.
The preparation was simple and required only a few common kitchen tools. But Geoghegan said that for some home cooks, knowing which cut of meat to ask for at the store is the most difficult part of the meal.
He recommends buying a 3-pound cut of Sterling Silver boneless prime rib. This time of year, many stores will have that cut ready to go in the meat case, but don't be afraid to ask the butcher to prepare one.
Expect to spend around $60 for a 3-pounder, which will feed a family of six to eight.
Another key step: Ask the butcher to tie the roast for you. Doing so ensures that all parts of the meat will be exposed to the same amount of heat for the same amount of time and cook evenly.
Also, Geoghegan said, one of the most important ingredients in his recipe is patience. To ensure the most tender, juicy meat, you should let the roast sit out on the counter, covered, for about an hour before cooking so that a cold piece of meat isn't shocked by the heat of the oven, which can cause it to lose moisture.
Also, when the meat is done, Geoghegan said, it's important to let it sit on the counter covered with foil for about 15 minutes. This is called "resting" the meat.
"What that's going to do is relax it so when you slice it, you don't lose all that juice," he said "If you cut it right away, it's going to lose all that moisture."
Finally, he said, cook the meat on a rack so it gets an even crust all the way around, even on the bottom. And make sure you have a meat thermometer so you know when to pull it out of the oven for a perfectly merry medium rare.
