Beef Prime Rib Roast With Shoe String Fries And Blue Cheese Dip
Serves 4-6
A rib roast is a lovely thing and the simple preparation makes it easy but it is an expensive cut of meat, so to help out the pocketbook you may want to look for a sirloin tip roast and cook it the same way. Make sure in either case though that you’re getting choice grade meat. “Prime rib” is really a misnomer and used like “Kleenex”. Prime rib is really not available to the consumer and you wouldn’t want to pay for it, but make sure in either case that the meat you’re buying is “choice” grade and not “select”. Also don’t be afraid of the 125° finish temperature and the fact that the roast may look to rare, remember it will cook forward as it rests.
You’ll Need:
1 (3 rib) roast, about 5 pounds, rimmed of excess but not all fat or:
5 to 6 pounds sirloin tip roast topped with a piece of pork fat or a few slices of bacon and tied.
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups beef stock
Here’s What To Do:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring meat to room temperature by removing it from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before roasting. Using a paring knife, poke small holes in the meat and insert the garlic into them. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Place the roast in a large roasting pan, bone side down, or fat side up in the case of the sirloin tip roast.
Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue to roast. The size of the roast will affect cooking time so begin checking your temperature after a 1 hour and 15 minutes or so using an instant read thermometer or set your remote thermometer for 125° for a rare to medium-rare doneness which may require more than the hour and 15 minutes.
Remove meat to a carving board, cover with foil and even a dish towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Place roasting pan on top of stove over high heat. Add the wine and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits and reduce. Add stock and reduce by half, season with salt and pepper. To serve: slice the rib roast into half to three-quarter inch slices, and the sirloin tip roast into quarter inch or less slices and drizzle with some of the sauce.
Shoestring Potatoes:
4 russet potatoes (2 to 3 pounds), peeled
1 quart vegetable oil
Salt
Blue Cheese Dip:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups hot milk
1 1/2 cups Danish or other mild blue cheese, crumbled
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt
Potatoes: peel the potatoes and if you have one use a mandolin slicer to cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices. Stack two or three of the cut the slices and then cut them links wise into 1/8-inch wide strips. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Add the potatoes in batches, separating them when they hit the oil. They will fry quickly so remove as soon as they begin to turn golden brown, drain on paper towels and salt liberally.
Dip: Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk and cook until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the blue cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Season with just a pinch of cayenne, check for salt and adjust to taste. Pour into ramekins and serve with the fries. Not bad on the beef either.
What Goes With What Wines Selections
Château de Parenchère “Cuvée Raphaël” Bordeaux Superieur ‘06 (Bordeaux)
‘06 was not a great vintage in Bordeaux and Superieur is a lesser area of the region, that being said this is where you find bargains. It’s a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that is delicious now and drinkable over the next 4-6 years. The wine was aged in 30% new French barrels for 15 months, revealing a touch of cedar and vanilla flavor. The fruits here are dark plum and currant and are balanced nicely by hints of tobacco and earth. R 89 $16.00
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Seven Hills “Ciel du Cheval Vineyard” Red Mountain Red ’06 WA. (Cabernet_Sauvignon)
The wine is a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot with bright and generous flavors of blackberry and black currant with an elegant structure flavors and a long finish. R92 $29