Christmas Dinner

I love that Christmas is a great excuse to fix fancy food. This year our menu consisted of: Prime Rib with Yorkshire Puddings, Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms, mashed potatoes and French green beans.

Because of time spent in England, my husband loves Yorkshire Puddings. I usually only make them once a year at Christmas. I ought to make them more!
Here's the Prime Rib, roasting away.
The mushrooms before roasting

And after. Can I just say the garlic sauce in the bottom was lovely poured over the meat and for dipping the Yorkshire puddings in? Thanks to my favorite cooking blog, smittenkitchen.com. Here's the link to the recipe if you're interested (if you like mushrooms, you're interested):

www.smittenkitchen.com/2010/12/garlic-butter-roasted-mushrooms/#more-6986

The Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding recipes are from Cook's Illustrated Website and Best Recipe Cookbook (respectively). Here they are, tweaked just a bit (and in the portions I cooked for our family):

PERFECT PRIME RIB (serves 4-6)

prime rib roast, about 3 1/2 lbs (2 ribs)

1. Set rib roast out for about 2-3 hours on counter to come to room temperature.

2. Heat oven to 200F. Meanwhile, bring roasting pan to medium-high heat on stove.

3. Dry roast with paper towels and tie a piece of kitchen twine around roast between ribs.

4. Sear roast in pan, turning as needed, until all sides are well-browned.

5. Remove roast from pan, place rack in pan and place roast on rack.

6. Cook, uncovered, in oven about 2-2 1/2 hours, until center of meat registers 130F on instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare).

7. Remove roast from oven and let rest 20-30 minutes, while making:

YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS (Makes 12)

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cups whole milk OR 1 c half and half+1 c regular milk

1 1/2 c flour

3/4 tsp salt

3 T beef fat (reserved from roasting pan)

1. Whisk eggs and milk together in bowl until well-combined (if possible, use a large liquid measuring cup or bowl with a pour spout).

2. Add flour and salt to egg mixture, whisk quickly until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.

3. Cover batter with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.

4. After roast is out of oven, measure 1 T fat from roasting pan and whisk into batter. Raise oven temperature to 450F.

5. Measure 1/2 tsp fat each into 12 muffin cups (standard-sized muffin pan) and place muffin pan in 450F oven for 3 minutes. Fat may smoke.

6. Working quickly, remove muffin pan from oven, close oven door, and divide batter evenly among cups, filling them about 2/3 full.

7. Immediately return pan to oven. Bake, without opening the door, for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until deep golden brown.

8. Remove the pan from the oven and pierce each pudding with a skewer to release the steam and prevent collapse. Serve immediately.

TO CARVE PRIME RIB

Place roast on its side on cutting board (ribs should be perpendicular to cutting board). Use sharp knife to separate ribs from roast. Turn roast onto cut side and cut into thick slices.

Happy Holidays!