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desperately seeking ...


corax

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many years ago -- certainly over twenty, and very likely over thirty -- there was a recipe in the NY TIMES for roasting prime ribs of beef. the column was, as i recall, either james beard's or craig claiborne's. and indeed i think the headline said something like 'readers recall old recipe,' i.e. this was already an old-timer when the copy i saw was published. it was at least the second time, then, that it had been run in the TIMES, and i think it was being offered again at that point due to popular demand.

i have searched and searched -- not only my own files, but all over egullet and indeed the internet -- with no success. can anyone help me reconstruct this recipe? i'd very much like to use it for xmas eve dinner.

i'll tell you what i remember about it. one preheats the oven to X degrees, puts in the roast, cooks it either at that or a lower temperature for a certain period of time, and then TURNS THE OVEN OFF completely, without opening the door. one then leaves the roast IN the oven, door closed, for Y minutes per pound. [and i think, but can't swear to it, that one coats the whole roast with flour before it goes into the oven.]

when the meat comes out, it's absolutely exquisite. and i remember having done this several times, years ago, and being *really* pleased with the results each time. so imagine my despair not to be able to find it now! i have used meat-thermometer versions etc, but with far less success.

if anyone can who remembers this recipe can supply me with it once again, i will be profoundly grateful.

corax
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The recipe is on this site:Melinda Lee

Melinda is a friend of mine. She has a radio food talk show in L.A. on KNX 1070. She has been around for many years and originally was on the radio with Mike Roy, cookbook author.

Mike touted this recipe for prime rib and it is very, good, works every time.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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I can certainly understand the theory, sear on the outside, low, slow heat on the inside. The same effect can be achieved by pan searing the roast or putting it in a blazing hot oven and then dropping the heat to 65C once a crust has formed. Given enough time, the roast will remain a perfect medium rare indefinately.

PS: I am a guy.

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Interesting suggestions on the web site. I know I would be frustrated by the first method, especially if I tried it in different places: seems to me that there's too much variability in heat retention of different ovens, ambient temperature, etc.

I came up with this a few years ago: I wanted to cook a prime rib on coals (with some wood smoke), and I really didn't want to sear it first and then finish it off at a lower temperature. The equipment I was using had too much heat retention and wouldn't make that easy to achieve; plus, searing it would make it harder for the smoke to penetrate into the meat. So I reversed the steps: cooked/smoked at a steady 225 F until it hit 125. Took it off and got the fire to a full 700 F, and then put it back on for a few minutes per side -- just long enough to get some color and flavor on the outside.

Brought it in, rested it for a bit, and then sliced for serving. It was perfectly medium rare all the way through, with a nice crust on the outside. The 'crusting' stage didn't cook the interior...

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I utilize the 500 degree method all of the time, have been doing so for years, in fact, it is my preferred way to prepare a bone in ribeye. I use and have used electric ovens exclusively for this and have never run across the fan running when the oven was turned off.

FOOLPROOF method:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees for 30 min.

Allow roast to warm for 1/2 hour out of the refridge but still wrapped in it's original packaging. Season to taste.

Place seasoned roast in a pan, bone side down, fat side up.

QUICKLY open the oven and place roast in and shut the door, there is no reason that you can't get the roast in to the oven and the door closed back up within 10 seconds, if there is, you should use a helper.

The essential part of the cooking is A: noting the weight of the meat B: timing the whole process C: NEVER OPENING THE OVEN.

A: cook at 500 degrees for 6 min per pound, then turn off the oven. Do I need to say, don't open the door?

B: the roast will be completely done and ready to carve exactly 2 hours from the time it went in to the oven, plan your meal accordingly. Do I need to say, don't open the door?

C: Do I need to say, don't open the door?

I sometimes find that the roast is the tinest bit cool for my taste after 2 hours so I always turn the oven back on for the last 6 min of the 2 hour time interval.

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I remember the recipe as well. It was first published in Craig Claiborne's column in the NY Times in the late sixties; recipe was credited to the late Ann Serrane.

About the same time, I worked with Ann Serrane on a

CBS international food\mail order project which didn't see much light of day. We featured her recipe in the first "party box as "French."

Edited by Wolfert (log)

“C’est dans les vieux pots, qu’on fait la bonne soupe!”, or ‘it is in old pots that good soup is made’.

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I remember the recipe as well. It was first published in Craig Claiborne's column in the NY Times in the mid seventies;  recipe was credited to the late Ann Serrane.

About the same time, I worked with Ann Serrane on a

CBS international food\mail order project which didn't see much light of day. We featured her recipe in the first "party box as "French."

I found this recipe while doing a Google search based upon your information. Hope this helps...

There's a recipe for Horseradish Whipped Cream by Donata Maggipinto at the bottom, which sounds wonderful.

edited to add I am curious why no other spices on the outside? I've grown accustomed to rosemary and thyme along with the garlic, s & p...it adds a nice hint of flavor.

Edited by Toliver (log)

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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I use the 500 degree method all the time, as well, with great results. I got it from the butcher at Andronico's years ago when I bought my first prime rib roast for a Christmas dinner. He told me to preheat the oven for an hour at 500F, then put in the room-temperature roast and let it go for 15 minutes a rib, then turn it off and leave the oven door shut for two hours.

Since I knew I was going to be running around in and out of the kitchen after the guests had arrived -- and knowing their proclivities toward curiousity, I made a big sign that simply said "DON'T!" and taped it to the oven door. They didn't, and the roast turned out to be a beautiful medium rare, and was a big hit. I've used this method several times over the years since then (including the sign), and it's always turned out perfectly.

Cheers,

Squeat

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I use the 500 degree method all the time, as well, with great results. I got it from the butcher at Andronico's years ago when I bought my first prime rib roast for a Christmas dinner. He told me to preheat the oven for an hour at 500F, then put in the room-temperature roast and let it go for 15 minutes a rib, then turn it off and leave the oven door shut for two hours.

Since I knew I was going to be running around in and out of the kitchen after the guests had arrived -- and knowing their proclivities toward curiousity, I made a big sign that simply said "DON'T!" and taped it to the oven door. They didn't, and the roast turned out to be a beautiful medium rare, and was a big hit. I've used this method several times over the years since then (including the sign), and it's always turned out perfectly.

Cheers,

Squeat

What a great idea. The sign would be a MUST in my house. The smell could easily entice one to take a little peek, to make sure it looks as good as it smells.

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MANY thanks to all of you who rallied round. i couldn't be more pleased. and i now know that xmas dinner will be a resounding success!

all the best to all of you, and bon appetit,

corax

corax
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