Just Cook It: Holiday dinner crunch time
I love cooking for the holidays, but no matter how much I love it, there’s always a lot to consider at crunch time.
I hope that you, much like me, already have everything for your Christmas dinner well underway. I hope that you that you have a detailed prep list that you are following so you don’t have to think more than necessary. I also hope that you prepped ahead so that you are not trying to finish everything at the last minute.
The centerpiece of my menu this year is a slow roasted 14-pound strip loin of beef. I purchased my beef a few days ago from a specialty provider who provides a lot of the local restaurants with the beef that they serve.
When it comes to preparing meat for this many people there isn’t much choice other than to cook a very large piece and then to slice it just before serving. I expect that there will be leftover beef and to be completely honest I plan it that way every year. Over the next few days I will enjoy devouring left over beef sandwiches slathered with creamy horseradish.
The creamy horseradish sauce that I traditionally serve with my slow roasted beef is very simple. I prefer a chilled creamy horseradish. I combine equal parts of mayonnaise and sour cream with horseradish, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
Making the sauce this way serves a couple different purposes. First, it allows me to make it a couple days ahead of time. The more you can do in advance the easier your Christmas morning will be.
For Christmas dinner, the key to prepping ahead is to prepare foods that you are able to prepare at least a couple of days ahead. The reason for this is because most of us are out celebrating on Christmas Eve and therefore won’t be getting much prep done the night before. By being able to prep certain items a couple of days in advance, you will make your Christmas day much easier and much more enjoyable.
The second purpose that enjoying my creamy horseradish as a chilled sauce serves is that it is fantastic on sandwiches later in the week. I like to toast a leftover dinner roll, butter it with Kerrygold butter, slather it with my creamy horseradish, and then layer it with my chilled leftover beef and a slice or two of sharp cheddar. That’s extremely good eating and I can’t think of a better way to utilize leftovers.
For the meal itself, I like to slice my slow roasted beef a bit thicker than I do for sandwiches. For my Christmas dinner I like a fairly thick slice of beef with a nice dollop of creamy horseradish sauce.
I am preparing my beef the same way that I prepared the prime rib that I made for my Just Cook It video last December. If you are planning on preparing a large cut of beef and would like step by step instructions for how to prepare it, then head on over to HeraldStandard.com and watch my video from last year.
One final tip that is vitally important when preparing beef — please please please (it’s important enough to warrant three pleases) plan to give your beef ample time to rest at room temperature after it is finished roasting. The larger the piece of beef the longer you will want to let it rest before slicing.
Since tomorrow is Christmas Day I don’t want to take anymore of your time.
Finish cooking, or if you are already done cooking, then go enjoy time with your family, friends, and loved ones. Put the paper down and enjoy the holiday.
Don’t forget to check out my For Starters column in tomorrow’s GO! Magazine in the Herald-Standard for a couple fun recipes that you can enjoy between holidays and to celebrate New Year’s Eve/Day, which is right around the corner!
Before I sign off for today I would like to wish you and yours a very merry and joyous Christmas!
Mario Porreca of Belle Vernon is an entrepreneur, author, lifestyle solutions expert, and the host of Just Cook It Radio. He can be reached via his website at: www.MarioPLS.com. Twitter: @MarioPorreca