Happy Holidays everyone. I’m getting together with my family so I’ve asked Chef Eric Frischkorn to talk about his delicious Prime Rib and plans for the holiday. –Justin

Christmas dinner is pretty big deal around my house. So with Chef Justin is heading back east for the holidays, so he asked me to write about what I’m cooking.

Usually I go home, back to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and cook a huge feast for around 40 people. This year my family decided to do something different; we rented a house in Park City, Utah for a holiday ski trip.

Since I don’t want to miss a whole day of skiing, I have decided to simplify my Christmas menu by cooking a prime rib.  Prime rib is a great choice to feed a lot of people, because it is pretty much ready to go straight from the butcher to the oven.  It requires no cleaning, there are no scraps or mess to deal with – all you have to do is oil and season it and put it in the oven.

After all the stress from cooking the Thanksgiving turkey, prime rib is the perfect choice for the holidays.  You can just insert an instant-read (oven-proof) thermometer and cook it to medium-rare in the center – a roast like this appeases all tastes, from those who prefer medium-rare to those who like their meat well done – the end cuts are great for them.

My idea of an easy holiday menu for 20 people is to roast two prime ribs (we will use the leftovers for sandwiches with horseradish sauce over the next few days) with cheesy potato gratin, beet salad with arugula & goat cheese, and roasted Brussels sprouts.  This simple meal will keep us on the slopes and out of the kitchen.

Happy Holidays.

Holiday Prime Rib

Ingredients

• 1 (3 rib) prime rib roast, bone-in or boneless (5 to 6 lbs.)
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 Tbsp. dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Method

1. Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub the prime rib with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, herbs and garlic powder. Rub this mixture onto the prime rib. Place the prime rib in a roasting pan, fat-side up, and insert an ovenproof meat thermometer so the tip is centered in the thickest part of the roast. Place in the oven and cook for 2 1/4 hours or until internal temperature reaches 122°F.
3. While the roast is in the oven, prepare the sauce.
4. Once the roast is done, remove from oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 25 minutes prior to slicing. The temperature of the roast should increase 10 to 15 degrees.

For The Creme Fraiche Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup Vintner’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 cup crème frâiche
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. prepared horseradish

Method

1. In a small pot, place the red wine and shallots. Cook over medium heat and reduce to almost dry. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a bowl, add the remaining ingredients and the cooled red wine reduction. Stir to combine and chill until ready to serve. This sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.