Do You Have a Holiday Meal Tradition?

On December 20, 2017December 19, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes2 Comments

We have mentioned before that we have certain meals that we always eat during the different holidays. On Christmas Day, we always have prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, which is typically an English tradition, but we have adopted it for ourselves. It is actually pretty easy to prepare and we usually find prime rib on sale, which makes it more economical for this special dinner. One of the best things about making prime rib are the sandwiches that you make with the leftovers during the following days, especially if you save the juice from the prime rib and make French Dip sandwiches. Last year, we were in Prague during Christmas, so we didn’t end up having prime rib, so we are looking forward to having it more than ever this year. We will be in Chicago visiting our youngest daughter for Christmas, so we will be leaving the cooking up to her. We are looking forward to seeing how she prepares our traditional dinner, but here is the recipe that we would normally prepare.

Ingredients

6 – 8 lb Prime Rib (3 or 4 ribs)
5 Garlic Cloves – minced
1/4 cup Prepared Horseradish
4 tbsp Fresh Rosemary – roughly chopped
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Thyme
1/4 cup Sea Salt
1/8 cup Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Eggs
3/4 cup Whole Milk
1/2 cup Pan Drippings from the Prime Rib

Instructions

Stir together the flour and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Rosemary and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the prime rib, bone side down, into a large roasting pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, horseradish, 3 tablespoons of the rosemary, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, sea salt, pepper, and olive oil. Whisk the ingredients until it forms a paste (whisking instead of stirring allows the ingredients to bind together). Generously rub the paste over the top (the fat cap) of the prime rib. Roast the prime rib in the oven for 2 – 2 1/2 hours (approximately 20 minutes per pound) until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees. Pull the roast from the oven and set it aside, tented, for 20 to 30 minutes to rest (cutting into the roast without letting it rest will cause the juices to run out and the prime rib to be dry). Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour the pan drippings into a 9 inch square baking dish. Place the baking dish into the oven for 5 minutes to get the drippings smoking hot. Take the baking dish out of the oven, pull the batter out of the refrigerator, and add the cold batter to the pan drippings. Place the pudding back into the oven and cook until puffed and dry, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage and Potatoes

On November 8, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic, Germany, Recipes8 Comments

Sauerbraten is something that we had several times during our time in Germany. It is basically a pot roast and it is typically served with red cabbage and potatoes. We decided to recreate the Sauerbraten that we ate at a restaurant in Prague, Czech Republic, in December last year. It is fairly easy to make, but does take a while to fully marinade the beef. Because it is marinated and then slow cooked, it is possible to use a less expensive cut of meat and still have it tender and tasty. We cooked our red cabbage with an apple as that was often the way that it was served in Europe. We have to admit that it turned out really well and tasted wonderful.

Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage and Potatoes in Prague

INGREDIENTS

2 lb Rump Roast
Kosher Salt
1 cup Onion – diced
3/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup Water
2 tbsp Pickling Spice Blend (you can make your own if you can’t find it pre-made)
1 tbsp Honey
8 Black Peppercorns – whole
4 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
3 to 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 cup Beef Broth
Potatoes – boiled until fork tender
Butter
Parsley
1 jar Red Cabbage (we used @AuntNellies)
1/2 Granny Smith Apple – peeled, cored, and diced

INSTRUCTIONS

Season all sides of the roast with a generous amount of kosher salt. Combine the onions, red wine vinegar, pickling spice, honey, peppercorns, water and roast in a large plastic bag and let marinade for 1 to 2 days. Remove the roast from the bag, keeping the rest of the marinade, and pat the roast dry. Dust all sides of the roast with the flour. In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil to medium-high heat and then brown the roast on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the roast to a slow cooker or crock pot and pour in the reserved marinade and the beef broth. Cook on low for 8 hours until the roast is tender. Sauté the red cabbage with the diced apple until the apple is soft. Boil the potatoes, drain, and add the butter and sprinkle with parsley.

Blue Island Oyster Bar and Seafood in Denver, Colorado

On October 25, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Food2 Comments

We were spending the weekend in Denver and had heard about a seafood restaurant that was celebrating “Oystoberfest” for the entire month of October. The Blue Island Oyster Bar in the Cherry Creek area of Denver has an excellent happy hour every day and a wonderful selection of fresh seafood. One of the things that we learned during our time in Frankfurt, Germany, is that cities have an airport that is a major hub, restaurants can get deliveries of fresh seafood on the same day that the fish are caught. Denver is no different as it is centrally located and can receive seafood from both coasts daily. Blue Island has partnered with Blue Island Shellfish Farms in New York to get their seasonal oysters and other seafood delivered as fresh as possible.

We have mentioned previously that we don’t typically eat a large meal, but eat a few small plates to try as many different foods as possible. Obviously we had to get oysters and they were so good that we ended up getting a second dozen before the night was over. The menu stated that their clam chowder was the “City’s Best Clam Chowder”, so we had to give that a try as well as some chilled shrimp. The clam chowder was nice and thick with a lot of clams and the flavor was wonderful. There were a lot of other choices on the menu and based on the food that we did try, we are sure that you couldn’t go wrong with anything that you might choose. Their prices were very reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food, and we would definitely recommend them to anyone visiting Denver and looking for fresh seafood.