We have several holiday traditions that we celebrate from year to year, but they aren’t what truly matters during this festive season. Regardless of where we are, it always comes down to caring, sharing, compassion, and family. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Its’s Not This Time of Year Without… There are many things that remind us of the season, our Christmas tree, prime rib with Yorkshire pudding, or a fire in the fireplace. However, we have been away from home the past couple of Christmas’, which has helped us realize that it is about a phone call with loved ones, a card that says they are thinking of us, or most importantly, the two of us being together that is truly most important. Since this is a photo challenge, we have chosen a couple of photos taken during our travels at this time of year, probably a reason that we have always purchased unique holiday decorations from wherever we have been. We already have several spread out in our apartment here in Frankfurt to remind us that it is the holiday season, although a quick trip out of our door to the local Christmas market is all we really need to remind us that the holidays are upon 🎄.
Warwick Castle Decorated for ChristmasChristmas Market in WürzburgEven Las Vegas does Christmas, Somewhat
We apologize for the relatively brief post, but we decided to take an impromptu visit to Vienna, Austria, for an three-day weekend. We flew in last night and have spent the day enjoying everything that Vienna has to offer. One surprising thing is that the Christmas Markets started today, with the largest one starting tomorrow. They don’t start in Germany until the 23rd of November, so we didn’t expect to find them starting already. We will fill you in on all of the festivities, but here are a couple of photos to give you a feel for our first day here.
Michael vs Lucifer StatueOne of the Market StandsOld Town ViennaThe Second of Four Christmas Markets in Vienna
For every holiday, we have a food tradition that we are adamant about doing every year. Don’t ask us why, but we are very superstitious about our holiday meals. We’ve been very fortunate over the years and, although we know it has nothing to do with the meals that we’ve eaten, we just don’t want to jinx ourselves. Our Christmas tradition is to have prime rib (or standing rib roast) with Yorkshire pudding. It isn’t a complicated meal, but it is certainly delicious. We flew home on Christmas Eve so that we could be home for Christmas and cook our traditional dinner on Christmas Day. It was the perfect complement to being home. You don’t need to have a holiday or a superstition to give this meal a try 😉
Prime Rib
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
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.
Yorkshire Pudding Batter
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.
Combine HerbsWhisk the Rub IngredientsRub the Prime Rib
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.
