Yep, you read it correctly: Butter…Poached..Rib Roast. Eight pounds of butter to be exact. In the pictures above, you’ll see the proof, including what 8 pounds of reducing butter looks like in a large pot, as well as the clarified remnants.

The first few people to whom I mentioned this laughed nervously before questioning if they’d indeed heard me correctly.

I wanted to post the pictures today and get to the recipe and my analysis of it in the next few days. On paper, this was quite simple. But, it did include quite a lot of prep time that I wasn’t aware of when I’d read through it the initial few times. Furthermore, my uncle pulled this from the paper and neglected to mention that there was a larger article with the recipe that contained some guidance about trimming the roast.

So, for the most part, I flew blind in pulling this together. But, after the prep, and despite the lack of trimming some key areas, this was quite easy.

Here is the initial recipe from the Washington Post

The roast turned out, as you can imagine, incredibly tender and not at all greasy. Once our group overcame the fears of what might happen to our arteries, we immersed fully into this must-eat-only-once-per-year indulgence.

The crispy potatoes that I served with this are definitely a keeper. Basically, you peel the skin from Yukon Gold potatoes, cut off the ends, and then chuff all sides with a fork (basically, drag the fork across all sides of the potato, leaving the little channels in its wake).

I recommend cooking these for about 45 minutes to an hour; 30 or so minutes at 375 and then the remaining time about about 475. Baste the potatoes every so often with butter and beef stock (or with any fat you have from what you’re cooking) and don’t season with salt until they come out of the oven as you don’t want to draw any water toward the surface.

Okay, more to come later. I have several comments about what I did differently and what you might consider if you decide to try this. For all you Roast Beast fans out there, it’s a must.

Here’s the link to the Rib Eye Recipe on Foodista

Mrs. Silva's claim to fame

Roughly translated, “Mrs. Silva’s Beef with Currents,” but as my family calls it “Mrs. Silva’s Meat Dish.”

I first had this dish when I was nine, just like my father, who first experienced the wonders of this simple dish in 1956. Mrs. Silva – no one seems to remember her first name – was a friend of the family in Turkey. And, as all good friends do – she left behind a lasting legacy.

This simple dish provides a warm winter meal with minimal requirements. Furthermore, in the great tradition or recipe play, beyond the basics it is a welcome palette for experimentation.

The basics:

• One pound ground beef
• One whole onion, diced
• Curry (to taste)
• Currants
• Cinnamon
• Salt and Pepper
• White Rice

Recipe Play

• Garlic
• Cayenne
• Parsley

Of all this, you might question whether currants are something that anyone just has lying around. Currants are basically small raisins so any raisins you have around the house will most certainly do. If you don’t have them, they are, thankfully, not too expensive.

Saute onions until just translucent. Don’t allow to burn. Remove. Add beef and brown all over, adding the onions when the meet is no longer pink. Add curry, salt and pepper, garlic, cayenne and cinnamon, mix to taste. It should be spicy, but not hot.

Cook rice. Roughly chop parsley.

When rice is done, mix in half the parsley. I removed one cup of rice and used a ramekin to pack the rice into a form. Top the rice with the mixture and spoon over some of the liquid sauce. Top with chopped parsley and sea salt. Serve with rye bread.

More later