Saveur

My new subscription to Saveur magazine started up while I was off in SC on Xmas vacation.

It started up in the typical fashion for magazines. They sent me the past two issues of the magazine (November & December) along with the current issue so now the subscription is already a quarter way through. In my case, I like it since I'd not seen these two issues but had I already bought them on a news stand or some-such I'd have been rather annoyed. I think it's rather silly of magazines to pull that trick so often.

There was a recipe for a drink in this issue that, Chris, a former girlfriend of mine, probably would have liked. It's called a Caipirinha--which I'd never heard of before--and it contains rum, lime, sugar, and cachaca. This drink is considered to be the national drink of Brazil and sounds quite good. I don't know if I'd be able to get cachaca locally though. It's similar to rum but made only in Brazil

The cover of the December issue is quite seductive--though maybe that's 'cause I'm hungry right now. I've not had dinner yet. The picture is of a prime rib roast and man does it look good. The article it's attached to is "The Art of Roasting" and it discusses roasting pork, chicken, beef and fish with accompanying recipes and mouthwatering pictures. The prime rib one really has my motor running--but the cost is probably prohibitive. A 10 pound roast would probably set me back a good $70 and that scares me a little. I'd hate to screw up cooking something that expensive!

Here's the recipe from Saveur magazine:

Prime Rib

SERVES 8 – 10

Nowadays, most meat markets sell standing beef rib roasts whose smaller connective bones—called the chine bone and the feather bones—have already been removed (the chine is often tied back on to protect the meat from the oven's intense heat), which makes the meat easier to carve and produces a more handsome roast. Some markets will even slice the meat off the rib bones and then tie them back on; we found that the roast came out juicier when the bones were left attached. Either way, be sure the roast is tied at intervals between the rib bones; otherwise the flavorful crust may peel away from the meat during roasting.

  • 1 5-bone beef standing rib roast (10–12 lbs.),
  • chine bone removed and tied back on
  • 2 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1 1⁄2 tbsp. dry mustard, preferably Colman's (see
  • Canned Heat)
  • 1 1⁄2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • Coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

1. Season beef with salt, including the rack of bones. Rub mustard all over beef; sprinkle with rosemary and pepper. Set the beef in a 12" × 14" roasting pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2–3 days.

2. Remove beef from refrigerator 3 hours before you are ready to roast it, to allow it to come to room temperature. Arrange rack in lower third of oven and heat to 450°. Roast the beef, rib side up, until it begins to brown and sizzle, 20–25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°; continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 120° (for medium rare), about 2 hours more. Transfer roast to a carving board and reserve any pan juices. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 25–30 minutes. Remove and discard chine bone. Carve roast (following steps in Carving Prime Rib) and serve with reserved pan juices.

First published in Saveur, Issue #107

Comments

Nina said…
Makes me wish I had an oven. My NYC apartment limits me to a two burner stove and a microwave. Oh well.
Unknown said…
Maybe you can make it for the next long weekend...let's see - that would be MLK day in mid-January. Does NC celebrate this holiday?
Anonymous said…
I lived in Brazil when I was a child, so I grew up on cachaca! We call it Pinga sometimes, but I'm not sure why. A Caipirinha is delightful, a lot like a mojito, but more dastardly. If you can't find cachaca in your area, let me know and I'll send you a bottle.

That prime rib is making my stomach growl! Yum!
Anonymous said…
I just arrived back from Brazil yesterday (Jan 5) and spent time in Minas Gerais state where much of the country's better known cachacas are produced.

Traditional Caipirinha is made typically with 1 or 1 1/2 oz cachaca (or even 2oz if you prefer a strong kick), 1/2 lime for muddling(note: muddling is done lightly, just enough to release the lime oil in the peel, but not too hard or else you will release the bitter notes as well) & 1/2 lime to put in the cocktail glass, fine sugar to taste (try 2 tbsps), and crushed ice.

Cachaca is making a lot of headway in the USA and depending on where you live, you should be able to find a bottle. I would bet that by next year --2009-- it will be more and more common to be drinking caipirinha (& cachaca) since it is gaining popularity rapidly.

Suzi's right the caiprinha is delightful & some what akin to a mojito or even a margarita, but with it's own unique flavor identity. BTW: The verb "pingar" means to drip. During the distillation process of making cachaca the visible "dripping" of the alcohol became known as "pinga"& thus the nickname in Brazilian Portuguese for cachaca was born. Careful though because "pinga" in Spanish means something entirely different.

As they say in Brazil, "Saudes" or Cheers!
utenzi said…
Who was that anonymous person? They seem very smart!

Suzi, thanks for the comment. I never heard it called Pinga. I do love the way that prime rib looks also.

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