Native American Inspired Rib Roast

In my continuing quest to learn more about the cultures behind the cuisines, I have spent a lot of time reading about different indigenous cultures across North America (that is, the Canada, the United States and Mexico). One aspect of this educational endeavor has been to learn about the native ingredients that these indigenous cultures had to cook with, long before the arrival of conquistadors, colonists and more. I have been helped greatly by reading the books of, as well as following the work of, Native American chefs, like Sean Sherman.

Their work has opened my eyes and my understanding that there is more to the history of ingredients than what I have already learned or what I know. Just a few years ago, if someone would have asked me what cuisines would have incorporated juniper berries, my first thoughts would have taken me to Northern Europe or Eastern Europe. If someone asked me which cuisine utilizes sumac, I would have reflexively answered Turkish or Persian cuisines. I would never have thought to respond with Sioux, Ojibwe or any other Native American nation. Yet, both of these ingredients - juniper and sumac - have their place in Native American cuisine. 

All of this knowledge inspired me to create a rub based upon ingredients available to Native Americans before the colonial period. I knew going into this effort that I would be using juniper berries. That was the first ingredient. I needed to build around those berries. Fortunately, I found someone else who has been inspired by Chef Sherman: home chef Brad Prose, who has his own website, Chile and Smoke. I highly recommend the website. 

Prose has a recipe for a juniper spiced rub, which helped me to build this recipe. I used the proportions of coriander seed, Kosher salt and whole black pepper that can be found in his recipe, although I converted everything roughly from grams to teaspoons or tablespoons. As an aside, I should note that whole black peppercorns are native to South Asia and Southeastern Asia. I left peppercorns in because, from what I understand, there are native American equivalents that could have been used to achieve the same flavors and effects. 

I was less certain about other ingredients in Prose's recipe.  First, I left out the sugar, as Chef Sherman has left out sugar cane from his dishes. I also left out the chile flakes and garlic powder. My focus for this rub was more towards the Plains (for a reason I discuss further below), rather than the Southwest. This mean that chiles were less likely to be used (and it provides a future opportunity for a Native American inspired rub focused on the Southwest, as I have a lot of ancho peppers, chipotle peppers, and hatch peppers). As for the garlic, it is my understanding (right or wrong), that garlic was brought to the Americas by European settlers. While I am not sure about that understanding, I decided that I could leave it out.

Sumac (Source: Gardener Cook)

Setting aside the sugar, chiles and garlic left some holes that needed to be filled. At this point, I turned to what I learned. Sumac is native to all 48 contiguous United States and it has been used by Native American cooks to impart citrus notes to dishes. Adding sumac to this spice blend compounds the citrus notes provided by juniper berries. Rather than balance that citrus with the sweetness of sugar, I decided to go with dried thyme, which imparts earthier notes with hints of spice and sweetness. 

This rub had a specific purpose. I wanted to prepare a rub that could be used with a bison roast. Bison had an importance place in the cultures of the Plains tribes, such as the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho. These cultures used the bison not only for food, but they used all of the bison - for their shelter, clothing, jewelry and much more. And, at one point, there were tens of millions of bison that roamed the Plains of North America. However, the bison were nearly wiped out as part of a systematic and largely successful effort to remove Native Americans from their lands by depriving them of this important food resource. By the 1880s, the large herds of bison had largely vanished, and the native cultures that relied upon the bison were severely impacted. That is history. Today, there are more than 60 tribes working to restore the herds, both on their tribal lands and in federal parks. The tribes and the federal government are even working together in the State of Montana through the Interagency Bison Management Plan. The Plan has the goals of promoting a free range bison population, while minimizing the risk of diseases and managing those bison that leave Yellowstone and enter the State of Montana.

Source: National Park Service

While I wanted a rub for a bison roast, I did not have one for this recipe. Instead, I had a beef rib roast. I have found that, to a large degree, bison and beef recipes are interchangeable as long as one important principle is kept in mind: bison has far less fat than beef (especially the beef produced in the factory farm setting). Thus, if I was using a bison roast, I would probably baste it more often and perhaps pull it out of the oven at a slightly lower temperature (such as 125 degrees Fahrenheit). 

While I had been holding on to the beef rib roast for a special occasion, honoring the cuisines of Native Tribes and making the effort to learn more about their cultures is just as good of an occasion.

NATIVE AMERICAN INSPIRED RIB ROAST

Recipe adapted from Chile and Smoke

Serves several

Ingredients (for the Spice Rub):

• 2 1/4 tablespoons of Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons of whole black pepper
• 4 teaspoons whole coriander seed
• 2 teaspoons juniper berries
• 2 teaspoons ground sumac
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme

Ingredients (for the Prime Rib):

• 1 standing rib roast, beef or bison
• Vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup water, beef stock or beef broth

Directions:

1. Prepare the spice rub. Toast the whole spices (black pepper, coriander seed and juniper berries) in small skillet over medium to medium-low heat, until fragrant, move the spices around to avoid them from becoming burnt. Allow the spices to cool down and then combine with the ground and dried spices.

2. Cook the Roast. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the rib roast in a roasting pan with about 1 cup of water, beef stock, or beef broth. Cook the rib roast, covered, for about three hours; however, check the temperature after two and one-half hours. 

3. Finish the cook. When the internal temperature of the roast reaches about 125 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about medium rare. Pull out the roast, leave it covered and let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. The roast should cook another 5 to 10 degrees.

ENJOY!

Smoked Ribeye Roast, Uruguayan Asado Style

I have a fascination with the country of Uruguay.  The relatively smallish country bordered by Brazil to the north and, across the Rio de la Plata, within sight of Argentina. My fascination as entirely to do with the country's cuisine.

It all began a few years ago with my personal culinary challenge to prepare a main course from Uruguay as part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge.  I made Chivitos al Pan, a sandwich loaded with meat, cheese and eggs. That stands as perhaps my favorite challenge to date. After that time, I have wanted to learn more about the cuisine of Uruguay.

And, this post provides that opportunity.  Uruguayan cuisine is perhaps the most meat centric cuisine in at least the Western hemisphere, if not the world. The country has a population of just little more than 3.4 million people in 2016, but consumes more than 427 million pounds of  meat during that same year.  That is 124 pounds per person that year.  With the average weight of a person around 137 pounds, that means that, on average, an Uruguayan eats as much meat as the average person weighs.  That is quite the feat.

But it is not just about eating meat, it is the grilling of the meat. In many ways it defines Uruguayan cuisine. The chicken, beef, pork and chorizo on the parilla, carefully watched and tended to by the asador. There is nothing like taming the coals and cooking ungodly amounts of meat for an asado. (If I did not have my current job, my dream job would be that of an asador.  Perhaps upon retirement, a move to Uruguay and I could start a second career as an asador, cooking untold amounts of meats while casually sipping one of Uruguay's wines, like a Tannat or a Cabernet Sauvignon.)

It is this tradition of grilling that inspired me to make a ribeye roast over coals.  To be sure, this is not the parilla true style of cooking.  I did not have the arrangement for that.  Instead, I used my smoker, with its grill (and without the liquid bowl) to create a direct charcoal grilling. The one significant difference is that I decided to use some hickory wood to add smoke to the ribeye roast.  

To underscore the Uruguayan inspiration, I prepared a classic Uruguayan chimichurri for this ribeye roast. Like its Argentinian neighbor, this chimichurri is full of fresh parsley, garlic and oregano, mixed with olive oil and vinegar to create what is perhaps the most amazing accompaniment for grilled beef.  The vinegar helps to cut through the fat of the ribeye roast.  The crushed red pepper flakes, along with the freshly ground black pepper and the peppery nature of the oregano, add a slight hint of heat.  These additional layers of flavor create an artistic masterpiece on the canvas that is the beef itself.

I have cooked a lot with ribeye roasts, and some of the recipes have made it on to this blog.  However, this is perhaps my favorite ribeye roast that I have done. Maybe it is the effort to draw inspiration from Uruguayan cuisine.  Maybe it is just that I love beef.  Either way, I am going to make this recipe again. 

SMOKED RIBEYE ROAST, URUGUAYAN ASADO STYLE

Recipe adapted from Saveur

Serves several

Ingredients (for the ribeye roast):

1 ribeye roast (5 to 6 pounds)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Hickory wood chunks

Ingredients (for the Uruguayan chimichurri):

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup finely chopped parsley

3/4 cup finely chopped oregano

1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the roast.  Combine the salt, black pepper, oregano and garlic powder and mix well.  Spray some olive oil over the roast.  Apply the salt and pepper mixture to all sides of the roast.  

2.  Prepare the smoker.  Soak the hickory chunks in water for 1 hour.  Prepare a fire for a 300 degree smoker.  Once the temperature is right, oil the grates and add the roast.  Smoke for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours until the temperature in the roast registers 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the roast from the smoker and let it rest, covered, for about 15 to 30 minutes. 

3.  Prepare the chimichurri.  Bring 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 cup of water to a boil in a 1 quart saucepan.  Let cool.  Whisk parsley, oregano, chile flakes, oil, vinegar, garlic and pepper in a bowl.  Stir in salt water mixture.  Let chimichurri sit for at least 30 minutes.

4.  Finish the dish.  Slice the ribeye roast and serve immediately with the chimichurri.

ENJOY!

The Ultimate French Dip Sandwich

Without question, my favorite sandwich is the French Dip sandwich.  You can ask my Angel ... if the menu has a french dip sandwich, the odds are that I will order it.   There is something about a sandwich, piled relatively high with thin slices of meat, that is dipped in a bowl of warm au jus that appeals to me.  That is, if it is done right.

Most French Dip sandwiches that I have tried -- and I have tried many sandwiches -- fall short.  The beef is too dried and/or too processed.  The au jus is too watered down or too salty.  What is my favorite sandwich turns out to be one big disappointment.  Time and time again.

So, one of my cooking bucket list items has been to make the ultimate French Dip sandwich.  Before we go further, let's be clear ... the ultimate French Dip sandwich in my opinion.  I don't care about anyone else's opinion on this subject.  And I am not trying to recreate the original.  My goal has been to make the French Dip sandwich that I believe to be the best in my rather humble opinion.

In order to achieve that goal, I need to know what I am about to cook.  The French Dip sandwich originated, as the story goes, with the sandwich shop known as Philippe's the Original in Los Angeles, California.  Nearly 100 years ago, in 1918, the owner -- Philippe Mathieu -- was preparing a sandwich for a police officer when he dropped it in a pan with hot cooking juices.  The police officer ate the sandwich anyway and, the rest, as they say, is history.  Or is it?  At least one other restaurant claims to be the one who first made the sandwich.  That story is even older, going back to 1908.  The restaurant, Cole's, was serving a guest who had no teeth.  The cook dipped the sandwich in the hot cooking juices to make it easier for the guest to eat.  Whether it started with a police officer or a toothless guest, the French Dip sandwich has become one of the iconic American sandwiches. After all, Philippe's now serves 4,000 sandwiches per day.

There are three components to a French Dip sandwich.  First, the bread.  It should be a crusty French roll.  This is important because it provides a crispness on the outside, which holds the sandwich together.  It also provides a soft inside, which will absorb the juices.  Second, the meat.  Philippe's uses bottom round roasts, which are roasted with a sort of mirepoix -- celery, carrots, and onions -- along with a lot of garlic, herbs and spices.  Finally, there is the au jus.  Once again, Philippe's creates the jus by making a beef stock from bones, onions, carrots, celery, leeks, herbs and spices.   The jus is finished with the cooking juices from the roasts.   

In my quest to make the ultimate French Dip sandwich, I focused on all three components.  I first bought some freshly baked rolls for the bread.  The filling for these sandwiches would not be bottom round.  Rather, I decided to go for the top of the line ... ribeye.  I also decided that I would not simply roast the meat.  Instead, I would smoke it, using cherry wood.  This wood would impart a lighter smoke flavor to the meat, providing an additional dimension with respect to the flavor. My recipe for smoking a rib roast can be found here, all you need to change is the wood.  Finally, the au jus would be what I really like it.  There would be a lot of beefiness in the jus, as I started with some bone marrow, which I use in combination with a little butter to saute onions and garlic.  I then added some beef stock, fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme) and a little red wine (an inexpensive Burgundy works very well).  I cooked down the liquid to concentrate the flavors.  The end result is not just any French Dip sandwich.  It is what I believe to be, in my humble opinion, the ultimate French Dip sandwich.

THE ULTIMATE FRENCH DIP SANDWICH

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the prime rib meat):

4 sub rolls, partially split lengthwise

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cups thinly sliced smoked prime rib 

1/2 cups of au jus

Ingredients (for the jus):

2 tablespoons of butter

4 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine (burgundy, if possible)

1 onion, very thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
4 marrow bones, roasted

Directions:

1.  Toast the bread. Adjust the oven rack to the middle upper position of the stove.  Pre-heat the broiler.  Brush the interior of the sub rolls with oil  Arrange the rolls, oiled-side up, on a baking sheet.  Broil until golden brown, about 1 minute. 

2.  Heat the meat.  Combine prime rib and jus in skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes.

3.  Finish the dish.  Pile some of the thinly sliced prime rib upon the sub roll.  Serve with a small bowl of au jus for dipping.  

ENJOY!

Herb Crusted Rib Roast with Bordeaux Thyme Au Jus

Those who know me know that my favorite cut of beef is the standing rib roast.  I eat rib-eyes, strip steaks, sirloin steaks, flank steaks, and porterhouses.  I even eat tongue and tripe.  But, the one cut of beef that always gets my attention is the rib roast, which is what is commonly known as prime rib.

The rib roast is typically the meal for holidays in my family, such as at Christmas time.  I've previously posted the Bolek Family Standing Rib Roast, which I made last Christmas.  As Easter approached, I wanted to make a rib roast again, but I wanted see if I could tweak the recipe a little.  

I made two significant changes to this recipe.  First, I decided to do an herb crust.  I still used the french onion soup mix, but I added a lot of fresh herbs (rosemary, sage and thyme), and used Dijon mustard to hold the mixture in place.  The second major change is that I decided to have a Bordeaux Thyme Au Jus.  Overall, the rib roast tasted a lot like the Bolek Family Standing Rib Roast, primarily due to the use of the French onion soup mix, but the au jus provided just enough of change to this dish.  

HERB-CRUSTED RIB ROAST WITH BORDEAUX THYME AU JUS

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 10-15

Ingredients (for the Rib Roast):

10 pounds of standing rib roast, with bones

4 packs of dried onion soup mix (such as Knorr's French Onion Soup mix)

2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, minced finely

2 tablespoons of fresh sage, minced finely

2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, minced finely

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of black peppercorns

Ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup of Dijon mustard

Ingredients (for the au jus):

2 cups of Bordeaux wine

2 tablespoons of finely chopped thyme

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper to taste.

Directions:

1.   Sear the rib roast.  Heat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.  At this point, you want to sear the meat to lock in the juices for the long, dry heat of the cooking process.  Place the rib roast in a roasting pan and place it in the oven for about fifteen minutes. When you pull out the roast, you want to see the roast stating to brown.

2.  Prepare the rub.  While the rib roast is searing in the oven, it is time to prepare the rub.  Combine the packs of dried onion soup mix, rosemary, thyme and garlic, along with ground pepper and salt.  Make sure that everything is mixed thoroughly. 

3.  Apply the rub.  Remove the roast from the oven and place on top of the oven.  Begin by applying a thin layer of mustard to the top and sides of the roast.  Take small handfuls of the rub and begin to rub the all of the meat.  Be careful when doing this because both the rib and the roasting pan will be very hot.  Use all of the rub and try to get the rub on all sides.  

4.  Continue to cook the roast.  Lower the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Return the rib roast to the oven, covered, to cook for about three hours.  I usually try to cook it for about two and one-half hours initially, and then check the temperature.    About once per hour, you should baste the roast with the juices; however, do not keep the roast open for long, as that will prolong the cooking.

5.  Remove the roast and let it rest.  When the roast has reached about 125 to 130 degrees, which between rare and medium rare, I pull the roast out and let it rest for about fifteen minutes.  The roast will continue to cook and increase about ten degrees.  (I like the rib roast to have a good pink center to it.)  When it is done, pull out the meat and wrap it in foil to rest for about twenty minutes.

6.  Prepare the au jus.  As the meat is resting, make the au jus.  Spoon about two or three tablespoons of the fat and drippings into a sauce pan.  Add the wine, stir and bring to a boil.  Boil until the wine is reduced somewhat.  Add the beef stock and continue to boil, whisking or stirring as it continues to cook down.  Whisk in the thyme as the au jus continues to boil.  After about twenty minutes or so, the au jus is ready.  

Overall, I think that this recipe worked out well.  The meat was very flavorful, although the crust had not "hardened" as much as I would have liked.  The au jus also worked well with the meat, adding a little moisture to parts that may have been cooked medium and adding some additional flavors to the meat.  If I had to choose between this recipe and the Bolek Family Standing Rib Roast, I think I would choose the latter.  What can I say, I value traditions, including culinary ones. 

ENJOY!

The Bolek Family Standing Rib Roast

The centerpiece of the Bolek's Christmas dinner is the standing rib roast, which is a truly amazing cut of beef.  A full rib roast is seven ribs, from the sixth rib to the twelfth rib of the cow.  Each rib will have enough meat to serve about two people and the full standing rib roast is about fifteen pounds. And it is called a "standing rib roast" because the beef "stands" on the ribs while it is roasted.

Traditionally, when we order a rib roast, we should ask for the butcher to separate the bones from the meat and then tie everything back together.  The separation of the bones from the meat will make the carving of the roast much easier when it is done.

For years, my mother made the rib roast and every year she would make an excellent roast.  The origins of this recipe come from a butcher at a local grocery store, who used to work for a local steakhouse.  The butcher told my mom that, at that steakhouse they would use dried french onion soup mix, like Lipton's, during the cooking process.  More specifically, after searing the meat at a high temperature, you take the out and use the dried onion soup mix as a rub, thoroughly rubbing the mix all over the meat.  You return the roast to the stove at a reduced heat to cook.  The result is that the soup mix will create a very tasty crust.

When I started making this roast, I decided to add some additional flavors to the onion soup mix.  I usually add fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, fresh or ground garlic, and other herbs and spices. 

STANDING RIB ROAST

A Bolek Family Recipe
Serves 10-15

Ingredients:

10 pounds of standing rib roasts, with bones

3-4 packs of dried onion soup mix

1/2 package of fresh rosemary, chopped finely

1/2 package of fresh thyme, chopped finely

1/4 cup of fresh garlic, minced or 3-4 tablespoons ground garlic.

Ground pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

Directions:

1.   Sear the rib roast.  Heat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.  At this point, you want to sear the meat to lock in the juices for the long, dry heat of the cooking process.  Place the rib roast in a roasting pan, with a little water on the bottom of the pan, and put in the oven for about forty minutes. When you pull out the roast, you want to see the roast stating to brown.

2.  Prepare the rub for the rib roast.  While the rib roast is searing in the oven, it is time to prepare the rub.  Combine the packs of dried onion soup mix, rosemary, thyme and garlic, along with ground pepper and salt.  Make sure that everything is mixed thoroughly. 

3.  Add the rub to the rib roast.  Remove the roast from the oven and place on top of the oven.  Take small handfuls of the rub and begin to rub the all of the meat.  Be careful when doing this because both the rib and the roasting pan will be very hot.  Use all of the rub and try to get the rub on all sides.  

4.  Continue to cook the roast. Lower the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Return the rib roast to the oven, covered, to cook for about three hours.  I usually try to cook it for about two and one-half hours initially, and then check the temperature.    About once per hour, you should baste the roast with the juices; however, do not keep the roast open for long, as that will prolong the cooking.

5.  Let the roast rest.  When the roast has reached about 125 to 130 degrees, which between rare and medium rare, I pull the roast out and let it rest for about fifteen minutes.  The roast will continue to cook and increase about ten degrees.  (I like the rib roast to have a good pink center to it.)

Generally speaking, 120-125 degrees is rare, 130-135 degrees is medium rare, 140-145 degrees is medium, 150-155 is medium well and 160 plus is overdone (at least in my opinion). I have to say that when you cook with a gas range, as opposed to an electric one, the cooking times may be a little less and you may want to check the roast more often during the cooking process to make sure that it does not overcook.

ENJOY!