Roast beef

Merry Merry Christmas!

I love Christmas but surprisingly it's my least favorite day to cook. In the whole year I'd rather cook on any other day. I guess on Christmas I just want to play. I want to watch Connor's eye's open wider and wider with every possible moment throughout the day. I want to see him delight in the small special somethings I found and wrapped for him. I love the squeals of delight he'd be too cool to do in front of 'them' but will happily exclaim before me when he opens a package containing a homemade scarf in it.

I live in Texas, American thanksgiving is in November so having anything to do with turkey in December is out out out. I sometimes still celebrate Canadian thanksgiving in October but when you add yet another bird or ham or enormous feast it seriously takes my desire off doing a massive feed in December as well.

This is just really a long winded way of saying that at Christmas I splurge the $45.00 on a standing rib roast. Standard fare here for the 'big meal' is roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy (of course) and something green. This year I opted for roasted asparagus and hollandaise (my cheater blender version) and it puts dinner on the table in under an hour if you don't count the beast! Even *I* can muster up an hours worth of cooking on the "big day".

Here is big boy before I popped him into the oven. He's just shy of 10lbs. I slathered him with loads of sea salt and cracked black pepper.

My Nana used to say she cooked roast beef by the "Milwaukee method" Ok, Ivy (my Nana and the single coolest woman I've ever known), I've searched and searched and researched and have never found any authentication to the claim this method has anything to do with Milwaukee. Love you, miss you to bits but I question the connection. Unfortunately, we lost Ivy to age and the ravages of time so there's no way to ask her. I smile to the wind periodically to recall her face, her voice, and her detailed, demanding, description of the Milwaukee Method. To you, my beloved Nana, I dedicate all posts roast beef.

To the best of my recollection, this is how she did it and this is how I do it...and shall continue to do it...and it'll always be known as the Milwaukee Method.

Ivy's "Milwaukee Method" Roast Beef

Notwithstanding what size hunk of meat you have, throw it in a roasting tray, salt and pepper it and put it in the oven at 500 degrees sometime in the morning. Leave it there for an hour.

Turn off the oven. Do not open it again under punishment of...Ivy! Just leave the door closed.

An hour before you want to eat, turn the oven on 375 and cook it for 30 minutes and then let it rest 30 minutes.

Slice it, eat it, face the wind and toast my Nana because it's the best piece of meat you'll ever eat. I've done with with a 5 pound roast and a 9 pound roast and it always works. This is one of those, I don't know WHY it works, it just does.

Here's this years Christmas table offering.. (vegetarians, avert your eyes, you won't be happy)

/enjoy, oh and again Merry Christmas!!