A wonderful aspect of the holidays, most would agree, is gathering friends and family around the table. We can be culturally, regionally, and religiously defined by the dishes we share on the days between late November and mid January. Jeremy’s education and travels have engendered in him an intense curiosity about and passion for these meals, which are so incredibly specific to the homes they are made in. For the next several weeks we will explore the world for holiday food traditions which we hope will inspire your menu plans and whet your appetite for The Meat Market, which will be ready to provide you with all the ingredients, advice, and preparations you seek during the next holiday season.

The Classic Standing Rib of Beef Roast with au jus

This is a quinesential Christmas dish that my family has served for decades. We always have my grandmother’s Yorkshire Pudding recipe and au jus, the vegetables vary year to year, brussels sprouts being a favorite.

Jeremy’s Prep:

Rub with excellent quality olive oil, minced rosemary and garlic, salt and pepper. Place roast bone side down either on a rack or in the pan with a few sliced onions and cloves of garlic. Jeremy does not advocate adding a lot of vegetables to the pan, because they create steam as they cook, preventing the outside of the meat from caramelizing.  Roast at 350F for 45 minutes, turn heat down 325F and cook until internal temperature is 120F for a rare roast, 135F for medium.  Rest the roast for 20 minutes before slicing.

To make the au jus: deglaze the pan with a rich beef stock (which you can get at The Meat Market) bring to a simmer, adding salt and pepper to taste, and a splash of Calvados, strain and serve with the roast.

My Grandmother’s Yorkshire Pudding: Pour enough drippings from the roasting pan into a 9×12 oven-proof dish so that it is about 1/4 inch deep. Place the dish and drippings in the oven with the roast to heat the dish. Sift together 1 cup flour, 1/2 TSP salt, make a well in the center into which pour 1/2 cup of milk, stir in. Beat 2 eggs until fluffy and whisk them into the batter. Add 1/2 cup of water and beat until very smooth. Make sure the batter is at room temperature, and pour the mixture into the hot baking dish with the pan drippings. Bake 1/2 hour or until golden brown.

The Crown Roast of Pork with chestnut and fruit stuffing

A beautiful and dramatic presentation, which has the wonderful advantage of having a central cavity for stuffing!

Jeremy’s Prep:

You need at least 16 ribs to complete the circle needed to form a full crown, allow about 1 pound per person. You need to ask your butcher to remove the chine and feather bones, which comprise the vertebrae attached to the rib. In addition, the ribs should have all the sinewy connective tissue removed to create the proper elegant look of the dish. Make an olive oil dressing out of rosemary, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and rub onto roast. With a boning knife make an incision behind the 1st ribs on both ends of the roast. Tie the two ends together by threading butcher’s twine through the holes and fastening them into a crown. Place the roast on a foil covered rack. Stuff the center of the roast. Cook at 375F until it reaches an internal temperature of 155F (about 1 3/4- 2 1/2 hours.) Rest the roast for 20 minutes before carving.

Chestnut and Fruit Stuffing: Your favorite stuffing will work with this roast, but here is one that we suggest. 1 Baguette cubed the size you prefer, 1 cup The Meat Market chicken stock, 1/4 cup of white wine from the bottle you are already drinking, 2 eggs, 4 tbs butter, 1 onion diced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 4 celery stalks diced, 2 crisp apples peeled, cored, diced, 4oz dried apple or pear diced, 24 prunes pitted, 12 roasted chestnuts* peeled and chopped, salt and fresh ground pepper, 20 parsley sprigs chopped, 8 sage leaves chopped.

Place cubed bread on baking sheet in warm oven (250F) to crisp slightly.  Whisk the stock, wine and eggs, set aside. In a large skillet melt butter, add onion, garlic apples, dried fruit, and chestnuts. Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until beginning to soften. Combine all the ingredients: the cooked onion/fruit, the bread from the oven, the stock/wine/egg mixture, and the salt pepper and herbs until well mixed. Place the stuffing in the center of the roast, and proceed as described above.

A fruit chutney would be a really wonderful accompaniment to this dish. We one featuring rhubarb last spring that we will use for this dish on New Years Eve.

Herb Stuffed Roast Leg of Lamb with green peppercorn sauce

This flavorful dish is simple to prepare and yet very elegant, it will fill your kitchen with mouth watering aromas!

Jeremy’s Prep:

You need to ask your butcher for a boneless leg of lamb, not tied.

Filling ingredients: Mix together 1 bunch parsley chopped, 3 mint springs chopped- leaves only, 6 cloves of garlic minced, 1 onion minced, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 3/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Open the leg of lamb and make small cuts in leg, being careful not to go to deep, the purpose is to create surfaces in which your filling will collect. Rub the herb mixture to coat all of the surfaces of the inside of the roast, and gently roll the meat to form the roast. Rub the top lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary. Tie the roast with butcher’s twine and  roast in a 325 degree oven for  about 2-2 1/2 hours (for rare, internal temperature is 125F, for medium 135F.) Rest the meat for 20 minutes before carving, pour off the fat from the roasting pan- use the pan for the peppercorn sauce.

Green peppercorn sauce: 1 3/4 cups beef stock from The Meat Market, 3 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup chopped shallots, 1 cup whipping cream, 3 tablespoons Cognac or brandy, 2 tablespoons drained green peppercorns in brine

Boil stock in small saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, pour off the fat from the roasting pan once the lamb is out of the oven and discard, melt the butter in the roasting pan over medium-high heat, add chopped shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add reduced beef stock, 1 cup whipping cream, 3 tablespoons Cognac and green peppercorns. Boil until mixture thickens to sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Season sauce to taste with pepper.

Check back soon for the next installment!