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THE CHRISTMAS FEAST

© Vaudie E. Harrison

Last week I promised to tell you the things that will grace our table this Christmas Day, but first I feel that some explanation is needed.

Several years ago, we decided that since Christmas so closely followed Thanksgiving that we needed to come up with something different from the usual turkey. Frankly after our huge turkey dinner for Thanksgiving--and all of the leftover dishes that we make after Thanksgiving.

By the time Christmas comes along, we frankly have reached "burn-out" for anything that reminds us of turkey.

What follows is our solution.

We have decided to serve a Prime Rib Roast of Beef. Some years, however, we serve Crown Rib of Pork. I'll give you that recipe some other time.

In years past we have followed the time-honored method of cooking our roast. You know the method--simply stick it into a hot oven and cook it until it reaches the desired degree of doneness. There's not a thing wrong with cooking it that way. It'll turn out great. However, this year we'll be trying an old-new method of preparing our roast. It's an old method of cooking, but one that we have never tried--so therefore it's new to us.

If you decide to give it a try, let me know how yours turns out. I'd really like to know. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

HERBED ROAST BEEF IN SALT CRUST

1 Boneless Prime Rib Roast (4 to 6 Pounds)

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup of Grated (Or Finely Chopped) Onion

1 teaspoon of Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon of Dried Basil

1/2 teaspoon of Dried Marjoram

1/2 teaspoon of Dried Thyme

1/4 teaspoon of Black Pepper (Freshly Ground Is Best)

3 Pound Box of Coarse Kosher Salt

1 1/4 Cup of Water

Combine, and mix well, the Olive Oil, Onion, Garlic Salt, Marjoram, Basil, Thyme and the Black Pepper in a Heavy Plastic Bag (or a pot that is large enough to hold the Roast). Add the Roast and cover well with the marinade. Marinate the Roast in the refrigerator at least 2 to 3 hours.

NOTE: It's best to marinate the Roast overnight.

Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Combine the Water and the Kosher Salt completely, until the Salt is well moistened. DO NOT ADD MORE WATER THAN CALLED FOR. Pat 1 Cup of the moist Salt into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle in the center of the roasting pan. Pat the Roast dry with a clean cloth (Or Paper Towels) and place in the center of the rectangle of Salt. Insert a meat thermometer into the Roast. Carefully pack the remaining Salt around the Roast until it is completely encased with the Salt. Place the Roast into a 425F oven and roast approx. 16 to 18 minutes per pound for a Rare Roast (140F on your thermometer), or 20 to 22 minutes per pound for a Well-Done Roast (170F on your thermometer). Remove the Roast from the oven when the thermometer shows a temperature of 5F below the desired doneness. Let the Roast stand for 5 to 10 minutes in the Salt Crust before removing Salt.

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