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Standing Rib Roast - Herb Potatoes - Chocolate Pecan Pie - Wine Choice 1 standing rib roast - about 6 lbs. 2 heads of garlic, peeled 1 tsp. ground pepper 3 tbsp. olive oil Run the garlic through the food processor until it forms a paste. Add the oil and process another 25 seconds or more. Add the ground pepper. Spread the mixture over the roast. Place roast in a 9" x 12" roasting pan in a 450 degree oven. Add about 2 cups red wine or beef stock to the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes and then reduce oven to 350 degrees. Roast about 18 minutes per lb. for rare or 21 minutes per lb. for medium. Let it stand a while before carving. Serve with the pan juices. Serves 8 3 3/4 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 4 carrots, sliced diagonally 4 red potatoes, chopped 3 small Vidalia onions, cut in fourths Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine oil, vinegar, garlic salt, rosemary and pepper in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Place carrots, onions and potatoes in the dish and toss to coat. Bake, turning occasionally, until tender; approx. 40 minutes. Serves 8 3 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup light or dark corn syrup 4 oz. sweet chocolate, shaved 1/3 cup sugar 2 tbsp. melted butter 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups pecan halves 9 inch pastry shell Stir eggs, corn syrup, chocolate, sugar, butter and vanilla until blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean. Makes 8 servings.
Oh, joy! My kind of meal!
This being the holiday season, I see our guests being greeted with sparkling wine -- the December Wine of the Month, a Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Blanc Columbia Valley would fill the bill nicely. Just the thing to get everyone feeling festive and ready for happy times.
As we moved from there into the main meal, obviously we need something red. Even better, a standing rib roast like this will have a fair amount of fat in among the meat, so this is the meal you can pull out that big red you have been saving. Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, and Merlots all work here. You may also use a Syrah or Shiraz, a Zinfandel, or a Pinot Noir, but I think you will enjoy the bolder flavors of the others more.
You also want to think about the age of the wine. An excellent but expensive Cabernet out of the wine store is likely to be too tannic yet. Let that recent vintage sit in the cellar for next year. The tannins will subside a bit with time and you will enjoy the refinement more. The younger wine will still work. Before you buy, talk to the salesman in the wine store and let him know you want a wine you can drink soon.
In this case, we have a Long Island wine, a Schneider 1998 Merlot down under the stairs in the cellar. I believe the bell has tolled for it.
When the main meal is done and the dessert makes an entrance, you need to pause for thought. If there is any of that Merlot left, some of the party may want to continue with it and it might be just fine. Anyone who reads these columns, however, has probably seen me write of the ease with which we accumulate too many dessert style wines. This is the perfect opportunity to bring one out.
Dessert wines are sweet, sometimes incredibly so. But they are absolutely made for this moment. In this case, we have a favorite ready at hand: a Baldwin Vineyards Raspberry. Made from Black Raspberries and often winning awards at the New York Wine and Food Classic, I can easily picture sipping it with the Chocolate Pecan Pie and sinking into a warm glow of satisfaction. (I have had the pie before and might get the glow just from that, but the Baldwin Raspberry might simply make it perfect.)
If you don't have the Raspberry and aren't close enough to the Hudson Valley to go get some, try another dessert wine. Think about the flavors you normally like with chocolate and you will not be far off in your choice.
Another route would be to go with the wine they serve at the end of a tasting in a winery. Have you ever had the pourer finish up with a port-style wine and serve you a piece of chocolate with it? Remember that melting of tastes in your mouth? It works for them. It will work just as well for you.
Enjoy the holidays!
Standing Rib Roast - Herb Potatoes - Chocolate Pecan Pie - Wine Choice |
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Last modified: August 07, 2007 |
