Table Traditions

Dinner rituals and classic recipes feed cultural connections during the festive season

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Martha Stewart yellow wine/water glass, $5.99, at area Macy’s stores; macys.com. Noma amber water glass (center), $65, purple-stem wine glass, $79, Caspary green/gold plastic bowl, $11, porcelain plate, $120/five-piece place setting, and black-plastic serving tray, $22.50, all at The League Shop, Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-882-6880. Comptoire et Famille fork, $5, at La Belle Provence, Birmingham; 248-540-3876. Ralph Lauren cotton tablecloth, $60, at area Macy’ stores; macys.com.

Photograph by Joe vaughn

Christmas

// For many Americans, ham or turkey is de rigueur at the feast for the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ. For others, it’s an English roast beef, with horseradish s auce, of course.

The key to preparing a succulent cut of beef is to give it a blast of very hot heat to sear the “crust” and then cook it at very low heat for a while. When just medium rare, let it sit for a while and slice it paper thin and drizzle it with pan juices.

Perhaps after your feast of beef, you may wish to pull a Christmas “cracker” for all the little trinkets.

Holiday Roast Beef with Mustard- Horseradish Sauce

(Though a rib roast is specified, other cuts, such as rib-eye roast, top loin roast, tip roast, or rump roast may be prepared the same way.)

6 pound boneless prime rib roast
Fresh ground black pepper
to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh
thyme leaves
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mustard-Horseradish Sauce

1 cup heavy whipping cream,
not whipped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup prepared white
horseradish
1/3 cup grainy brown mustard

Remove roast from refrigerator two hours before cooking. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. 

Combine the oil, garlic, and thyme and rub all over the beef. Season with salt and pepper. Place beef on a rack in a roasting pan.

Roast the beef for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees and cook for 12-14 minutes per pound of beef for medium-rare or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of meat registers about 130 degrees.

While the beef is roasting, prepare the sauce. Whip cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold in the mayonnaise until uniform. Fold in the horseradish and mustard. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve.

Remove the roast from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before carving into very thin slices against the grain. Serve the beef with juices spooned over and the mustard-horseradish sauce on the side. Makes 8-12 servings.

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