Prime Rib Dinner

Lawry's who? After tonight, I might never eat prime rib in a restaurant again. For this week's cooking project, we convinced some friends to chip in for a $110 ribeye roast. Yes, that's a lotta meat.

The secret is to have a giant ribeye roast. I wasn't able to find a bone in roast, but this was fine. I coated it with cracked pepper and extra coarse sea salt, seared it on every side, and then wrestled it into a roasting pan. It went into a 200 degree oven for about 45 minutes per pound, until the meat thermometer registered an internal temperature of 120. Corn and creamed spinach seemed like fitting side dishes.

A perfectly plated potato created by one of our guests. Unfortunately, few people had the stomach room and the initiative to go grab potatoes after all the food we plated for them.

This photo has shamed me into cleaning my oven, but I thought you deserved a peek at the Yorkshire pudding poofing up in the oven. I was surprised by how easy Yorkshire pudding is. As soon as you grab your roast out of the oven, crank up the oven to 400 degrees. Start heating a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Take a cup of flour and whisk in a cup of milk, two eggs, and half a teaspoon of salt. Using a brush, coat the cast iron skillet all over with pan drippings. Don't worry if you get juice and charred bits all over. Pour the cold mix into the hot cast iron, put the whole thing in the 400 degree oven, and cook for 20 minutes until it's puffy and golden. You'll have to play with the recipe to see how soft you like the center, but whether it's gooey or cooked through it's delicious. People gobbled it up, and it's the perfect thing to cook while you let your roast rest for 20 minutes..

The condiments bar, and some extra corn. Chives, sour cream, and butter for the potatoes, and an invisible jar of horseradish (okay, it's still in the fridge).

And finally, dessert! I'm taking advantage of summer while berries can be found in the markets in full force. This was a two day project. Yesterday I baked the tart crust and spread a thin layer of melted dark chocolate over the bottom and sides. A few hours before dinner today, I poured a layer of creme fraiche over the chocolate. The berries, which I macerated for several hours in a combination of jam and balsamic vinegar, include strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I seriously can not wait to dig in.