Roast Prime Rib with Thyme Au Jus

Ingredients
1 bone-in prime rib (6 to 7 pounds)
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups red wine
4 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves


Directions
Thirty minutes before roasting the prime rib, remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Make small slits all over the prime rib and fill each slit with a slice of the garlic. Season liberally with the salt and coarse pepper, place on a rack set inside a roasting pan and roast for about 2 hours until medium-rare, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 135 degrees F. Remove the meat to a platter, and tent with foil to keep warm.


Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over 2 burners set on high heat. Add the wine to the pan drippings in the pan and cook over high heat until reduced, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half. Whisk in the thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste.


Slice meat as desired and serve with thyme au jus.


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Red Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds bottom round beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle dark beer
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 large red onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 poblano, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon seeded and chopped habanero
• 1 Thai bird chile, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
• 1 tablespoon cascabel chile powder
• 1 teaspoon New Mexican chile powder
• 5 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium or water
• 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and pureed
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or more, to taste
• Toasted Cumin Crema, recipe follows

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides. Sprinkle with the cumin and stir well. Deglaze the pan with the beer and bring to a boil. Stir in the chocolate and cook until beer is almost completely reduced.

In a separate pot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the poblano, habanero, Thai bird, jand alapeno peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle puree, ancho powder, pasilla powder, cascabel and New Mexican chile powders and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil and boil for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Puree with an immersion blender. Add the beef mixture back to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 1 hour, or until thick and beef is tender. Remove from the heat, add the maple syrup, and adjust seasonings.

Serve with a dollop of Toasted Cumin Crema.

Toasted Cumin Crema:

1 tablespoon cumin seed

1 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the cumin in a small saute pan over medium heat. Toast until lightly golden brown. Place in a small bowl. Stir in the crema and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place in a squeeze bottle.

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Chili Powder

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped and Sauteed
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup pure olive oil

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juice, pureed in a blender
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch parsley
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 basil leaves, chiffonade

Spaghetti:

• 12 cups water
• Salt
• 1 pound #8 or #9 spaghetti
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Garlic Bread:

• 1 stick soften butter
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 country loaf, cut into 3/4-inch slices

Directions

For the Meatballs: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, except olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Roll the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and fry until golden brown, but not cooked through completely. (remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.) For the Tomato Sauce: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add pureed tomatoes and juice, bay leaf and parsley, pepper flakes and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add meatballs and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Remove the bay leaf and parsley, add the basil and serve.

For the Spaghetti: Bring salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain well in a colander, toss in sauce, serve with meatballs and Parmesan cheese.

For the Garlic Bread: Combine butter and garlic. Spread evenly on bread and broil until browned.

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Spaghetti

Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large zucchini, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 yellow pepper, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan
• 1 cup ketchup, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, garlic paste, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until almost soft, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, and the cooled vegetables and mix until just combined.

Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Whisk together the remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

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