42 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 26, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
New Year's Dining
Expert tips for the perfect holiday roast
Wondering what to cook for an upcoming
holiday gathering? A beautiful beef
roast is a feast for the eyes and the stomach,
sure to impress guests of all ages.
With a few expert tips and tricks, you’ll
be sure to serve a perfectly cooked roast
packed full of fl avor.
ROASTING TIPS FROM THE PROS
No matter which cut of beef you select
to serve, there are some tried-and-true
tricks chefs use to get the juiciest, most
delicious results. Th e pros from Beef. It’s
What’s For Dinner. and the Beef Checkoff
are the experts on all things beef and off er
these tips for the perfect holiday roast.
Step 1: Use tools of the trade
Before you start, consider investing in
an ovenproof meat thermometer. Th is
is particularly important when roasting
larger cuts. Unlike an instant-read thermometer,
an ovenproof meat thermometer
stays in the roast while cooking. Th is
helps you avoid opening the oven unnecessarily
and poking multiple holes in the
roast, causing you to lose some of the
juices.
Step 2: Select your cut
When cooking for four people or fewer,
it is best to purchase a steak. For larger
parties, a traditional bone-in roast is
a popular option. A good rule of thumb
is to purchase a roast that has one rib
for every two people. To save time in the
store, you can even call your meat counter
in advance to order the exact size roast
you need.
Step 3: Preheat and prep
It’s important to set your oven to the
appropriate temperature for your roast.
For a bone-in Ribeye roast, 350 F is generally
recommended, but make sure to
check your recipe for specifi cs. While
your oven preheats, season the roast
according to your recipe, then sear. While
it’s possible to develop a crust on your
roast through slow roasting, you may get
tastier results by searing it over high heat
at either the beginning or the end of the
roasting time. Most recipes will specify
whether and when to brown the meat, but
when in doubt, a quick sear before popping
the roast into the oven won’t hurt.
Step 4: Go low and slow
When placing the roast in your roasting
pan, preferably on a roasting rack, you
want to place the beef on the rack fat-sideup
and bone side down (if your cut has
bones). Using a rack improves air circulation
and promotes even cooking. Once
your roast is in the pan, you’ll want to
insert your ovenproof meat thermometer
with the tip centered in the thickest part
of the roast, avoiding the bone, if the cut
you select has one. Cook as recommended,
being sure not to overshoot your target
temperature as it will continue to rise aft er
pulling the roast from the oven.
Cooking times vary depending on both
the cut of meat and your desired doneness.
For example, if you’re cooking a
bone-in Ribeye Roast for four to six people
at 350 F, you can plan for a cook time
as short as 1 hr 45 min for medium rare,
targeting an internal temperature of 135
F, or as long as 2 hr 45 min for medium,
with an internal temperature of 145 F.
For specifi c roasting time guidelines for
a bone-in Ribeye Roast, as well as other
cuts, you can visit www.beefi tswhatsfordinner.
com.
Step 5: Let it rest
Once you pull the roast from the oven,
transfer it to a carving board and cover it
loosely with aluminum foil (this is called
tenting) and let it rest. It is important to
let your roast rest so the juices have time
to re-absorb into the meat ensuring a tender,
juicy roast. Larger roasts need more
time to rest, oft en as long as 15-20 minutes.
Th ose few extra minutes provide a
great opportunity to make an au jus from
the reserved beef drippings and plate side
dishes.
Step 6: Carve and serve
Th e most important tool for properly
carving your roast is a sharp knife. And, if
you’re using a meat fork to help carve, try
not to pierce the roast to hold it in place.
If you want to avoid this risk altogether,
you can use the back of the fork instead
or simply opt for tongs. If you have a rib
roast, cut each slice along the rib bone.
And remember to always cut across the
grain for maximum tenderness.
— BPT
Savor the season with delicious cheese boards
A cheese board, plate or course can be
a delightful way to savor the season with
family and friends, bringing together a
medley of tastes and textures.
Th is year, try serving up a board with
real, quality cheeses that also set a celebratory
tone with these tips from the
experts at Real California Milk, representing
California’s dairy farm families.
Mix it up. When selecting cheeses, create
a range of fl avors and textures from soft to
hard and mild to sharp, and even pungent
varieties. Consider these examples:
• A bloomy rind cheese such as Brie,
Camembert or Formagella
• A soft or washed-rind cheese like Teleme
or Crescenza
• A semi-fi rm cheese such as Gouda, St.
George or toma
• A very hard cheese such as dry jack, aged
Gouda or aged white cheddar
• A highly fl avorful or pungent cheese
such as blue or fl avored jack
Add contrast. Flavorful breads thinly
sliced or broken into smaller pieces
can enhance contrast in both fl avor and
texture. For a simple solution, try serving
breadsticks as part of this California
Continental Cheese Board alongside Brie,
toma and pepper jack cheeses.
Be patient (but not too patient). Aged
cheeses should be allowed time to come to
room temperature. Larger pieces typically
take 1-2 hours for the full fl avor to develop.
However, fresh cheeses should be treated
like milk, so don’t allow them to sit out
for more than a short time.
Use simple additions. Enhance your
cheese plates with olives, nuts or fruit to
add fl avor and texture. For example, pears
go well with blue cheese, Gouda and toma;
olives accompany white cheddar and pepper
jack; walnuts fi t with Gouda and dry
jack; and dried cranberries pair nicely with
cheddar, blue cheese and mushroom jack
in this Red, White and Blue Cheese Board.
Consider portions. Estimate 1-1 1/2
ounces of each cheese per person. If you
plan to serve three or more cheeses, consider
decreasing the amount to 1 ounce (or
less) of each cheese per person.
To fi nd a variety of Real California
cheeses at a store near you, visit the product
locator at realcaliforniamilk.com.
California Continental
Cheese Board
Recipe courtesy of Real California Milk
• 1-2 ounces California Brie cheese per
person
• 1-2 ounces California toma cheese per
person
• 1-2 ounces California pepper jack
cheese per person
• walnuts
• breadsticks
• fresh herbs
On cheese plate, arrange cheeses,
almonds, crackers and cherry tomatoes.
Red, White and Blue
Cheese Board
Recipe courtesy of Real California Milk
• 1-2 ounces California cheddar cheese
per person
• 1-2 ounces California blue cheese per
person
• 1-2 ounces California mushroom jack
cheese per person
• walnuts
• dried cranberries
• crackers
• fresh apple slices
On cheese plate, arrange cheeses, walnuts,
cranberries, crackers and apple slices.
— Courtesy of Family Features
/www.beefi
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.beefi
/realcaliforniamilk.com
