The menu focused around an 18 pound, USDA Prime, center-cut rib roast, that had been slathered with butter and olive oil, lotsa garlic, and a multitude of herbs. It rested overnight in that seasoning cloak and then came to room temp before jumping in the oven.
...it was patiently basted repeatedly by Jules, wearing the fuzzy frog PJ's (all of those slug-a-beds were determined to stay in their PJ's all day long).
....this is how the PR looked after roasting, while it was undergoing the mandatory rest period.
....of course, there were other courses involved. We started with a pear, walnut, raisin, and garden spinach salad:
...gorgeous little brussels sprouts that had been steamed, and then tossed in the skillet with copious amounts of butter and garlic.
...snappy green beans and mushrooms all sauteed together with some garlic, butter, and olive oil.
...there were massive baked spuds with all the fixins:
...atop the slab o'rib was a sauce of my construct. My buddy Art and I took 20 pounds of veal shank bones, roasted them off, flambéd them in Cognac, cooked them with some mirepoix overnight, and came up with about a pint each of amazingly concentrated glace de viande. To that rich base was added some shallots, red wine, chicken stock, and a HUGE mess of re-hydrated porcini mushrooms. Here is the sauce while being mounted with some butter for that final sinful touch.
Jules had made Nancy's famous chocolate-black cherry cake, Havie had made a cheese cake (raspberry if memory serves), there were sinfully rich pineapple bars I think as well....sorry, no pics of the desserts, and the memory was a little fuzzy by that point.
Robert even got full.....
...as did Jeffrey and Gina:
...as did special lady friend Rhonda and the ever-irascible Nuunuu:
...and P Di and Sarah too:
...all in all, a real gut-buster of a repast, and a meal to remember.
