Saturday, December 27, 2008

Leftovers

One of the joys of having a standing rib roast of beef --- above and beyond the enormous gustatory pleasure that it provides, in and of itself, with Yorkshire pudding, gravy, roast potatoes, etc --- is that if you purchase a large enough piece to ensure that there is more than enough for dinner, there's a good chance there will be enough left over for another dinner.
If there's gravy left, use it too: if there isn't trim the least palatable portions off the (no more than medium rare, at very worst) roast, place in an ovenproof dish or skillet, and render in a hot oven: pour off all but a tablespoon of fat, and add a couple of teaspoons of flour. Stir well over a medium flame (you do cook with gas, right?) until the flour is nutty: add beef broth or stock slowly, stirring in to thin the roux, season, and taste. I will often add a dash of Worcestershire sauce, or some horseradish, or some mustard, or some Sriracha hot sauce, depending on my mood.
Slice the beef thinly, slide into the gravy, and heat, over a low flame, until it is heated through. Serve with a fresh batch of Yorkshire pudding (putting the rest of the rendered fat to good use!) and roasted vegetables. Leftovers fit for, well, me.

Yours, left over,
N.

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