8 Succulent Winter Roasts
Classic and unexpected cuts to star at your table, with sides to match.
Garlic-Rubbed Tri-Tip with Mint Caper Salsa
Tri-tip for Christmas? Yes--this wintertime take on the barbecue classic is elegantly Mediterranean.
Yield: Serves 10 to 12
Total: 45 Minutes
Ingredients
TRI-TIP
10 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 boneless tri-tip roasts (2 to 2 1/2 lbs. each)
MINT CAPER SALSA
3/4 cup each roughly chopped parsley and mint
1/3 cup chopped shallots
2 anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 tablespoon each lemon zest and juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Sprinkle garlic with salt and mince to combine, then mash to a paste with flat side of chef's knife. In a small bowl, mix paste with paprika, pepper, and 2 tbsp. oil. Spread paste all over tri-tips. Wrap meat in plastic wrap and chill at least 24 hours and up to 2 days.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Scrape excess marinade from meat. Heat remaining 1 tbsp. oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown tri-tips on one side only, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn meat over in pan; then set in oven and roast until internal temperature reaches 125° for medium-rare, about 20 minutes. Let meat rest, uncovered, on a cutting board 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make salsa: Put all salsa ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times to combine into a rough sauce.
4. Slice each tri-tip thinly across the grain, rotating the meat to keep knife perpendicular to the grain (it changes direction on tri-tip). Serve with salsa.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 422
Calories from fat: 64%
Protein: 34g
Fat: 31g
Saturated fat: 7.9g
Carbohydrate: 2g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sodium: 337mg
Cholesterol: 100mg
Pork Shoulder Roast with Figs, Garlic, and Pinot Noir
Though this dish looks impressive, it's easy to pull off, and the cut of meat is an inexpensive one.
Yield: Serves 6 or 7
Total: 3 Hours, 15 Minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (10 oz.) dried Mission figs, stems removed, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus thyme sprigs
1 bottle (750 ml.) Pinot Noir, divided
1 boned pork shoulder (butt) roast (about 3 1/2 lbs.)
8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into large slivers
About 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
About 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
About 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (optional)
Preparation
1. Put figs, sugar, anise, 1 tbsp. thyme, and 1 cup wine in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until figs are just tender when pierced, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.
2. With a small, sharp knife, make 16 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts into roast, each cut about 1 in. long and 1 in. deep. Insert a garlic sliver, then a fig half into each cut, closing meat over figs; make cuts a little bigger if needed. Set aside remaining garlic and figs and their liquid.
3. Preheat oven to 325°. Using kitchen twine, tie pork crosswise at about 1 1/2-in. intervals and lengthwise twice to form a neat roast. In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp. thyme, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and the oil. Rub all over roast.
4. Heat a 12-in. frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown pork all over, turning as needed, 8 to 10 minutes total; adjust heat if needed to keep meat from scorching. Transfer pork fat-side up to a 9- by 13-in. baking pan.
5. Reduce heat to medium. Add reserved garlic to frying pan; cook, stirring often, until light golden, about 1 minute. Pour in remaining wine from bottle and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour mixture over pork and cover tightly with foil.
6. Bake pork until almost tender when pierced, 2 1/2 hours. Stir reserved fig mixture into pan juices; bake, covered, until meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes more.
7. Spoon pan juices over pork to moisten, then transfer meat to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Skim fat from pan juices. Pour juices with figs into a large frying pan and boil over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp. thyme. Taste and season with lemon juice and more salt and pepper if you like. Pour into a gravy boat. Remove twine from pork, then cut meat crosswise into thick slices. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with sauce.
Make ahead: Prepare through step 3 and chill airtight up to 1 day.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 498
Calories from fat: 50%
Protein: 32g
Fat: 28g
Saturated fat: 8.4g
Carbohydrate: 32g
Fiber: 4.2g
Sodium: 526mg
Cholesterol: 107mg
Make it a full meal with some green-leaning sides.
Spice-Crusted Prime Rib
An initial half hour in a very hot oven ensures that this roast comes out beautifully browned and juicy.
Yield: Serves 10 to 12
Total: 3 Hours, 30 Minutes
Ingredients
1 four-rib beef rib roast (about 7 lbs.)
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
Preparation
1. Let beef come to room temperature 1 hour. Preheat oven to 500°. Set beef in a large roasting pan, rib side down, and roast 30 minutes to render off some fat.
2. Transfer beef to a platter and reduce oven temperature to 350°. Drain fat from pan, then return beef to pan, rib side down. Set aside.
3. Grind peppercorns, allspice, and salt in a spice grinder until coarsely ground. Put in a small bowl and mix with remaining ingredients to make a thick paste. Use a small spatula to spread paste evenly over top and sides of beef.
4. Cook beef until well browned and a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 115°, about 1 1/2 hours for medium rare (temperature will rise to at least 135° as it stands). Cover beef loosely with foil and let stand about 30 minutes before slicing.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 472
Calories from fat: 71%
Protein: 27g
Fat: 37g
Saturated fat: 14g
Carbohydrate: 5.8g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sodium: 621mg
Cholesterol: 99mg
Roasted Bison with Velvety Pan Gravy
For a change of pace this year, why not try bison? It's lean and tastes similar to beef.
Time: 1 1/2 hours.
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
About 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 pounds buffalo sirloin tip roast*
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, whisk together cumin, paprika, garlic, coriander, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Rub roast with 1 tbsp. oil and pat spice mixture all over roast.
2. In a dutch oven or other heavy 5- to 6-qt. pot, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium heat. Brown roast on all sides, about 4 minutes per side, adding another 1/2 tbsp. oil halfway through browning.
3. Transfer roast to a plate and wipe pot clean with a paper towel. Add 1/2 tbsp. oil to pot, put roast back in pot, and roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°, about 50 minutes.
4. Transfer roast to a rimmed cutting board and tent with foil. Add remaining 1 tbsp. oil and the flour to pot and, over medium heat, whisk 1 to 2 minutes to cook flour. Whisk in tomato paste. Slowly whisk in beef broth and bring to a simmer. Cook gravy until thickened slightly, whisking frequently, 7 to 9 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
5. Slice roast thinly and serve with pan gravy.
*Available at Whole Foods Markets and by request from your butcher.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 253
Calories from fat: 33%
Protein: 37g
Fat: 9.4g
Saturated fat: 2.2g
Carbohydrate: 3.2g
Fiber: 0.6g
Sodium: 487mg
Cholesterol: 121mg
Rosemary Grilled Leg of Lamb
Marinated for a full 24 hours with lemon, rosemary, garlic, and warm spices, this chef creation has loads of flavor.
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Total: 2 Hours, 45 Minutes
Ingredients
1 cup olive oil
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup lemon juice
8 large garlic cloves, sliced
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup whole rosemary leaves, plus 12 sprigs (9 in. long); 4 oz. sprigs total
1 bone-in leg of lamb (6 1/2 lbs.), with hip bone and upper leg bone removed*; or 1 fully boned leg of lamb (4 1/2 lbs.)
Preparation
1. Combine oil and all seasonings except for rosemary sprigs in a shallow pan. Add lamb and turn to coat inside and out. Cover and chill 24 hours, turning occasionally. Let lamb sit at room temperature 1 hour before grilling. Brush off excess marinade. Tie with kitchen twine to make a compact roast.
2. Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium (350° to 400°) with burner turned off (for gas) or coals pushed to half of firegrate (for charcoal) to make an indirect heat area.
3. Grill lamb over direct heat, turning as needed, until browned all over, 10 minutes. Set lamb on a V-shaped rack in a roasting pan. Set pan over indirect-heat area. Top meat with rosemary sprigs. Stoke the fire; for charcoal, as you cook, add 6 to 8 briquets every 30 minutes. Cover charcoal or gas grill.
4. Roast lamb, rotating meat in pan every 20 to 30 minutes so each part is exposed to heat, until lamb reaches 140° in thickest part, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours; rosemary may fall off. Let lamb rest on a board 15 minutes. Remove twine and carve.
*Ask a butcher to remove the hip and leg bones from the wide end but leave the shank bone, which is useful as a handle for turning.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 349
Calories from fat: 45%
Protein: 44g
Fat: 18g
Saturated fat: 5.1g
Carbohydrate: 1.8g
Fiber: 0.8g
Sodium: 258mg
Cholesterol: 136mg
Standing Rib Roast
Coated generously with thyme, the roast is served with a beef broth and brandy jus.
Yield: Makes 12 servings without bone section; 14 with bones
Ingredients
1 fat-trimmed, 4-bone beef rib-eye roast (about 8 1/2 lb.; see notes)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups fat-skimmed beef broth
1/4 cup brandy or tawny port
Preparation
1. Rinse meat and pat dry. In a small bowl, mix thyme, salt, and pepper. Rub mixture evenly all over roast. Set on a rack, bones down, in 10- by 15-inch roasting pan.
2. Roast beef in a 375° regular or convection oven until a thermometer inserted in the center of the narrow end reaches 135° for medium (the wide end should be about 125° for rare), about 2 1/2 hours. As fat accumulates in pan, ladle it out and discard.
3. Transfer roast to a platter and let stand in a warm place at least 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, skim off and discard remaining fat from pan drippings. Add beef broth to pan and stir to scrape up browned bits. Add brandy. Set pan over high heat and stir until mixture is boiling vigorously. Stir in juices accumulated from roast on platter. Pour sauce through a fine strainer into a small pitcher.
5. Carve roast and serve with sauce.
Note: For easy carving, have the butcher cut the rib-eye muscle from the bones, then tie the meat and bones back together for roasting. After cooking, the roast may stand in a warm place up to 30 minutes. To serve, snip off the string, lift the roast off the bones, and slice the meat. Cut between the bones to serve them.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 332
Calories from fat: 46%
Protein: 41g
Fat: 17g
Saturated fat: 6.9g
Carbohydrate: 0.4g
Fiber: 0.1g
Sodium: 359mg
Cholesterol: 119mg
Crown Roast of Pork
Simple to prepare, a crown roast makes an impressive statement at the table, and it serves a crowd.
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Total: 3 Hours
Ingredients
1 16-rib crown roast of pork (8 to 11 lbs.), trimmed of excess fat
About 2 tsp. kosher salt
About 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large head garlic
6 to 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons flour
Preparation
1. Put oven rack in center position and preheat oven to 350°. Rinse pork and pat dry. Season all over with salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Set pork in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Cut top off garlic head so cloves are exposed and place in center of pork. Cover top of each bone with a small cap of foil to prevent blackening in oven. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
2. Roast pork, basting every 30 minutes with accumulated pan drippings. (If pan begins to look dry, gradually add up to 2 cups additional broth.) Cook until a digital thermometer inserted horizontally through middle of roast into center of thickest part reads 145°, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours (see Notes), and garlic is soft (if garlic isn't soft, put it in a small ovenproof dish and cook up to another 30 minutes). Transfer pork to a carving board, tent with foil, and let rest.
3. Meanwhile, pour pan drippings into a large measuring cup; let sit until fat rises to top. Spoon off 4 tbsp. fat and reserve; discard the rest. Measure 1 cup juices (add broth if necessary to make 1 cup).
4. Set roasting pan on top of stove so it spans 2 burners. Put reserved fat in pan and whisk in flour. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking, until flour develops a nutty aroma and is deeply browned. Gradually whisk in reserved juices and 3 cups chicken broth. With a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits; then resume whisking until gravy is smooth. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, whisking. Boil until gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; pour through a strainer into gravy boat.
5. Pop garlic cloves out of their skins into a small serving bowl. Remove string from roast and foil covers from bones. Serve with roasted garlic and gravy. Carve between bones with a sharp knife.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 313
Calories from fat: 49%
Protein: 35g
Fat: 17g
Saturated fat: 5.5g
Carbohydrate: 3.7g
Fiber: 0.3g
Sodium: 546mg
Cholesterol: 88mg
Offset all that meat with some healthy appetizers
Beef Rib Roast and Yorkshire Pudding from the Grill
A Sunset reader received an award in a Sunset grilling contest for this recipe. He grills prime rib, catching the drippings in a pan, then pours Yorkshire pudding batter into the drip pan, where it puffs and browns.
Yield: Makes 5 to 7 servings
Ingredients
1 center-cut beef rib roast (4 to 5 lb.), surface of fat trimmed to no more than 1/4 inch thick
Garlic-herb oil
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
About 3/4 teaspoon salt
Melted butter or margarine (optional)
Watercress sprigs
Pepper
Preparation
1. Rinse beef and pat dry. Coat all over with garlic-herb oil.
2. Prepare barbecue for indirect heat (see below). When barbecue is medium-hot (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds), set an 8-inch square foil pan in center of firegrate or directly on heat source in gas barbecue (see notes above); set grill in place. Set roast, bones down, on grill over drip pan. Cover barbecue; open vents for charcoal. Cook for 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a blender, whirl milk, flour, eggs, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until batter is smooth.
4. Transfer roast to a platter. Protecting your hands, lift grill off and remove drip pan. Pour drippings through a fine strainer into a bowl.
If using a charcoal grill, return 1 tablespoon drippings to pan; discard remainder. Return pan to firegrate and pour batter into pan. Replace grill, set roast back over pan, cover barbecue, and cook until medium-rare (135° in center of thickest part), 30 to 50 minutes longer, or until done to your taste. Cook pudding until well browned, 40 to 50 minutes.
If using a gas grill, return 3 tablespoons drippings (adding melted butter, if needed, to make this amount) to pan and pour in batter. Quickly set another 8-inch square pan on heat source, replace grill, set roast over pan, cover barbecue, and cook until medium-rare (135° in center of thickest part), 30 to 50 minutes longer, or until done to your taste. Meanwhile, bake pudding in a 375° oven until well browned, 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Transfer roast to a platter; let stand in a warm place for juices to settle, at least 10 minutes. If pudding is done before roast is ready to carve, close charcoal barbecue vents and leave pudding in barbecue to keep warm, or turn oven heat off and keep pudding warm in the oven.
6. Scoop pudding in large portions from pan and place around roast. Garnish with watercress. Carve roast and serve with pudding. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare grill for indirect heat:
If using charcoal briquets, mound and ignite 60 briquets on the firegrate of a barbecue with a lid. When the briquets are hot, after 15 to 20 minutes, push equal amounts to opposite sides of the firegrate. Add 5 more briquets to each mound of coals now and every 30 minutes while cooking. Set a drip pan on the firegrate between the coals. Set the grill in place.
If using a gas barbecue, turn all the burners to high, close the lid, and heat for 10 minutes. Then adjust the burners for indirect cooking (heat on opposite sides of grill, not down center under food), and keep on high unless recipe specifies otherwise.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 934
Calories from fat: 68%
Protein: 53g
Fat: 71g
Saturated fat: 27g
Carbohydrate: 18g
Fiber: 0.8g
Sodium: 426mg
Cholesterol: 269mg
Don't forget: White meat counts, too! Here are some of our favorite roast chicken recipes.