What is Prime Rib and How to Make It

 

 

What is Prime Rib? It is a roast made from the popular Ribeye steak section or as some people call them, Delmonico steaks. It is usually prepared around the holidays. There are three grades of meat; Select, Choice and Prime. Choice is the most popular because of it's blend of fat and quality but also affordable. The Prime is by far the best for flavor, it is also very rare and there for cost nearly twice the amount of choice. Select is the lowest quality and of course the cheapest but it still graded by the USDA so you at least know what your getting when you buy it. Even though most people call it "Prime Rib", what you are really looking for is called a Beef Rib Roast or Standing Rib Roast. I imagine that the name Prime Rib just became popular from the restaurant business, which probably did start out selling it as Prime but it crossed over to more affordable restaurants and they just kept the name the same.  

Ingredients:

6 pound Beef Rib Roast- (1 rib bone will feed at least two people, a 1 rib Rib Roast usually weighs 2-3 pounds)

Seasoning- There are a million recipes for Rib Roasts to google. This is what I like. You will find a recipe for a marinade after the link, that is what I use for my Rib Roasts.

Savings: 10$ per person!



Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Bacon is delicious, it's easy to see why so many people are crazy about it, so you can't go wrong with this recipe. Pork Tenderloin is super lean and really tender but it really needs the bacon to "step it up a notch", as Emeril would say. Cooking it on the grill is recommended but in the oven on broil would work as well. Since the Pork is so lean, don't over cook it because it will turn into jerky. Besides that, this is a simple dinner that taste like you know what you are doing.

Ingredients:
2 pounds Pork Tenderloin (8-12 ounces per person)
1 pound Bacon (About 16 ounces for every 32 ounces of Pork)
2 Tbsp. Garlic
1 Tbsp. Pepper
1 Tbs. Salt
Tooth picks (optional)
Savings: $20-30

White Wine Artichoke Sauce

Do you know how to make artichokes? Like me, you might have tried and failed before but I finally figured out a great recipe for a sauce. I asked so many people, "how do you cook an artichoke?" It seems a lot of people have never made artichokes before because I couldn't get any advice except online. My mission to make a delicious artichoke sauce started about twelve years ago when I ate at a local Cuban restaurant in Gulfport, FL. They had a dish with fish covered in Artichoke sauce and it is still one of the best dinners I have ever tasted. This is a white wine sauce that can be served over seafood, chicken, pasta or even vegetables.

 

Ingredients:

2 Artichokes (I used fresh but canned or frozen hearts might work)

2 sticks butter or equivalent amount of  EVOO

1 1/2 Tbsp. Garlic (I used powder but 4-5 crushed cloves would be easier)

3-5 ounces Drinking White Wine

1 Tbsp. Salt

2 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Rosemary

1 tsp. Pepper

2 Tbsp. Flour or 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch

1 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Savings: ?

I have only had this once and I have no idea how much it cost and it's not exactly the same. fresh artichokes are not cheap, so the canned or frozen will save a lot time and money but I haven't tried it yet.

Five Consequences of Rationalization And It's Impact on Our Food Culture

Have you ever tried the Atkins diet or are you currently not eating gluten because someone said it's bad for you? At what point in the future will we all become so focused on function that we forget about the connection we get through events like cooking and dining with friends and family? Is our generation the adults who decided the only way to live healthy is to stop enjoying food and simply eat to live? I fear the day when our meals will consist of nothing but a meat cube that is packed with the nutrition our body needs. Forget a meat cube, imagine the kids and parents all gathering around the dinner table to enjoy their all purpose shakes. Why risk eating any solid substance when we can get all the nutrition our body needs through a straw?

I might be exaggerating some what but I have seen a dramatic change in our food culture in todays society. I get living healthy, that is one of the reasons I started this blog but I don't think we should sacrifice our dining traditions so everyone can look like body builders. As a "home chef", a parent, a fitness wannabe and a butcher, here are some consequences I have noticed from the increased rationalization of our diets.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a variation of the classic entrée Chicken Cordon Bleu. I have been making this at my work for so long I could do it with my eyes closed; but it can be easily messed up so be prepared. It's surprisingly pretty cheap and easy if you keep a well stocked fridge. Most of the ingredients can already be found in a typical fridge. The only complicated part of this recipe is that you need a meat tenderizer, basically a mallet for food. If you are careful and you do it right, this is one recipe that can take your cooking level from rookie to all-pro.


Ingredients:
1.5-2lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
2 tbsp. Italian Seasoning (Garlic, Salt, Basil, Rosemary...)
6 slices Swiss cheese
3 slices deli lunch meat (traditional uses ham)
2-3 cups bread crumbs
2 cups parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Savings: 10-25$ (More savings if you already have most of the ingredients on hand)

Make Your Own Birthday/Party Cake

 

 
 
 
 
A store bought cake can cost a lot of money, especially when you have three kids like me. Not to mention including buying cakes for friends and family, we would have to buy at least three cakes a year; that's a cost of at least $100 every year. $2,000 will be spent on birthday cakes by the time they turn 18! Luckily for me my wife is pretty talented in making her own cakes. This is not something easy like most of my recipes I post on here but with practice I think it's do-able. Also, my wife does 99% of the work so I am only describing the process of making the cake, can't really add any tips. If you have any trouble, ask Angel for some tips like how to make flowers or writing on the cake. (https://www.facebook.com/angel.hook.3)

Ingredients:

Butter cream (A lot, left overs can be frozen) 6-10 cups. Recipe
     - powered sugar
     - butter
     - vanilla extract
     - milk
Box cake mix (2)
Food coloring
Cake decorating supplies

Savings: $10-$40

 

 

 

 

Cuban Sandwich with Pulled Pork

Bread will flatten even more, don't have final product picture

Cuban sandwiches are very popular in the Tampa Bay area because of the large amount of Cubans who traveled to Ybor City in Tampa, Florida in the early 20th century. Cubans were popular lunch items among the cigar mills and at one point, Ybor was the largest cigar producer in the entire world! Still to this day, many traces of Cuba can be seen in Ybor from the old Spanish style houses to the popular Cuban restaurants and clubs dotted all over the city. If you live in the area, you probably expect to see a Cuban sandwich on most lunch menus at any restaurant in town. I do not claim my Cuban sandwiches are authentic but they are about as close you can get with a few minor differences.




Ingredients:
Cuban/French bread (whole loaf) whole wheat for extra healthy but I don't recommend
1/2 pound fresh deli sliced cooked ham (Boars Head is good or an all natural brand)
1/2 to 1 pound of roasted pulled pork (Pork shoulder w/spices)
Fresh Dill pickles sandwich slices
1/3 pound Swiss cheese (Boars Head as well)
Mustard
Mayonnaise
A press or Panini maker but a regular frying pan will do as well

Savings: 5-15$

Considering you probably have mustard and mayo, this will cost around 15 dollars and will make 3 sandwiches. This is a good idea if you have pulled pork left over and want to make something interesting. Even cheaper if you also have the cheese and ham in the fridge! Now just buy the pickles and bread.