Herbed Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce & Yorkshire Pudding & Roast Goose with Sausage Stuffing

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              FOOD FUNNY
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Tami Dean writes, "This one is true - it just happened the other
day. We were all having dinner at my aunt's house. She she let
each of the adults and kids choose a can of fruit juice to drink
with their dinner. I said, 'Guava - my favorite!' and grabbed the
can. My 3-year-old and 5-year-old ran away from me screaming.
It turns out that my 6-year-old had convinced the younger two
that it was not guava juice - it was HOT LAVA juice.

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              TODAY'S RECIPES
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People who are critical of British cooking would do well to remind
themselves that this is the quintessential British dish. The English
traditionally carve their roast beef into very thin slices, but I prefer
the American style of serving it in slices as thick as the diner can
manage. You can omit the horseradish sauce in favor of pan gravy
if you insist, but to serve roast beef without Yorkshire pudding (really
more of a large popover than a pudding in the American sense)
would be downright criminal.

Herbed Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce and Yorkshire Pudding

1 3-rib standing rib roast (about 7 lbs, 3.2 Kg)
1/4 cup (60 ml) Dijon-style mustard
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup (180 ml) chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
2 tsp (10 ml) dried thyme
2 tsp (10 ml) dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For best results, age the beef for 4 to 7 days. Unwrap the roast, dry
it thoroughly with paper towels, and place it on a wire rack set over
a pan lined with paper towels. Refrigerate uncovered for 4 to 7 days.
Before cooking, trim off any parts that are completely dehydrated.

Whether you age the beef or not, allow the roast to sit at room
temperature for 3 to 4 hours before cooking. Tie segments of cooking
twine around the roast, between and parallel to the ribs, to prevent
the outer layer of meat from separating from the rest of the roast
during cooking. Place the roast rib-side down on a wire rack in a
large roasting pan. Spread the top and sides with the mustard.
Combine the remaining ingredients and spread over the mustard.
Place in a preheated 200F (95C) oven until the internal temperature
reaches 130F (55C) for medium-rare, about 3 1/2 hours, or 30 minutes
per pound. Remove from the oven and let stand 30 to 60 minutes
before serving. Reserve the drippings for the Yorkshire pudding.

To carve, stand the roast up so the bones are pointing upward.
Remove the twine and slide a long carving knife along the ribs to
separate the meat from the bones. Place cut-side down and cut
across the grain into thick slices. Serves 6 to 8.

Horseradish Sauce

1 cup (250 ml) sour cream
3 Tbs (45 ml) prepared horseradish, or to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) Dijon-style mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate at least 1 hour before
serving. Makes about 1 1/4 cups (310 ml).

Yorkshire Pudding

2 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
2 Tbs (30 ml) beef drippings

Combine the egg, flour, milk, and salt in an electric blender.
Process at high speed for 2 to 3 seconds. Turn off the machine and
scrape down the sides of the jar. Blend for 40 seconds. To make by
hand, beat the eggs and salt until frothy. Beat in the flour
gradually, followed by the milk. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Heat the beef drippings in a large roasting pan (you may use the one
the roast was cooked in after removing the rest of the drippings) over
moderate heat until the drippings are hot and begin to bubble. Beat
the batter briefly and pour into the hot roasting pan. Place in a
preheated 375F (190C) oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the
batter is crisp and brown and has risen up the sides of the pan. Cut
the pudding into squares and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

We're planning a goose for our Christmas dinner this year, and
this is the recipe we will use.

Roast Goose with Sausage Stuffing

For the stuffing:
3/4 lb (325 g) pork sausage, hot or mild
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5 cups (1.25 L) toasted white bread cubes
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried marjoram
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the goose:
1 goose (6 to 8 lbs, 2.5 to 3.5 Kg), fresh or frozen and thawed
1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Remove the sausage from the casing and fry over medium heat in
a large skillet until well browned, breaking it into small pieces as
it cooks. Drain well and reserve. Melt the butter in the same skillet
and add the onion and celery, cooking for about 5 minutes until tender.
Combine in a large mixing bowl the reserved sausage, the onion and
celery mixture, bread cubes, apple, marjoram, salt, and pepper, and
mix well. Set aside.

Wash the goose well and pat dry with paper towels. Squeeze the lemon
and rub the goose inside and out with the lemon juice. Season the
goose inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the neck and body
cavities with the stuffing. Place the goose on a cooking rack in a
large roasting pan, breast side up. Prick the skin on the breast and
thighs several times with a sharp fork to allow the fat to drain out.
Roast at 350F (160C) for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until a meat thermometer
registers 185F (85C) in the thickest part of the thigh. Prick the
skin approximately every 30 minutes to allow more fat to escape.
Allow to rest at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes before carving.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Thu Dec 14 08:17:55 2006