Mothers Day, Sunday, May 8, 2016

Below is Adam Perry Lang’s recipes as we prepared them to celebrate Mother’s Day. Ambient Temp was in the 70’s and humidity was 50% or so.

This actually started on Friday before when I brought home the two-bone rib roast and dry brined it with Kosher salt. Then Saturday afternoon cut it between the ribs and salted the newly exposed sides.

Ingredients

Southern Baste – As we only had a 2-bone we made 1/2 the amounts below. His recipe is on line here.

Makes approximately 3 cups (if using the acid component)

Ingredients for Fat Baste
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup rendered fat from the meat being cooked (optional) — did not add
1 teaspoon soy sauce — did not add
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar – did not add
2 tablespoons grated garlic or garlic mashed to a paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons grated yellow onion – he called for a Spanish onion.
2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Ingredients for Acid Component — forgot to make and use
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Directions – Combine all the ingredients for the fat baste in a 2-quart saucepan and bring just to a simmer; remove from the heat. For the best flavor, refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for 1 to 2 days (reheat over low heat to melt the butter before using).

****Adjust if necessary —-For recipes that use the optional acid component, whisk it into the fat baste before using, or reserve it to add later, as specified in the individual recipe.

Beef
1 2-bone rib roast
1/2 recipe of his Four Seasons Blend – Below is his recipe but we made it without the salt as the meat was dry brined.  Should have also reduced the garlic salt.

Four Seasons Blend Ingredients
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
1 cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

Board Dressing

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated garlic, Cilantro and red pepper flakes

Preparation

This loosely followed Lang’s process cited here.

Set up the Weber with a full chimney of ashed over briquettes, the cooking grate and a large brick on either side. Laid a cast iron grate from the gas grill between the bricks and one across the two bricks to create an elevated grate. Added three small chunks of pecan wood to the coals. A light white smoke rose through the grates throughout the cook.

Seasoned the beef all over with Four Seasons Blend (but forgot to add more pepper as he prescribed), then worked seasonings into the meat with my hands that were wet. The meat was shiny and tacky from the dry brining.

Put beef on the un-oiled upper grill grate and cooked for 1 minute. Turn them over to grill for another minute then repeated that 3 times. Even though did not oil the grate the meat did not stick to create the scruffing he wants.

Put a foil-wrapped brick on the upper grill grate to steady the meat standing on its side the brown the 2″ wide sides. Turned roasts and repeated until all 4 sides have cooked for ~3 (he said 4) minutes each.

Removed brick and elevated grate. Move roasts to the cutting board and let rest for at maybe 5 minutes. Continued cooking roasts on lower grate closer to the fire, turning every 2-3 minutes and basting the top of the beef using a silicone brush with the Southern baste each time they were flipped and the meat was hot. Kept flipping and basting until an the RC600 inserted into the thickest part registered 120°. (He recommended 105°).

Transfer roasts to cutting board and should have let rest for 5–10 minutes. But, began slicing into 3/8″-1/2″ slices after cutting it away from the bones. (APL said 1/4″ slices) Put the bones back on the grill.

Spooned the Board Dressing onto the board and drug the meat through it. When the meat was sliced flipped the slices in the board dressing that now has a lot of meat juices in it.  Piled it onto a small baking sheet, added the bones that are now rather black but not too much. Took it inside and into the oven to stay warm and rest . Oven was at room temp.

Next time.

• Don’t forget to add the acid component to the baste just before using it.
• Don’t forget to pour juices from cutting board over meat.
• Use two standard bricks on each side to raise the elevated grate higher so it cooks a little slower. That is how he has his set up.
• Let the meat rest more when transferring to the lower grate
• Too much EVOO in the board dressing. Should have heated it to meld the flavors. Did not like the microplaned garlic and onion–turned them to mush. Should have minced and lightly sauted before adding the oil. Dried thyme and dried rosemary would likely have been more flavorful.
• He added black pepper to the seasoning blend and I forgot. Could have had more black pepper in the lightly heated board dressing.