The Roast Beast Master with Crispy Onions and Creamy Horseradish Sauce

There's a good chance I made this sandwich just because it's called The Roast Beast Master (come on, that's pretty hard to resist). It feels powerful (and I guess with fried onions and horseradish sauce, it is). It's definitely satisfying, but not exactly an everyday sandwich, since it requires deep frying the onions. But I think they're a huge part of the appeal since you get to eat the extras on the side.

 

THE ROAST BEAST MASTER WITH CRISPY ONIONS

AND CREAMY HORSERADISH SAUCE

Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Horseradish Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Crispy Onions:

2 cups buttermilk

2 onions, thinly sliced root to tip

vegetable oil, for frying

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne

2 teaspoons paprika

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sandwich Build:

4 large fresh onion rolls, buttered and toasted until golden

4 thick slices sharp cheddar

1 pound good-quality rare roast beef, sliced thin

1.      For the horseradish sauce: In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, honey and Dijon. Season with salt and pepper.

2.      For the onions: Pour the buttermilk over the onions and let them sit for about 30 minutes.

3.      Heat 3 inches of oil to 350º F in a medium Dutch oven.

4.      Whisk together the flour, cayenne, paprika and some salt and pepper. Remove the onions from the buttermilk and toss them in the flour until thoroughly coated. Fry in batches until the batter is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Let drain on paper towels and season with salt while hot.

5.      For the sandwich build: On the toasted onion rolls, begin with a slice of cheddar, pile the meat high, add as many crispy onions as the sandwich will hold and schmear the top bun with a healthy portion of horseradish sauce.

barely tweaked from Jeff Mauro

horseradish sauce ingredients

horseradish sauce

onions soaking in buttermilk

I decided to soak my onion in a ziploc bag and then pour out
the buttermilk. I probably should have drained the onions instead
because I think a little too much buttermilk may have stayed behind.

flour and spices

I poured the flour mixture right into the bag of soaked onions
and it was a little gummy. That's why I think there was too
much buttermilk left behind in the bag. But I moved ahead.

onions frying

fried onions

cheddar cheese layer

roast beef layer

Actually, that's london broil (it looked
better than the roast beef at the store).

onion layer (about to be topped off with a
bun top slathered with horseradish mayo)

I didn't have onion rolls, but I'll bet that's great.

The Roast Beast Master with Crispy Onions
and Creamy Horseradish Sauce

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Braised Short Ribs

I realize this looks like a big sloppy mess and might not make your mouth water, but trust me, it's a super flavorful big sloppy mess that is scrumptious, in spite of it's lack of photogenicness (which may or may not be a word - I'm not sure). So just put this photo out of your mind and imagine the robust flavors dancing on your taste buds. They've always been there for you, I think they deserve this.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Yield:  8 servings

6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)

kosher salt
extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups tomato paste
2 to 3 cups hearty red wine
2 cups water
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
2 bay leaves

1.      Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot (large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables) with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.

2.      Preheat oven to 375º F.

3.      While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.

4.      Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water (or enough water to just about cover the meat). Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.

from Anne Burrell

raw short ribs

browned short ribs

vegetables in food processor

pureed vegetables in pot

"crud" on the bottom of the pan

adding tomato paste

Don't be afraid of using so much tomato paste.
I used the full amount and was very happy I did.

adding wine

tomato paste, wine and water mixed in

adding the short ribs back

submerging the short ribs

thyme and bay leaves added

about 90 minutes later

3 hours later (removing thyme)

removing short rib (fallen off the bone)

fat skimmed - braising liquid mixed

braised short rib on bone over roasted garlic mashed potatoes

braised short rib (pulled apart, with sauce)

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Rao's Meatballs

If you read Wednesday's post, you already know how much I like Rao's marinara sauce. And while I was on their website looking up that recipe, I spotted this one for meatballs. But since it's practically impossible to get into Rao's restaurant, I've never actually tasted their meatballs, so I have nothing to compare these to. But I can tell you that I liked these better than the meatballs I used to make (which were pretty good), so now these are my new meatballs.

Side note: If anyone knows anyone, who knows anyone, who knows Frankie No (or anyone he knows) and thinks they can get me a reservation, let me know. We can go together (if you don't mind dining with someone you met in cyberspace). My treat.

RAO’S MEATBALLS

Makes about 28 meatballs

1 pound ground lean beef

½ pound ground veal

½ pound ground pork

2 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 ½ tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

½ small garlic clove, peeled and minced

2 cups bread crumbs

2 cups lukewarm water

salt & black pepper to taste

1 cup Rao’s extra virgin olive oil

7 cups Rao’s marinara sauce for simmering (homemade or jarred)

______________________________________________________________________

1.      Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients together.

2.      Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add water,1 cup at a time, until the mixture is quite moist.

3.      Shape the meat mixture into balls (2½ to 3 inch balls).

4.      Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. When oil is very hot but not smoking, fry meatballs in batches. When bottom half of meatball is very brown and slightly crisp turn and cook top half. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

5.      Lower cooked meatballs into simmering marinara sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta or on their own.

from Rao’s Restaurant, NYC

ground beef and pork (I couldn't find veal without
hormones and antibiotics etc., so I just left it out)

meat, eggs, cheese, spices & breadcrumbs

mixed

adding water

water mixed in

frying rolled balls

flipped

going in to the sauce

submerged

Rao's meatball (cross section)

If you want to make them rounder, you can take the
time to flip them onto their sides during frying so
they'll even out. But I didn't think it mattered enough to
take the time. No one ever turned down a flat meatball.

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Cocktail Meatballs & Sauce

Every Christmas Eve my husband's Aunt Becky makes these scrumptious cocktail meatballs. The sauce is sweet and tangy. I really look forward to them and it's pretty much all I can do to keep myself from pulling up a chair and devouring the entire chafing dish. My seven-year-old could easily eat half the dish with me (if I let her get her little elbow in edgewise). So of course, I asked for the recipe. It's easy because the sauce is made with a base of Heinz chili sauce and cranberry sauce. Of course I had to complicate things by making the chili sauce from scratch because I'm just not busy enough as it is. Now that I think about it, that's 20 extra minutes I could have been sleeping. I really need to reprioritize.

 

COCKTAIL MEATBALLS & SAUCE

Yield: 24 small meatballs

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Sauce:

12 oz. Heinz chili sauce (or 1 1/2 x copycat recipe - see below)

10 oz. jellied cranberry sauce (or grape jelly)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

a dash of hot sauce or pinch of cayenne (optional)

1.      Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly using your hands. Roll the meatballs to about the size of a golf ball. Can substitute plain (not Italian) frozen cocktail meatballs.

2.      Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer; stir until smooth.

3.      Gently drop the meatballs in the sauce. Keep at a low simmer for about 30 minutes (or until the meatballs are cooked/heated through). Or you can simmer in a crockpot on high for 3 hours.

meatballs: adapted from food.com by ~In*Memory*of*Brats~

sauce: adapted from heinzchilisauce.com  

 - - - - - 

HEINZ CHILI SAUCE
(COPYCAT RECIPE)

Yield: 1 cup

1 cup tomato puree
1/3 cup agave (or light corn syrup)
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1.      Whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan.

2.      Place over medium heat. When mixture begins to bubble reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

3.      Cover and cool.

4.      Refrigerate when cold.

barely adapted from Todd Wilbur’s Top Secret Recipes

all the meatball ingredients

Ignore the parmesan cheese, I decided it would be better
without it (so as not to compete with the sauce)

mixed

cocktail size meatballs

all the sauce ingredients

sauce mixed

adding the meatballs

If you prefer, you can cook the meatballs separately and
then add them to the sauce (cook until heated through).

meatballs submerged and cooking in the sauce

mmm...cooked and saucy

cocktail meatballs & sauce

cocktail meatball cross section

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