It's the holiday season, which means many of us will be getting together with family and friends, celebrating together over a great meal and spectacular drinks. It's that exact same spirit we try to capture every Friday and Saturday night at Cow by Bear, but I'll admit there is something extra special about this time of year.
I'll be preparing a 75-day dry aged ribeye along with a smorgasbord of sides and Mama Bear's famous Hot Buttered r(h)um. Below I've provided a recipe for the ribeye, a side and the hot-buttered r(h)um - which also makes for a great housewarming gift if you're a guest this holiday season. I'd love to see your spin on these recipes, so please be sure to hashtag #cowbybear on social media if you're cooking up any of the below!
Nana's Hot Buttered R(h)um
Nana's Hot Buttered R(h)um
This is a take on my Nana's recipe she's been making for as long as I can remember. I use Barbancourt rhum from Haiti, as that's the house booze at Cow by Bear and tastes perfect in this drink, but any spiced rum such as Sailor Jerry's or Captain Morgan's will work just fine.
1.5 quarts vanilla ice cream
2/3 lb. salted butter (melted)
1 1/2 lb. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
Batter: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the brown sugar and butter until smooth. Slowly fold in ice cream, then stir in the spices. Batter is ready now if you just cant wait, but to preserve pour into plastic freezer containers and freeze. Batter can be stored in freezer for a year.
Hot buttered r(h)um: For each mug, put in 2-3 Tbsp. frozen batter, 1 oz. jigger of r(h)um and fill with 3/4 cup hot water. Stir. Makes one hot buttered r(h)um.
Ribeye
We're known for our 45-50 day dry aged ribeye that we've served as the main course of every dinner we've ever put on. Our prime rib comes from one of the best ranches in the country and I personally age the beef. I'll be serving 75-day dry aged ribeye to my family on Christmas Eve this year. Obviously I'm a huge fan of dry-aged beef, so use it if you can. That said, unless it's aged at least 35 days you're better off saving money and going with a nice piece of prime ribeye that hasn't been aged. You just won't see a big difference in taste until it hits around 35 days. Due to differences in my kitchen setup at Cow by Bear and where I'll be cooking on Christmas Eve, this recipe isn't how we do things at the restaurant but it's exactly how I'll be preparing it the night St. Nick comes down the chimney.
2 1/2 lb. bone-in ribeye steak (Serves 4-5. Use 35 day or more dry-aged if you can)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves
1/2 onion, diced
Few sprigs rosemary
Take the steak out of the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking. About 30 minutes before cooking, salt the shit out of all sides of the steak. Then salt it a little more and pepper it. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. When the pan is really hot, brown one side of the steak. Don't touch it at all after you put it down. It will be sizzling quite a bit, and you'll probably want to open some doors in addition to having your oven fan on high. After about two minutes, flip the steak. Sear the second side for about two minutes (again, don't touch). Stand the fat side of the steak (opposite the bone) and sear for about 45 seconds. Then flip the steak over back to the first side. Put the steak in the oven and let cook for about 9 minutes. Return the pan to the stove over low heat. Melt the butter, then add the garlic, diced onion and rosemary. With a large spoon, baste the steak with the steak juice, butter, garlic, onion, rosemary concoction gathered in the pan. Do this for about two and a half minutes. Put the steak on a cutting board with a foil tent over it and don't touch it for about 10 minutes. After ten minutes, cut the steak off the bone and slice against the grain. When it's time to eat, heat up the remaining juice in the pan and pour over the steak and everything else on your plate.
Bacon & Caramelized Onion Brussels Sprouts
I love Brussels sprouts. If there is one thing I purchase at every single Farmer's Market, regardless of the season, it is Brussels sprouts. I just can't get enough of them, and this is my favorite way to cook them. At Cow by Bear, we use beef cracklings instead of bacon, basically the excess fat of the ribeye we're serving that night. If you've been in for a dinner, you know what I'm talking about. I'm subbing in bacon for this recipe as it's obviously much easier to get your hands on, and still delicious.
1 lb. fresh Brussels sprout
1/2 lb. of the best bacon you can get
2 onions
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt
Grapeseed or olive oil
To prep, wash the Brussels sprouts, trim off the knobby end and cut the sprouts in half lengthwise. Peel the onions and thinly slice them. Cut the bacon in half lengthwise and then cut into small square chunks.
In your largest oven-proof pan, heat the oil of your choice over medium-high heat for about a minute. Stack the sliced onions in the middle of the pan, on top of each other in a pyramid as much as possible. Don't touch for about 3 minutes. Salt the onions and toss to redistribute but try to keep them on top of each other. Let the onions cook like this for the next 15 minutes, turning them over themselves every 3 minutes or so. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 30 minutes, turning them over every 10 minutes or so. Transfer the onions to a plate. Preheat the oven to 400. You will need to wipe some of the leftover juice out of the pan at this point, but I like to cook the bacon in that caramelized mess. Add the bacon and cook on medium heat until brown, redistributing frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate, discard some of the leftover grease/juice again, and add the Brussels sprouts, flat/cut side down. Raise the heat to high until they start to sizzle, then put the pan in the oven. Cook for 8 minutes then shake the pan to redistribute the sprouts. Now cook for 10 more minutes. Taste one, they should be tender. If they're not quite there yet, cook for another two minutes. Return the pan to the stove over low heat. Add the butter, caramelized onions and bacon, and stir until mixed together evenly.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We hope to see you at Cow by Bear in the new year. There's still time purchase a gift certificate for someone special. Just email us at info@cowbybear.com!