Boxing Day Repurposing

Today is Boxing Day - usually referred to as Christmas' sad sibling. It's the day when leftovers from Christmas rule and that means cold turkey, ham, or prime rib sandwiches . However those leftovers can be repurposed into tasty and hot dishes  that are so delicious , they'll overshadow yesterday's meal. It's just getting creative with what's in the fridge.

One of the best renditions of leftovers comes from the Great British Baking show judge, Paul Hollywood.His is a take on Chelsea Buns a kind of cinnamon bun. This one is both sweet and savory thanks to the addition of leftover shredded turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. The dough is a surprisingly sweet  which actually works well with the other ingredients .It's rolling the yeast  dough out into a square,letting it proof. and then spoon and spread out the cranberry sauce first. It's then sprinkling on the shredded turkey and crumbled stuffing.The dough is later rolled like a jelly sponge and cut into pieces. Place the rolls, swirly, side up in a deep roasting pan or baking tray. Let it go through a second rise for an hour before baking it at 400 degrees Farenheit. You probably can do the same with shredded ham too but instead of cranberry sauce, try a layer of mustard for some kick.Another of Mr. Hollywood's recipe is a Boxing Day pie made with the same ingredients as the buns, turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, done in layers. The crust is a hot water crust.I don't see why this can't be done with leftover ham and possibly scalloped potatoes.

Another way of getting rid of that holiday turkey or ham is turning it into a tasty salad. For the turkey mix it with mayo, celery and tarragon. Serve it on warmed croissants for a lovely lunch. The same can be done with the ham,  Ham salad can be served on pretzel rolls for a hearty lunch or even dinner.Ham can also be repurposed in homemade pea soup. Definitely save the bone for this. Prime rib is an elegant meal the first time its' served. It becomes a hearty ingredient as it transforms into leftovers.Try making a hash with it. Add any leftover baked potatoes,preferably Idahos along with a chopped white onion and celery .You can also use leftover mashed potatoes too. Rosemary and parsley are added for more flavor.  First the onion and celery are sauteed in butter, then the meat and potatoes are added along with Tabasco and ketchup.everything is cooked in an eight inch saute pan for only a couple of minutes. The pan is then transferred to a 450 degree Farenheit oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Serve with fried or sunny side up eggs. You could also turn the leftover prime rib into a soup.Combine with cubed potatoes and fresh sliced mushrooms with two cups of beef stock.Serve with crusty , buttered rolls for a hearty soup on a cold day,

Boxing Day doesn't have to mean cold leftovers. Turn yesterday's feast into hearty tasty dishes. They'll be tastier the second time around.

Prime Rib Return Of A Classic

Many classic foods are making big comebacks, thanks to younger chefs and home chefs discovering them .This is the case with prime rib.It's starting to be seen both  in restaurants and dining rooms. Once, relegated to fancy affairs it's becoming a part of the American diet again.

Jeff Gordonier explored this in today 's New York Times Wednesday Food section  Once the star of Sunday roasts, it's been associated with weddings and bar mitzvahs. This is the year for it to come back into its own.Prime rib is already being seen in some of Manhattan's best restaurants such as Cherche Midi. The cut itself is stunning, a true roast with a photogenic and seductive look. It has a ruby red eye in its' center surrounded by a tender melt in your mouth meat. The exterior is a crisp rind of fat and salt, the perfect crust.There is also the plus of gnawing the bone, satisfying any Paleo urges.The meat should be aged 120 days before cooking so it has , as Mr. Gordonier puts it"a beautiful blue cheese funk about it."Prime rib is   usually served with Yorkshire pudding, as it has for centuries in Britain. This is the forebear of our popover, and started as a runny batter  to collect the cut's juices.

Both are easy to make. If  you have a fireplace you can roast the meat the original way.It does require a hook that will hold the string wrapped around the meat.You're going to have to check antique shops or even Etsy for meat hooks. They may have a comeback thanks to the cut  but stores like Williams and Sonoma and Sur la Table have yet to pick up on this trend . You can cook prime rib in an oven  usually for two hours  after an initial browning of 15 minutes at 500 degrees Farenheit Many chefs like to marinade the meat.The Lafayette Restaurant in New York preps the meat with packing it with salt , a necessary along with cracked peppercorns and herbs.Some, like, Washington DC chef Nate Anda of Partisan coats his in fennel pollen and red pepper flakes.it is then  cooked for eigh hours in a sous vide, followed by searing. It's then sliced in wafer thin pink slices and served on flat breads.FOr home chefs just use fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to seal in the juices and to give it a nice salty crust. Yorkshire pudding is baked afterwards, using the prime ribs' dripping. It's just a simple blend of flour, whole milk and kosher salt. A teaspoon of the meat's rendered fat or even melted butter is added to the batter for more flavor.The puddings only take 10 to 12 at 400 degrees Farenheit/ minutes to bake in a muffin tin. Serve with only horseradish cream.

Prime rib is an elegant cut, a throwback to our beef eating days. Make it and Yorkshire pudding for a truly flavorful experience  appealing to any and every meat lover's tastes. It's downright delicious and as you'll soon find out , addictive