THE FIRST CHRISTMAS WE BROUGHT SOPHIE TO NEW YORK, SHE WAS ALMOST A YEAR OLD. MY MOTHER CALLED TO TELL ME, “I BOUGHT YOU A ROAST BEEF FOR CHRISTMAS. IT COST EIGHTY-SIX DOLLARS AND FORTY-NINE CENTS AND YOU’RE GOING TO COOK IT.” WHEN I REMOVED IT FROM MY MOM’S OVEN AND MY FOOD-OBSESSED FAMILY GATHERED IN THE KITCHEN TO WATCH ME CARVE THE FIRST SLICE, MY HAND WAS TREMBLING. THUS BEGAN A LIFELONG LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH RIB ROAST. ALTHOUGH WE DON’T EAT NEARLY AS MUCH MEAT AS WE USED TO, THE SIGHT OF THICK SLAB OF BLOOD RARE PRIME RIB, ACCOMPANIED BY ITS CRISPY BROWN RIB MAKES MY MOUTH WATER. COOKING IT TERRIFIES ME, BECAUSE WHETHER YOU BLAST IT IN A 500-DEGREE OVEN FOR AN HOUR, THEN LET IT SIT, OR SEAR THE OUTSIDE WITH A BLOWTORCH BEFORE ROASTING IT SEVERAL HOURS ON LOW HEAT, ONLY A FEW DEGREES ABOVE RARE IS AN UNQUALIFIED DISASTER; $200 DOWN THE DRAIN. KATHY GODFREY TREATS US TO HER RIB ROAST EVERY CHRISTMAS. AND EVERY CHRISTMAS IT COMES OUT PERFECTLY. SO I BOW TO HER. THIS IS HER RECIPE AND THE ONLY ONE I KNOW THAT GUARANTEES SUCCESS.
I’VE INCLUDED A RECIPE FOR ROESTI POTATOES WITH CREAMED LEEKS. I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU CAN EAT ROAST BEEF WITHOUT POTATOES.
