Spoon Roast with Horseradish Cream

Over the holidays, I was getting ready to make spoon roast again, and found this link for the Sweet Pea Cooks post I'd roughly followed the last time I made it. I was a bit frustrated that I hadn't made any notes about my own preparation, which I seek to remedy with this post. This time the roast came out just right, so I definitely want to capture it. I won't recap things that have already been well-covered, and just focus on my variations.

As I learned in my research, spoon roast isn't really a cut of meat--sirloin roast is really the cut. I had just under 3 lbs. I tried Sweet Pea's technique of putting the roast into a cold oven, and cooking for 10 minutes at 450. It definitely got things nice and browned, something I recall about my Nana's roast beefs that were the center of countless Sunday dinner's.

Sweet Pea said she cooked hers at too low a temperature, so I went with other research that suggested 20 minutes a pound at 325 degrees for rare. Adding that on to the initial cooking at 450 plus some resting time with tented foil, it came out a very nice medium rare, just the way we like it here.

Now I've been hankering for beef with horseradish for some time & the spoon roast was the perfect occasion to make the combination. I followed a very simple preparation based on a Williams Sonoma recipe: whip 1/2 cup heavy cream together with 2 tbsp horseradish and a 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. This was a great topping for the spoon roast, making for a great meal.

Wild Mushroom Risotto & a Barolo--Now That's a Match!

One of the highlights of the Barolo vertical tasting I enjoyed earlier this fall at Pairings Wine & Food was the scrumptious mushroom risotto that paired so well with the wine. This great match served as a good reminder that one sure-fire way to make a great pairing is to serve traditional regional foods and wines together. Last night I attempted to duplicate this combination in some fashion. It was quite good, though I think my version of the risotto needs a little tweaking to compare with Ray's version. But here's my recipe, suggestions welcomed!

For the initial risotto prep

2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice, I used the latter

7 cups broth

2 tbsp olive, 1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup white wine

1 small onion, chopped

1 lg clove garlic, minced

For the mushrooms & finish the dish

1 shallot, minced

4 cups wild mushrooms, I used mix of shitaake & cremini

2 tbsp truffle butter, divided

1 tbsp regular butter

1/2 cup red wine

1 tsp fresh oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

pepper to taste

1/2 cup parmesan or romano, I used a blend

Cook the rice: Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and keep warm. Note I used vegetable broth that I had on hand, but I think beef or chicken stock might have worked better. Melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions & garlic, saute until the onions start to get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, stir to get it evenly coated with butter/onion mixture, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine, cook until it is absorbed. Add a ladle or two of broth to the rice, stir in and cook until the broth is absorbed. Add another ladle of broth and repeat process. You need to be stirring quite frequently throughout the process--though I managed to juggle that with the mushroom prep. If you haven't made risotto before and want more background on the technique, this post describes it pretty well. Once all or most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender to the bite, you are ready for the mushrooms & finish touches.

Prep the mushrooms: Melt 1 tbsp of reg butter & 1 tbsp of truffle butter in a skillet. Add the shallots, cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, cook until they begin to soften. Stir in the red wine, oregano, thyme and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes until the wine is mostly absorbed, then keep o nlow heat to keep warm.

Finish the risotto: Stir the mushrooms into the cooked rice, then stir in the cheese and the other tbsp of truffle butter. Serve at the table with extra cheese. I served with an arugula salad, it's peppery greens are a nice compliment to the dish.

Wine Pairing: This dish just begs for a red wine from Italy's Piedmont region, so if a friend happened to have given you a Barolo for Christmas, why not open it! The bottle I opened was the 2006 Le Coste Di Monforte Barolo from CC Guidobono. Light brick red in the glass & definitely had the unique Barolo bouquet. First taste-cherry, leathery and chewy. A bit tight, decanted for a bit. Started getting tawny and plum qualities. I was sipping it a bit while cooking, but the wine really came into its own enjoyed along with the dish--they were just meant to go together. Barolo is generally one of those wines that you don't really appreciate fully on its own and this bottle was no exception. I'm not an expert on Barolo aging but would say this would probably improve with a few years aging at least, but it is definitely accessible now too.

Muhammarra: Spicy Red Pepper Dip

I sampled and really enjoyed this dip at Pairings Wine & Food, and had it in the back of mind when I was thinking of possible appetizers to contribute to Thanksgiving. Ray & Lori had the recipe typed up & ready to go, and they also carry the pomegranate molasses--an interesting ingredient, which goes well with pinot noir. This was a big hit with our family on turkey day and they nicely are letting me share it here for others who might be looking for something new this holiday season.

7 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained

2/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly & chopped fine

2 to 4 garlic cloves (I vote for 4!) mashed to a paste w a tsp of salt

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp pomegranate molasses

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

toasted pita triangles or other scooper as an accompaniment.

In a food processor blend together the peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt to taste until the mixture is smooth. With the motor running, add the oil gradually. Transfer the dip to a bowl and serve it at room temperature with the pita triangles.