Dear Reader,

Merry Christmas.

Introduction

This post is about my Christmas lunch.

After getting home from church, I put the roast in the oven.

Recipe — standing rib roast.

I have been enjoying more beef and lamb over the last few months. Between the two, I’m eating more beef. If only beef had lamb fat on it. That would be a perfect combination.

If I was eating with others, I’d suggest seafood for lunch. I’d head out and buy some Moreton Bay bugs, Endeavour prawns, sand crabs, and wild-caught Pacific salmon if they had it. I’m drooling thinking about tearing bite sizes of crustacean or fish flesh, mounting them with soft butter, and sprinkling them with flaky salt.

This Christmas, I’m in Canberra. I thought it would be nice to enjoy a rib roast. It would also provide me with lots of meat to eat during the week.

Equipment

• Oven
• Meat thermometer

Ingredients

• Standing rib roast (three ribs) (1700 grams)
• Salt (17 grams)

Instructions

1. One Christmas Eve, season the roast with a liberal amount of salt. I read somewhere it should be about 1% by weight.
2. Place the joint on a tray and refrigerate uncovered overnight. This is dry brining.
3. Remove the joint a few hours before cooking. I did this before leaving for church.
4. Preheat the oven to 120 °C.
5. Put the roast in the oven on a tray and cook until the internal temperature reaches about 55 to 57 °C.
6. When the roast gets to that temperature, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Turn up the heat on the oven to maximum and brown the roast.
8. Remove the roast from the oven.
9. Carve the roast and transfer the meat to a dinner plate.
10. If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the meat will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the rib and just bite into it. This minimises washing. I cut the bone off and then bluntly dissected the spinalis from the longissimus. I then sliced both muscle bundles.
11. If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, meat and some plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
12. If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
13. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this meal won’t be suitable.
14. Always give thanks to the Lord.
15. Eat with whatever implements you prefer. Eating with your fingers is okay, in my opinion.

An alternative style

I know some people prefer to dissect the ribs from the muscle meat before cooking. They will tie the bones and meat together for the cooking phase. Once cooked, it becomes easier to cut the string and carve thin slices of meat. This is great for families and meals with friends.

Because I will eat this roast myself, I don’t need to go to the extra trouble. I prefer slicing between the ribs and then dissecting the bone from the meat.

For the remaining ribs, I’ll remove them and then bluntly dissect the spinalis (deckle or fat cap) from the longissimus dorsi (fillet) and store each muscle bundle separately. I will use the longissimus for lunch meat. The spinalis will be cut into cubes and served cold with King Island smoked cheddar cheese, Outback brand pork rinds, and gobbets of butter.

Recipe — Dessert

Ingredients

• Blueberries 10 grams.
• Pure cream (not thickened) 10 mL.

Instructions

1. Pour the cream into a bowl.
2. Add the blueberries.
3. Eat with a spoon.

Thoughts on the meal

I like roast beef, especially a rib roast. This meal was good. I enjoyed it. It was deeply satisfying.

The pink hue is oxidised myoglobin in the meat juices. It is not blood.

The dessert was a treat.

Final thoughts

• I hope your Christmas and New Year are filled with peace, joy, and rest.  

Disclaimer and comments

This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.

For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.

Nutrition information

Nutrition information for 300 grams of roasted scotch fillet (ribeye) steak.

• Calories: 720–864
• Fat: 40–55 grams (15–20 grams saturated)
• Protein: 50–55 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0 grams
• Cholesterol: 200–250 mg
• Sodium: 800–1200 mg

Nutrition information for 10 grams of blueberries.

Calories: Around 6–8 calories (very low!)

Macronutrients:

• Carbohydrates: Approximately 1.4–1.5 grams, mostly from simple sugars like glucose and fructose.
• Protein: About 0.07–0.1 grams, minimal amount.
• Fat: Trace amount, less than 0.1 grams.

Additional notes:

• The glycæmic index (GI) of blueberries is around 53, considered low and unlikely to cause significant blood sugar spikes.

Nutrition information for 10 mL of pure cream.

Calories: 35–38 calories

Macronutrients:

• Fat: 4–5 grams
• Saturated fat: 2–2.5 grams
• Unsaturated fat: 1.5–2 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0.4–0.5 grams
• Sugars: 0.3 grams
• Protein: 0.2–0.3 grams

Additional notes:

Pure cream is high in fat, primarily saturated fat.