I used say I was going to marry a rancher, because I wanted to have steak any time I wanted. I’m that much of a beef eater. I didn’t, but I got the next best thing. I married a man who worked in a high end restaurant as a kitchen manager and First Cook.
Bobby is a wonderful cook and I am definitely spoiled because of it. However, on Friday, October 30, 2015 we had the amazing opportunity to enjoy world-class dinner at the Certified Angus Beef Educational and Culinary Center. Chef Peter Rosenberg taught us how they prepared each dish. From appetizers to dessert, we were treated to scrumptious Certified Angus Beef (O.K. the dessert didn’t have beef in it, but it was still delicious!).
The appetizers included a roast beef corn cake with basil sundried tomato cream, house made charcuterie (cured and smoked beef), fresh and dried fruit, nuts and crackers. And this was just the beginning!
The next course was a marinated flank steak with a mushroom salad. It is served chilled. The chef said it is a great roast to make ahead of time and have on hand when company drops by for a visit. The mushroom salad uses some of the marinade for the salad dressing. I never would have thought to do that, but it accented the roast perfectly. Because Bobby doesn’t like mushrooms, I got his, too!
There were two separate entrees that we got the try. The first (above) was a classic beef tenderloin roast with a cabernet roasted garlic sauce. It was served with mashed potatoes and roll. It was simply delicious. I love rare meat, so this was just perfect for me.
The final beef course was a prime rib roast. Yum! This roast was so tender I could cut it with my fork. It was served with roasted brussel sprouts with beef bacon and pecans. These are not my favorite vegetables, but like my mom taught me, I did try a few. They were…o.k., but frankly they are still brussel sprouts.
The dessert was pumpkin cheese cake with chocolate leaves and drunken fruit compote. It was the perfect way to end a perfectly prepared meal. (Yes, I was stuffed!) Thankfully they let us have a take home container. Better yet I got both pieces since Bobby isn’t a fan of pumpkin!
To top everything off, I was a winner of one of their meat thermometers. Throughout the course of the evening the staff was telling us about the Certified Angus Beef app. (It is available on Google Play and iTunes. Search for “Roast Perfect.”) The app tells you about different roasts, how much to buy for the number of people you will be serving and exactly how long to cook it. (Chef Michael Ollier said they roasted 57 cuts–at total of 350 pounds–in Smucker’s test kitchen to determine the exact roasting time to within 2-3 minutes.) They also have suggested side dish recipes. You can add any recipes to your favorites, which is what I did and how I won. When the question was asked if any one had added a recipe to their favorites, I was the first to raise my hand. (Bobby took this picture because I had previously won luggage at a Business After Hours event held at AAA in Wooster. He wanted to show Lance White that I had won again.)
This was a great night. Everything was delicious and I learned a lot, too. Also, with the Roast Perfect app I won’t have to rely on Bobby to cook prime rib for me. Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll still let him do the cooking!
P.S. In the picture are Chefs Tony Biggs (left), Peter Rosenberg and Michael Ollier. Bobby worked for Tony more than 30 years ago in Daytona Beach, Florida at Pelican Bay Resort and Golf Club. Both of them also lived in the Greater Boston area. So, when Bobby had a chance to ask questions of the chefs, he asked if the New England Patriots would go undefeated this season. Chef Tony said, “Yes, and they are going to win the Superbowl.”
