Rib Eye Roast with Black Garlic Red Wine Gravy- A Turkey Alternative

As a flexitarian, on occasion I will eat meat, and Thanksgiving just so happens to be one of those occasions. That said, I’ve never been a big fan of turkey. I think it tastes great in a post-Thanksgiving Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich, but traditional Turkey Day turkey is just blah to me. Long ago, my mother began the tradition of preparing for me a small steak on Thanksgiving, and for that, I was truly, truly thankful… I think, in this rib eye roast, I’ve found a new tradition. What a fabulous slab of savory meat. If you’re going to eat meat, make it a prime cut, soaked in shallots, prunes and juniper berries one succulent night a year.

Rib Eye Roast with Black Garlic-Red Wine Gravy

Adapted from Food and Wine

ROAST

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pitted prunes

4 shallots, chopped

1/3 cup rosemary leaves

3 tablespoons juniper berries

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pepper

One 5- to 6-pound cap-on boneless rib eye roast

GRAVY

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

2 heads of black garlic, peeled (1/3 cup)

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon dry red wine

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 quart beef broth

3 thyme sprigs

1 rosemary sprig

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Kosher salt

Pepper

Make the roast In a blender, combine all of the ingredients except the rib eye and puree until smooth. Set a rack in a roasting pan. Set the roast on the rack and rub the marinade all over. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Roast the beef for about 2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 120°. Transfer the roast to a rack and let stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the gravy In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the black garlic, crushed garlic, flour and sugar and cook, stirring often, until a golden-brown paste forms, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the wine and the soy sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, then add the broth, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to 4 cups, about 30 minutes.

Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of wine and the vinegar into the gravy and season with salt and pepper. Strain into a gravy boat. Thinly slice the roast across the grain and serve the gravy alongside.

I’ll substitute pictures of the gravy with Izzy because I learned that gravy, even black garlic red wine gravy, really isn’t photogenic. But Izzy on the other hand….