Welcome to Dishing it Out, ParentDish's weekly food column. Rob Barrett is a dad who knows his way around the kitchen; his web site, Cooking For Dads, provides simple video recipes for dads (and moms!). You can read all the Dishing it Out posts here.

It always brings a little tear to my eye. After his heart enlarging experience, the Grinch, Himself, carves the Roast Beast. How can that not get you, right here! Nothing quite paints Christmas Dinner to me more than a family gathered around a Rockwellian hunk of prime rib. (Well, maybe the Christmas tree, presents, carols, the manger, being with family, mistletoe, 12 drummers drumming .... ) So having that once a year slab of beef has become one of our favorite traditions.



The best part about prime rib is how easy it is to make. Start with a boneless rib roast (essentially a big, long ribeye steak), 1 lb. or so per person, wash it, pat it dry, brush it with butter on all sides, sprinkle coarse kosher salt bipartisan style (liberally on all sides), and place on a roasting pan or one deep enough to keep in the juices. Preheat your oven to 450 and cook for 10 minutes, then lower the temp to 325 and cook for around 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temp is 120. (You have to get a meat or candy thermometer for this.) Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and let it sit 10 minutes before letting the Grinch carve it.

I like to make a side sauce of a spoonful of prepared horseradish, a spoonful of sour cream, 2 spoonfuls of mayo, a little Worcestershire sauce, and a little fresh squeezed lemon juice. You can add more horseradish if you want it hotter, and if you want to scare off your in-laws add a whole lot more.

While the economic times may not immediately make us think about buying big pieces of meat, you can buy it pretty cheaply at places like Costco (around $6 a pound) and you can make a prime rib roast as small as four or five pounds.

So if you've never tried it, go ahead, start a tradition. You'll make every Who in Whoville very happy.