November 2011

Roast Beef

by Dave on November 19, 2011

in General

I have found my beef heaven.  Between my wife and children (five of us, from college to eighth grade) I am the only one still eating beef, and that is quite unfortunate since I have finally figured out how to make roast beef the way I like it.  The way I like it is to resemble rare prime rib, and I had yet to figure that out.  But now I have!

I bought a 4.75 lb rump roast today at the local Food Lion since I did not want to drive the 20 miles to a store with good meat.  Originally I thought that I would get the butcher to cut me some thick cuts of the porterhouse on sale, but when I asked him to cut something thicker than 0.5 inches he said that he already cut all he is allowed to day.  What a shame.

Here is what I found:

  • Preheat the oven to 500
  • Put the meat in a shallow dish with plenty of garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper
  • Cut onion rings and put them on the meat
  • Cook the meat for 15 to 20 minutes (about 5 minutes per pound) at 500.
  • Turn the oven off, and cook it for another 15 to 18 minutes per pound (Do Not Open the Oven Door!)
  • Take it out, let it set for 15 minutes, cut and enjoy!

Now there are a couple of notes here.  First, when I say do not open the oven door, I mean it, do not open the oven door, even for a peek.  The idea is to keep the heat in the oven and let it cook.  I read a bunch of commentary on this approach and see that some people have an oven that automatically starts to vent when you turn it off.  To ward off that problem I just lowered mine to 200 degrees instead of turning it all the way off.

I also made a horseradish sauce to go with it.  A heaping tablespoon of prepared horseradish (not the sauce kind) with another 2 level tablespoons of sour cream, and some dill week works great.

This was absolutely great.  The picture is the one I made tonight.  I wish I would have known how to do this 30 years ago.  Good luck and let me know if you tried it!

Dave

 

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Interim Post – The Reading List

by Dave on November 12, 2011

in General, Theology

It has been awhile since I have posted, but it has been because I have been busy and not lazy.  As far as thoughts, ideas and Christianity, I have read or am reading a couple of books.

First, I cannot recommend too highly Scot McKnight’s new book, The King Jesus Gospel.  This book largely makes the whole concept of my site irrelevant since it tells the true story of the gospel.  Exactly what I was looking for.

Next, I was intrigued by the historical Jewish approach toward many of our modern problems.  Richard Friedman and Shawna Dolansky have written a very readable book about subjects such as homosexuality, abortion, women, capital punishment and the earth (actually that covers the whole thing).  Their book, The Bible Now looks at the bible in the context of having to make decisions about these issues in today’s environment.  Although there are no new testament considerations since the authors are Jewish, the book is a must read for those of us who want to understand these decisions and absolutely required for those who hope to influence others.

I have also started to study the letter of James.  Although I already had the Tyndale version of the Doublas Moo commentary on James, I was looking for something a bit up to date.  For those who do not know, Moo has written two versions of a commentary on James and apparently I have been reading the inferior of the two.  After talking with appropriate theologians, I got Scot McKnight’s (I really like Scot) fairly recent and quite comprehensive tome on James.  If you want a comprehensive study I highly recommend it.  The historical and biblical research and interpretation is impressive.

I have also been trying to finish Scot’s Community Called Atonement, but that repeatedly goes to the back in light of the more recently publish works.  But it is quite good and recommend it.

I also have read and re-read a couple of times the John Piper response to N.T. Wright’s book on Justification.  The Future of Justification, A Response to N.T. Wright is a Calvinist rebuttal to the new perspective exposition of Tom Wright.  I am not a 5 point Calvinist, actually I am a zero point Calvinist, but I often find that counter arguments to concepts provide good illumination into the context under scrutiny.  In this case I am just further reinforcing my view that the Calvinist movement simply misses the point as to what Christianity is all about.

I have also read twice, Pope Benedict’s wonderfully illuminating book Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.  I know that many of my protestant friends will be reluctant to read  an obviously Catholic book, but it is well worth it.  This book is not full of church dogmatics, rather it is full of substantiated reason and exegesis of the core biblical texts.  Well worth the time.

I also went through N.T. Wight’s Paul for Everyone Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians (New Testament for Everyone) with a study group of a couple months and found it amazingly useful.  Reading Tom Wright’s translation of the bible has me waiting eagerly for his new, personal translation.  The Kingdom New Testament: A Contemporary Translation actually has come out!  As I am writing this I just ordered it, I can’t wait.  (and as I am still writing I got confirmation from Amazon that the book is on its way!)

The reading pile has gotten bigger with various other titles, but the one I most looking forward to is the classic by Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged.  I am into the first couple of chapters and quite entertained.

I hope you all enjoy some of these as much as I have.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }