Beef, lamb, pork … here are holiday roast showpieces

Sunset, Dec, 1987

Beef, lamb, pork . . . here are holiday roast showpieces

Handsome, savory, and quick to prepare-- these three roasts meet the demands of your hectic holiday schedule. Choose beef standing rib, stuffed leg of lamb, or boneless pork loin. Each carves easily to serve eight or more.

Peppercorns and juniper berries season beef and vegetables that roast together. The lamb leg (have it boned at the market) conceals a simple sage-flavored stuffing. Fresh ginger and tangerine juice brighten flavors of pork roast and sauce.

Peppered Beef Rib Roast with Peppers

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1/4 cup dry juniper berries

1 center-cut beef standing rib roast, about 8 pounds

1 tablespoon salad oil

1 1/4 pounds small onions (about 1-in. diameter), unpeeled

4 large red or green bell peppers, halved and seeded

8 medium-size Anaheim chilies

1/2 cup each gin and regular-strength beef broth (or use 1 cup broth)

In a blender or food processor, whirl peppercorns and juniper berries until coarsely ground. Rub beef all over with half the oil, then with half the seasonings.

Set beef, fat up, on a V-shaped rack in a deep 12- by 17-inch roasting pan. Place onions in pan. Roast in a 325| oven for 1 hour, then add bell peppers and chilies to pan. Lightly brush all vegetables with remaining oil, then sprinkle with remaining peppercorn mixture.

Cook, basting vegetables once or twice with pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of meat indicates desired doneness: 130| for rare, about 1 1/2 hours longer; 140| for medium, 2 hours longer; and 150| for well done, 2 1/4 hours longer.

Lift meat and vegetables to a board or platter and keep warm. Tilt pan; skim off and discard fat. Add gin to pan, place over high heat, and carefully ignite (not beneath a vent, fan, or overhang). When flames subside, add broth and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits in pan. Pour into a serving dish.

Carve meat as shown in top picture on page 133. Offer sauce to spoon over meat and vegetables. Makes 8 servings.

Sage-stuffed Leg of Lamb

1 large onion, minced

2 large stalks celery, including some leaves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil

1 tablespoon ground sage or 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves

Pepper

1 1/2 cups coarse soft white bread crumbs

Salt

1 leg of lamb, 5 to 6 pounds, boned but not tied

1 cup dry red wine

Celery leaves, optional

In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, frequently stir onion and celery in oil until vegetables are very limp and golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in sage, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and crumbs. Remove from heat and add salt to taste.

Lay lamb flat, boned side up, between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with a flat mallet until meat is evenly 1 inch thick. Pat stuffing over meat to within 1 1/2 inches of edges. Roll up meat from a narrow side, then tie snugly with string at 1 1/2-inch intervals, tucking in ends of meat. Place lamb, seam down, on a rack in a shallow 12- by 15-inch roasting pan.

Roast in a 400| oven until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of meat indicates desired doneness, 140| for rare, 55 to 60 minutes; 150| for medium, about 1 hour; 160| for well done, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Lift meat to a board or platter and keep warm. Tilt pan; skim off and discard fat. Add wine to pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to loosen browned bits; pour into a serving dish. Discard string; garnish meat with celery leaves. Thickly slice roast crosswise and offer sauce to season portions. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Roast Pork with Pomegranate-Prune Relish

1 center-cut boneless pork loin, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds

1/3 cup minced fresh ginger

1 can (6 oz.) frozen tangerine juice concentrate

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 pound (2 1/2 cups) pitted dry prunes

1 large pomegranate Small fresh tangerines or kumquats, optional

Place pork, fat up, on a narrow rack in a shallow 12- by 15-inch roasting pan. Roast in a 375| oven until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part reaches 145|, 50 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a 2- to 3-quart pan, combine ginger, juice concentrate, vinegar, and prunes. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring. Cover and simmer until prunes are slightly softened, about 10 minutes; stir often. Remove from heat.

Halve pomegranate. Immerse in a bowl of water; break apart to remove seeds. Discard skin, pith, and water. Set seeds aside.

After meat has reached 145|, tilt pan to skim off and discard fat. Pour prune mixture over pork, spooning liquid over roast and pushing prunes into pan. Bake until thermometer reaches 155|, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Lift pork to a platter; garnish with tangerines. Stir pomegranate seeds into prune mixture, then spoon into a dish. Slice meat crosswise; accompany with fruit. Serves 8 to 10.

Photo: Carve pepper- and juniper-crusted beef ribs to go with roasting companions: red bells, onions, mild chilies. Together, they make an impressive, colorful array. To carve, steady four-rib roast by holding a bone tip, then slice parallel to rib; every other slice gets a bone