(Family Features) Celebrate the season and create long-lasting memories this year by serving tasteful main courses centered around tender cuts of beef.

With hand-cut choices like a Bone-in Frenched Prime Rib Roast, Butcher’s Cut Filet Mignons, a Beef Brisket Flat and Premium Ground Beef from Omaha Steaks, you can create elegant holiday centerpieces such as Steak Au Poivre or a unique generational recipe, the Simon Family Brisket. Each cut of beef is hand-carved by expert butchers, flash-frozen to capture freshness and flavor at its peak and delivered directly to your door.

For a truly mouthwatering meal, make Fred Simon’s Rib Roast Dubarry the focal point of the family table. As a favorite of Madame Dubarry, a prominent courtesan in French King Louis XVI’s court, this version adapted by Fred Simon, fourth-generation family owner of Omaha Steaks, involves a marinade that gives the roast a smooth, rich, velvety flavor worthy of a royal dinner.

Find more inspiration to create a memorable holiday meal at OmahaSteaks.com.

Steak Au Poivre

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2

• 2          Omaha Steaks Butcher’s Cut Filet Mignons (5-6 ounces each), thawed
• 2          teaspoons kosher salt
• 2          tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1          tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2          tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/3       cup brandy or cognac
• 1          cup cream
• 1          tablespoon Dijon mustard

1. Season steak with salt and pepper. Press seasoning into meat to create even coating.
2. In large skillet over medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter until just smoking. Add steak and sear 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Once cooked to desired doneness, transfer steak to cutting board and tent with foil to rest.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add brandy to skillet. Allow to cook down about 1 minute while stirring to scrape off any browned bits from bottom of pan. Once brandy reduces by half, add cream, Dijon mustard and remaining butter; continue cooking until mixture begins to reduce and thicken, 5-7 minutes.
4. Slice steaks against grain and top with sauce.

Fred Simon’s Rib Roast Dubarry

Prep time: 5 minutes, plus 5-12 hours marinating time
Cook time: 2 hours, 15 minutes-2 hours, 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes for sauce
Servings: 4-6

• 3          cups red wine, divided
• 1/4       cup olive oil
• 3          cloves garlic, minced
• 2          tablespoons coarse ground mustard
• 1          bay leaf
• 1          Omaha Steaks Bone-In Frenched Prime Rib Roast (4 pounds), thawed
• 1          tablespoon kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
• 1          tablespoon coarse ground pepper, plus additional, to taste, divided
• 2          tablespoons canola oil
• 1          onion, quartered
• 4          carrots, quartered
• 4          celery stalks, quartered
• 1          head garlic, halved horizontally
• 4          sprigs fresh thyme
• 2          sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2          cups beef stock, divided
• 3          tablespoons unsalted butter

1. In 2-gallon resealable bag, mix 2 cups wine, olive oil, garlic, mustard and bay leaf. Add roast, seal and place in refrigerator to marinate at least 5 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Remove roast from marinade and pat dry. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat oven to 250 F.
4. Preheat large skillet over high heat. Add canola oil. Place roast in skillet and sear until well browned on all sides. Set skillet aside, leaving juices and browned bits for making sauce.
5. In roasting pan lined with foil, add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Place roast on top of aromatics bone-side down. Add 1 cup beef stock.
6. Place in oven on center baking rack. Roast 2 hours, 15 minutes-2 hours, 30 minutes for rare or 2 hours, 30 minutes-2 hours, 45 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from oven. Place roast on cutting board. Tent with foil.
7. Place any accumulated juices from roast in measuring cup. Add remaining beef stock to make 1 cup total. Pour into skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining wine and bring to boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
8. Carve roast and serve with sauce.

Simon Family Brisket

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours, plus 20 minutes resting time
Servings: 4

• 1          Omaha Steaks Beef Brisket Flat (2 pounds), thawed
• 1          package (1.1 ounces) dry onion soup mix
• 1          can (14 ounces) whole cranberries
• 1          cup chili sauce
• 1          cup ginger ale

1. Preheat oven to 250 F. Place brisket in large ovenproof baking dish.
2. In bowl, mix onion soup mix, cranberries and chili sauce. Spoon over top of brisket. Pour ginger ale around edges of brisket.
3. Cover with foil and bake 4 hours.
4. Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes. Remove brisket from baking dish and place on cutting board. Slice brisket against grain and place in serving dish. Top with sauce and serve.

Source: Omaha Steaks

(Family Features) Cocktail trends may come and go, but one staple remains a fixture on drink menus two centuries after its invention – the Old Fashioned.

There are many competing stories about the origins of the “first” true cocktail recipe, but nearly all agree that the modern-day cocktail was first mixed in the early 1800s, and the recipe was generally the same Old Fashioned recipe still mixed in bars around the world today: liquor, sugar, water and bitters.

Bourbon is traditionally the spirit of choice for an Old Fashioned, but contemporary versions may substitute virtually any type of liquor, from rye whiskey to tequila to rum. Yesteryear’s sugar cube, served as a lump doused with bitters, has given way to simple syrup, which mixes more easily when served. A twist of citrus zest or a dark cherry are common garnishes in today’s Old Fashioned renditions.

No matter what spirit or style you prefer, there’s one constant that’s crucial to any drink bearing the Old Fashioned name: bitters. For a truly authentic experience, look to incorporate an option like Angostura bitters – an iconic brand that traces its roots as far back as the dawn of the Old Fashioned and has been closely intertwined with the history of the cocktail ever since.

Dr. Johann Siegert, the bitters’ inventor, created the elixir in 19th-century Venezuela while serving as a doctor to soldiers in Simon Bolivar’s army. By 1824, he perfected the formula for “amargo aromatico,” which he initially used to help alleviate the stomach issues of ailing soldiers.

By the mid-1800s, cocktails were steadily gaining favor, and nearly all the early recipes called for bitters. Siegert’s sons seized the opportunity and astutely developed a following for their formula among cocktail lovers.

Today, Angostura aromatic bitters are a classic and versatile ingredient in bars and kitchens alike for their flawless ability to balance a range of cocktails. Bitters provide layers of flavor and complexity through their expertly-crafted combination of aromatic herbs, bark, roots and other botanicals. When it comes to the ingredients in Angostura’s aromatic bitters, the exact formula is unknown, as the recipe has remained a closely-guarded secret since the bitters were created almost 200 years ago.

Consider these tried-and-true takes on the Old Fashioned with four recipes ideal for sipping. The traditional version features bourbon, while three twists on the timeless classic highlight alternative liquors: the Tequila Old Fashioned, the Rum Old Fashioned and the Wisconsin-Style Brandy Old Fashioned.

Pro Serving Tip
Serving an authentic Old Fashioned requires more than just the right ingredients: you need the proper bar glass, too. An Old Fashioned is almost always served in a rocks glass, which is a short glass, often with a weighted bottom, designed to hold a shot or two of liquor over ice (or “rocks”). Also known as a lowball, whisky or (aptly named) Old Fashioned glass, the rocks glass typically holds 4-10 ounces.

Simple Syrup at Home

A wide range of cocktails call for sweet syrup to enhance the flavor of the liquor, and one variety in particular lends a rich molasses note to drinks. Demerara syrup is made using Demerara sugar, a special variety of raw, unrefined cane sugar with large grains and a golden amber hue.

The sugar, which traces its origins to the South American country of Guyana, can be used in place of brown sugar. Though similar, Demerara generally lends stronger caramel, toffee and molasses notes than traditional brown sugar.

If you don’t have any Demerara syrup around, it’s quite easy to make at home and can be used to naturally sweeten a number of drinks, from coffee to cocktails. If Demerara isn’t on-hand, swap for turbinado sugar, brown sugar or table sugar.

Demerara Syrup

1          part Demerara sugar
1          part hot water

Stir to dissolve. Let cool before use.

Find more recipes filled with good, old-fashioned flavor at AngosturaBitters.com.

Classic Bourbon Old Fashioned

• 2          ounces bourbon
• 1/4       ounce Demerara syrup
• 2          dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
• 1          dash Angostura orange bitters
• 1          splash water
• ice
• long orange peel, for garnish

1. In rocks glass, stir bourbon, Demerara syrup, water, aromatic bitters and orange bitters with ice to incorporate ingredients.
2. Add ice to fill glass to top. Garnish with orange peel.

Tequila Old Fashioned

•             Ice
• 2          ounces reposado tequila
• 1/4       ounce Demerara syrup
• 2          dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
• grapefruit swath (narrow strip of peel) or wedge, for garnish

1. In ice-filled mixing glass, stir tequila, Demerara syrup and aromatic bitters. Strain into ice-filled rocks glass.
2. Squeeze grapefruit swath over glass and insert into drink.

Wisconsin-Style Brandy Old Fashioned

•  3          ounces, plus 1 splash, lemon-lime soda
• 1          Demerara sugar cube
• 5          dashes Angostura aromatic bitters, divided
• 3          maraschino cherries
• 1          orange slice, plus peel, for garnish
• ice
• 2          ounces brandy
• 1          dash Angostura orange bitters
• skewered maraschino cherry, for garnish

1. In rocks glass, muddle splash of lemon-lime soda, sugar cube, 2 dashes aromatic bitters, cherries and orange slice.
2. Add ice and brandy then fill with remaining lemon-lime soda. Add remaining aromatic bitters and orange bitters. Garnish with skewered cherry and orange peel.

Rum Old Fashioned

• 1          Demerara sugar cube
• 4          dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
• 2          dashes Angostura orange bitters
• 1          splash soda water
• ice
• 2          ounces Angostura 1919 Rum*
• orange peel, for garnish

1. Place sugar cube in rocks glass. Wet cube with aromatic bitters, orange bitters and soda water. Using muddler, crush sugar cube.
2. Add ice, pour in rum and stir. Garnish by squeezing orange peel over glass.

*Distilled and bottled by Angostura Holdings, Port of Spain, Laventille, Trinidad. Imported by Terlato Wine and Spirits, Lake Bluff, IL. 40% Alc./Vol. © 2018

Photos courtesy of Getty Images (Classic Bourbon Old Fashioned, Tequila Old Fashioned, Rum Old Fashioned)

Source: Angostura

Red Wine Sangria

• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 bottle red dry table wine
• ½ cup brandy
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 whole apple, sliced
• 1 whole orange, sliced
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced

1. Add sugar and water to a small saucepan. Over medium high heat bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until sugar is fully dissolved. Allow to cool.
2. Add red wine, brandy, pomegranate juice, apples, oranges, and strawberries to a large pitcher.
3. Add in cooled simple syrup and stir. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for best results overnight.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Savvy