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Local celebrity chef shares comfort-food recipes for the holiday

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-based chef Kevin Winston, who has cooked for celebrities like Steve Harvey, H.E.R., and Christian McCaffrey, is now sharing recipes we can bring to our own table this holiday.

Winston, a Michelin-trained chef, is spilling his secrets on making the perfect prime rib with a side of cornbread for your next family gathering.

“The trend of gathering at home is sticking around, and this is an entree and side dish that can elevate your menu and win over your guests,” said Winston. “They’re some of my most-requested dishes.”

Winston has kept in mind the impact on the supply chain due to the pandemic and says the recipes include many ingredients that people already have in their homes.

“In the end, it’s about sharing a meal with the people who mean the most to you. I’m glad that we’re safely returning to those traditions,” said Winston.

Check out the recipes below:

Oven-Roasted Prime Rib

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: Approx. 2 hours, 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

· 4 pounds prime rib roast

· ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

· 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

· 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

· kosher salt

Instructions

1. Place rib roast on a plate and bring to room temperature, about 4 hours.

2. Preheat an oven to 500° F (260° C).

3. Combine butter, pepper, and herbes de Provence in a bowl; mix until well blended. Spread butter mixture evenly over the entire roast. Season roast generously with kosher salt.

4. Roast the 4-pound prime rib (see footnote if using a larger and smaller roast) in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and, leaving the roast in the oven with the door closed, let the roast sit in the oven for 2 hours. Remove roast from the oven, slice, and serve.

Cook’s Note:

Your cooking times will vary depending on the size of your prime rib roast. To calculate your cooking time, multiply the exact weight of the roast by 5. Round the resulting number to the nearest whole number. The rib is cooked at 500° F for exactly that many minutes. For example, for a 6-pound roast: 6x5=30, so cooking time is 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and wait 2 hours before opening the oven door. Remove the prime rib and slice the most perfectly medium-rare meat you’ve ever seen.

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Servings: 18

Ingredients

· 1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

· 1 cup all-purpose flour

· 1 tablespoon baking powder

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

· 1/4-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

· 1/2 cup unsalted butter

· 1/2 cup granulated sugar

· 1/2 cup sweet potato puree

· 2-4 tablespoons honey

· 1/2 cup milk

· 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter or oil if browned bottoms are preferred, or use muffin liners to keep them lighter yellow.

2. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well and set aside.

3. In a large pot over medium heat, brown your butter. Let your butter melt untouched. Once it starts to simmer with little brown flecks at the bottom, whisk constantly until butter is lightly golden and fragrant. (This will add extra flavor to our muffins!)

4. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Whisk until fully incorporated.

5. Next, whisk in sweet potato, milk and honey (whisk well). By now, the mixture should have cooled, but if still hot, allow to cool for a few more minutes before whisking in eggs.

6. Once the eggs are incorporated into the batter, add your cornmeal-flour mixture and whisk until few lumps remain.

7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until muffins are golden and cooked through.

8. Insert a toothpick in the center to test for doneness. If it comes out clean, the muffins are ready! Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then place on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Treat yourself with a hot-from-the-oven muffin. Spread with butter, honey or enjoy on its own.

If you enjoy Chef Kev’s cooking, check out his website for more details on where you can try his recipes.

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