By Christmas. The whole thing, start to finish, from tamale-making to present-opening to the standing rib roast that turned out so well Jessica said, "This is the best thing you have ever cooked," which is a statement she makes approximately once a month and which I accept as gospel every time.
December 23rd: tamale production at the Maryvale house. Elena, me, Jessica, Sofia. One hundred and twenty-two tamales. Elena's masa, my fillings (pork in red chile, chicken in green chile, sweet with cinnamon and raisins), and a new addition this year: a cheese-and-jalapeño tamale that Sofia requested and that I made specifically for her. She ate three of them before they were cool and declared them "the best food in the world," which from a five-year-old who has eaten her way through four years of Rivera cooking is a significant endorsement. Diego ate masa. Some traditions are unbreakable.
Christmas Eve: pozole at Roberto and Elena's. The red pozole, the same recipe, the same pork, the same hominy, the same guajillo chiles. Roberto sat at the head of the table — his table, in his house, in his neighborhood — and said grace in Spanish and I watched his face in the candlelight and saw my father getting older and held that image like a photograph because photographs fade but memories, if you hold them hard enough, do not.
Christmas morning: I was there. On the floor, next to the tree, with both kids. Sofia in her pajamas, methodically opening each present, reading the tags, saving the ribbon. Diego in his pajamas, ripping everything open with the enthusiasm of a tornado touching down in a gift shop. The contrast between my children is a daily comedy. Jessica sat on the couch with coffee and watched them and watched me watching them and something passed between us — gratitude, I think, or maybe just the pure animal relief of being home, being together, being here for this moment instead of at the firehouse watching it on a screen.
Christmas dinner: standing rib roast. Prime grade, four bones, dry-aged for seven days in the fridge (Jessica tolerated this only because I promised the fridge would not smell, a promise I could not keep). Rubbed with garlic, fresh rosemary, thyme, Dijon, salt, pepper. Roasted at 250 until 120 internal, then blasted at 500 for a searing crust. The result: a roast that was pink from edge to edge, juicy as a confession, crusted in herbs and garlic and rendered beef fat. Served with horseradish cream, roasted potatoes, and a simple green salad because even on Christmas, you need something that is not beef.
Diane's apple pie arrived by FedEx, cold-packed, perfect. We ate it with vanilla ice cream on Christmas night while the kids played with their new toys and the year wound down and I thought about next year. 2020. A new decade. The plan is forming. The future is cooking.
The rib roast got the glory that night — and it deserved every word of it — but the potatoes were the quiet backbone of that Christmas dinner, soaking up beef drippings and holding their own on a plate crowded with horseradish cream and good intentions. I’ve made baked potatoes a hundred ways, but this seasoned version is the one I keep coming back to for big meals: simple enough not to steal the show, good enough that people go back for seconds without thinking about it. If you’re building a holiday plate around a serious piece of beef, this is the potato you want in that supporting role.
Seasoned Baked Potatoes
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 60 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Sour cream, chives, and butter for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or place a wire rack inside it for even heat circulation.
- Dry and oil the potatoes. Pat the scrubbed potatoes completely dry with paper towels. Rub each one all over with olive oil, making sure to coat the skin evenly.
- Season. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and dried thyme. Rub the seasoning blend firmly into the skin of each potato, pressing it in so it adheres.
- Bake. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack or on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 55–65 minutes, until the skin is crisp and a fork slides into the center with no resistance. For extra-crisp skin, skip the foil entirely.
- Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes. Cut a slit across the top, squeeze gently to open, and serve with butter, sour cream, and chives alongside your main course.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 49g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 480mg