Welcome to our Cooking Guide
Our customers often ask our team for recipes and how to best cook cuts of meat. We put together this guide to share our expertise and create a place for our customers to easily access our how-to’s, recipes and more. Inside you’ll find simple, easy to follow instructions for how to roast our favorite cuts of meat, how to reheat our prepared foods and more.
roasting
In this section we’ll cover roasting a Prime Rib Roast, Beef Tenderloin and preparing a jus for your roast beef.
We also review slow roasting our spiral glazed hams.
How To Cook a Prime Rib Roast
Prime Rib is arguably the most flavorful cut of beef. Our butchers crack and tie our Prime Rib Roasts which means they carve out the upper tendons and tie the bone on the center loin giving the roast a deeper flavor. Cooking with the bone attached to your Prime Rib allows for easy carving on the butcher block as you slice to serve.
One whole Prime Rib has 7 bones and includes 15-18 servings. One rib averages 2.5-3lbs and is about 2-3 servings.
There are two methods we recommend for cooking a Prime Rib Roast.
High Temperature Method
Position a rack in the center of the oven, preheat the oven to 425℉
Pat dry
Season liberally with salt and ground black pepper to taste
Place roast fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan
And roast until an instant read thermometer reads
110℉ to 120℉ for rare
120℉ to 125℉ for medium-rare
130℉ to 135℉ for medium
Temperature continues to rise 10℉ out of the oven. Remove roast to platter and cover loosely with foil,
let stand for 15 to 30 minutes before carving.
Slow Roasted Method
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 450℉
Season liberally with salt and ground black pepper to taste
Place the roast rib side down in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes at 450
Reduce the oven temperature to 250 ℉
Roast 15-30 minutes per pound until instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of roast reads:
115℉ to 125℉ for rare
125℉ to 130℉ for medium-rare
135℉ to 145℉ for medium
Temperature continues to rise 5℉ out of the oven. Remove roast to platter and cover loosely with foil,
let stand for 15 to 30 minutes before carving.
Make a Jus for Prime Rib Roast
Once the roast is removed from the roasting pan, pour off any excess grease
Place the roasting pan over medium heat and add ½ to ¾ cup of any flavorful stock, preferably beef or mushroom
Bring liquid to a boil and scrape the bottom of the pan until all roasting particles are dissolved
Season with salt and pepper to taste
How to Heat Our Spiral Glazed Hams
Our hams are FULLY Cooked and only require reheating.
Remove ham from packaging and set aside package of glaze.
Heat oven to 350 degrees, place ham in roasting plan and roast for 10 minutes per pound. You can cover the ham for the first half of cooking to prevent drying.
The ham is done and ready to eat when it reaches 140 degrees.
Add glaze for last 20 minutes of reheating so it doesn't burn.
holiday
Everything you need to know about reheating our holiday menu house made sides, gravy, rolls and pies.
How do I reheat the sides I ordered from Butchers Alley?
Our house made sides are easy to reheat! All of our black sides containers are OVEN SAFE when the clear lid is removed and the container is placed on a baking sheet. Do not heat with the lid on, the lid is not oven safe. But we do recommend transferring for our Thanksgiving sides for optimal flavor. All items are fully cooked. Unless otherwise noted, reheat all foods until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Transfer food to an oven-safe baking dish (for stuffing, mashed potatoes and casseroles) or rimmed baking sheet (for roasted vegetables) and cover with an oven-safe lid, parchment paper or aluminum foil, unless otherwise indicated. Heat each side dish for the suggested length of time (or longer if necessary) until heated through, stirring halfway through heating.
Heat for 10-15 Minutes
Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted Carrots and Pepitas
Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
Roasted Fall Vegetables
Heat for 15-20 Minutes
Potato Gratin
Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Creamed Spinach
Heat for 30-40 Minutes
Macaroni and Cheese (uncover for final 5-10 minutes to brown)
Truffle Macaroni and Cheese (uncover for final 5-10 minutes to brown)
Turkey Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Garlic
How do I reheat gravy and sauces?
Cranberry Orange Sauce and Applesauce do not require heating and can be served chilled or at room temperature.
Stovetop Reheating
Transfer sauce or gravy to a saucepan and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until simmering and heated through.
Microwave Reheating
Use a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave for additional 1 to 2 minute intervals as needed until heated through.
How do I reheat pies & dinner rolls?
Reheat Pies
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place on a baking sheet, gently cover the crust with foil to prevent over-browning, and heat for 10-15 minutes or until just warmed through.
Note: Our pumpkin pie should be served room temperature.
Reheat Rolls
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and heat for 4-8 minutes or until warm.
porchetta
In this section we’ll cover roasting our house made, hand butchered Porchetta.
How To Roast a Porchetta
Remove the roast from the fridge prior to cooking, you will want it to come to room temperature before putting in the oven.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Rub porchetta roast with salt, pepper and place on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook the roast for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and cook for 90 minutes.
After 90 minutes, using a spoon, baste with the accumulated fat in the bottom of the roasting pan and turn the heat up to 500 degrees until pork skin is crackling crisp. You’ll want to let the roast rest for 30 minutes after coming out of the oven.
Then, slice the roast in one-inch thick slices and serve.
reheating prepared foods
In this section we’ll cover how to reheat our house made prepared foods like Lasagna, Meatballs, Bolognese and more.
Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 350. Place the lasagna container on a baking sheet (remove plastic top) and place in an oven covered with foil for 30-35 minutes. The last 7 minutes of cooking, remove foil cover and let top melt and brown.
Butchers Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 350. Place the Butchers Meatballs container on a baking sheet (remove plastic top) and place in an oven covered with foil for 30-35 minutes. The last 7 minutes of cooking, remove foil cover.
Chicken Dijon
Heat oven to 375. Place chicken in an ovenproof dish and cover with foil for about 10 minutes, remove cover and let crisp for 5 minutes.
Empanadas
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place empanadas on a baking sheet or an oven safe dish. Place the sheet in the oven and let sit for around 10 to 15 minutes. Check to see that the empanadas are heated all the way through, if not let them sit in the oven for a couple more minutes. Once fully reheated, take out, allow to cool and enjoy.
Baked Potato
Preheat the oven to 375, place the potato uncovered in an ovenproof dish for 10 to 12 minutes or until the center is warmed.
crab cakes
In this section we’ll cover how to heat our famous crab cakes and crab bombs.
How to reheat crab cakes in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place Crab Cake on a lightly oiled or buttered baking sheet. Heat for 8 minutes.
Broil for 3-4 minutes to give a light brown color.
How to reheat crab cakes in a saute pan.
Use a non stick pan, on low heat melt 1 teaspoon of butter.
Saute Crab Cake for 4 minutes on 1 side.
Flip Crab Cake and allow to brown and heat on the other side.
Paella
In this section we’ll cover how to heat our signature paellas.
If you purchased our chilled paella or have leftover paella from a hot order you received from us, here’s the best methods for heating our paella.
Reheat Paella in the Microwave
Pour a few drops of water on paella and cover the plate with microwave safe steaming lid or microwave safe plastic film. The goal is for the water to quickly turn to steam and heat the rice.
Heat dish in the microwave for 1 minute.
After the first minute, wait 2-3 minutes and allow the dish to rest and steam to work its way through the rice.
Once again heat for another minute then check if rice has reheated and steamed to desired temperature. You may repeat the process once again as needed.
Reheat Paella in the Oven
When reheating paella in the oven, it is best to take your time. The oven temperature should be relatively low, so it can easily take up to half an hour or more before the entire paella has reached the right temperature. Letting the paella reach room temperature will make it faster and more even heating than taking it out of the fridge right before reheating.
Place the leftover paella in a generously sized oven dish and break it up with a fork.
Preheat the oven to 325°F / 350°F. At this temperature, excess moisture evaporates, but the paella is not baked again.
When the oven has reached the right temperature, place the dish in the middle of the oven and reheat the paella for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Stir occasionally, checking if the desired temperature is reached.
A note on returning your paella pan - please make sure you wash the pan before returning. We will not accept dirty paella pans.
Soups & Sauces
In this section we’ll cover how to heat our soups and sauces.
For All Soups
Transfer soup to a saucepan and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until simmering and heated through.
For All Sauces
Transfer sauces to a saucepan and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until simmering and heated through.
family style meals
In this section we’ll cover how to heat our frozen family style meals.
How to reheat Coq Au Vin
Preheat the oven to 350, remove plastic top off the container and replace with aluminum foil, place the container on a baking sheet.
If heating from frozen, cook covered for approx. 1.5 hours.
All ovens differ, so after approximately 1 hour, take Coq Au Vin out of oven, ensure chicken has reached 165°F by inserting a thermometer in the deepest part of a chicken piece.
If chicken needs additional cooking time, place back in the oven covered for another 15 to 30 minutes or until reaches 165°F.
If heating from thawed, follow the same procedure but cut cooking time in half.
Stir and enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 350
How to reheat Beef Bourguignon
Preheat the oven to 350, remove plastic top off the container and replace with aluminum foil, place the container on a baking sheet.
If cooking from frozen, Cook covered for approx. 1.5 hours.
All ovens differ, so after 1 hour, take Beef Bourguignon out of oven, ensure it has reached 165°F by inserting a thermometer into the meat.
If needs additional cooking time, place back in the oven covered for another 15 to 30 minutes or until reaches 165°F.
If cooking from thawed follow the same procedure but cut cooking time in half.
Stir and enjoy!
How to reheat Frozen Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 350. Take the plastic top off the container and replace with aluminum foil, place the container on a baking sheet, add 1 tablespoon water.
If cooking from frozen, cook covered for approx. 1 hour.
Remove aluminum foil and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes to brown the top slightly or turn on the broil feature of your oven and cook approx 3 minutes or until slightly browning on top.
All ovens differ, so after 1 hour, take lasagna out of oven, ensure it has reached 165°F by inserting a thermometer into the lasagna.
If needs additional cooking time, place back in the oven covered for another 15 to 30 minutes or until reaches 165°F.
If cooking from thawed, follow the same procedure but cut cooking time in half.
How to reheat Chicken Pot Pie
Place the frozen pie on a baking sheet.
Beat an egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush egg wash on top of the crust.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree conventional oven (or 350 degree convection oven) for 45 to 55 minutes (times mav vary because all ovens differ).
The pie is done when the crust is golden brown.
Ensure it has reached 165°F by inserting a thermometer, if not cook longer.
THanksgiving
Everything you need to know about selecting, preparing and roasting your Thanksgiving turkey and
reheating our house made sides, gravy, rolls and pies.
What size turkey should I choose?
We recommend purchasing a turkey that is big enough to serve 1.5 to 2 pounds person, as this will allow for plenty of leftovers (which is one of our favorite parts of Thanksgiving).
How do I thaw my turkey?
If you purchased a turkey from Butchers Alley, they are not frozen but deep chilled so if you are picking up a day or two before Thanksgiving, it can sit in the fridge. If you are picking up earlier in the week, following this thawing chart to thaw your turkey. A raw, fresh or thawed turkey is good in the fridge for 1-2 days.
8-12lbs 1 to 2 days in Fridge
12-16lbs 2 to 3 days in Fridge
16-20lbs 3 to 4 days in Fridge
20-24lbs 4 to 5 days in Fridge
How do I roast my turkey?
Place turkey on a rack in an open roasting pan. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Melt stick of butter and coat the turkey, salt and pepper turkey all over, including inside. Stuff empty turkey cavity with with halved onions, halved lemons, and fresh herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme. If desired, place a foil tent over turkey but make sure to remove the foil for the last 50 to 60 minutes for browning. Roast turkey at 325 following the chart below, making sure to pour chicken broth or water in the bottom of the pan. Once turkey is roasted, remove from the oven and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Turkey must reach 165 degrees internally to be fully cooked.
8-12lbs 2.0 to 3.5 hours
12-16lbs 3.0 to 4.0 hours
16-20lbs 4.0 to 4.5 hours
20-24lbs 4.5 to 5.0 hours
How do I carve my turkey?
It's really easier than it may seem, you just need a sharp carving knife and this great tutorial from the Washington Post.
How do I reheat the sides I ordered from Butchers Alley?
Our house made sides are easy to reheat! All of our black sides containers are OVEN SAFE when the clear lid is removed and the container is placed on a baking sheet. Do not heat with the lid on, the lid is not oven safe. But we do recommend transferring for our Thanksgiving sides for optimal flavor. All items are fully cooked. Unless otherwise noted, reheat all foods until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Transfer food to an oven-safe baking dish (for stuffing, mashed potatoes and casseroles) or rimmed baking sheet (for roasted vegetables) and cover with an oven-safe lid, parchment paper or aluminum foil, unless otherwise indicated. Heat each side dish for the suggested length of time (or longer if necessary) until heated through, stirring halfway through heating.
Heat for 10-15 Minutes
Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted Carrots and Pepitas
Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
Roasted Fall Vegetables
Heat for 15-20 Minutes
Potato Gratin
Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Creamed Spinach
Heat for 30-40 Minutes
Macaroni and Cheese (uncover for final 5-10 minutes to brown)
Truffle Macaroni and Cheese (uncover for final 5-10 minutes to brown)
Turkey Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Garlic
How do I reheat gravy and sauces?
Cranberry Orange Sauce and Applesauce do not require heating and can be served chilled or at room temperature.
Stovetop Reheating
Transfer sauce or gravy to a saucepan and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until simmering and heated through.
Microwave Reheating
Use a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave for additional 1 to 2 minute intervals as needed until heated through.
How do I reheat pies & dinner rolls?
Reheat Pies
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place on a baking sheet, gently cover the crust with foil to prevent over-browning, and heat for 10-15 minutes or until just warmed through.
Note: Our pumpkin pie should be served room temperature.
Reheat Rolls
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and heat for 4-8 minutes or until warm.
