Holiday Entertaining for the
Entire Family
When it comes to holiday dinners,
meat is the star. Juicy. Well-seasoned.
Perfectly cooked. Mouth watering.
Mastering cooking that perfect piece of
meat can be difficult. Almost everyone
can share a horror story of the time they
or the crazy uncle burned the meat, it
came out dry or seemed inedible.
Luckily, the meat experts at Bello’s
Market have created a guide to cooking
the perfect piece of meat. Jim Bello,
owner of Bello’s Market says “Our meat
department helps customers throughout
the process of choosing a protein,
deciding how much is needed and
explaining how to prepare it.” Bello’s
Market sells approximately 1,000 prime
ribs and filets over the holiday season.
Here are their essential tips for cooking
a large piece of meat for your family:
Step one: Select the right type of meat
and the right amount for your guests
A butcher can provide recommendations
and serve custom cuts of meat. At
Bello’s Market, the amount of meat can
be customized based on the number of
people being fed. In addition to their
best selling prime rib and filets, Bello’s
also sells Ox Roast and 12 store-made
sausage flavors, including the Bello
family recipe for Portuguese sausage.
Step two: Season well – and liberally
For the prime rib and filet, rub with your
favorite seasonings about an hour in
advance, allowing the meat to absorb the
flavors and reach room temperature.
There are a variety of fantastic flavor
combinations to choose from. You can
never go wrong with the basic salt,
pepper and garlic salt mix. Or you can
add in rosemary, paprika, or any of your
other favorite flavors. Seasoning mixes
are a simple and fast way to use a blend
of flavors, like Italian, lemon pepper,
or Mediterranean that are guaranteed
to go well together. Your favorite
salad dressing also makes for a quick
marinade. Just pour it over the meat in
a bowl or storage bag and let set for 30
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minutes to overnight.
Step three: Turn up the heat
For a filet, pre-heat the oven to 475
degrees. Put the filet on a cookie
sheet or drip pan and cook for 45 to
60 minute, depending on how done
you want the meat to be. A meat
thermometer is most accurate way to
test the meat’s doneness without cutting
into it. When deciding when to remove
the meat from heat, keep in mind that
it will keep cooking for 15 minutes after
being removed from the oven.
To cook a prime rib, pre-heat the
oven to 450-475 degrees. Cook at that
temperature for 15-20 minutes. Reduce
the oven temperature to 325 degrees
and cook until it reaches the desired
doneness. It should be about 15 minutes
for rare (internal temperature of 130
degrees), 18-20 minutes for medium
(approximately 150 degrees), and 25
minutes for well-done (approximately
160-170 degrees).
Step four: Don’t forget to let the meat
rest
When cooking is finished, be sure to let
the meat rest in the pan it was cooked
for at least five minutes. This allows
for some of the liquid in the pan to be
reabsorbed, enhancing the flavor.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
dinners, support the John Kanzius
Cancer fund and host food drives.
The family owned business is evident
from the friendliness of the butcher to
employees who will even carry grocery
bags to your car.
Located at 2650 West 8th St and at 2176
Cut against the grain using a sharp knife West 32nd & Pittsburgh Ave in Erie,
and a fork or other tool to hold the meat Bello’s has over 54 feet of fresh meat on
in place.
display at the market, making it is easy
to find your ideal cut to feed your family
The company was started by Anthony
and Mary Bello and for over 52 years the over the holidays.
Bello family has been sharing holiday
meal experience, answering questions,
providing recommendations and
serving as a one-stop shop for holiday
entertaining.
Bello’s Market and Bello’s Deli continues
to provide the best prices and great
service to their customers and the
community. The owners, Jim and Joe
Bello along with their sister Christine
Wells also value contributing to the
Erie community. They fundraise for the
Semper Fi fund, donate to spaghetti
Bello’s Market is a proud member
of NWPFC – Northwestern PA Food
Council.
Sponsored by
Northwestern PA Food Council
2700 West 21st
Erie, PA 16506
(814)453-7588
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