A standing rib roast (AKA “Prime Rib”) is a classic dish for the Christmas Holiday, but I love it all winter long. This recipe is a little time consuming (despite being quite easy to prepare) and it’s expensive, so if you’re like me, the risk of failure discourages this item from appearing on your home menu with regularity.
But Superwife and I have discovered a fool-proof method that perfectly renders your prime rib every time - nice and crusty on the outside, and moist and butter-tender on the inside. The first thing to note is the most critical step occurs long before cooking actually begins - and this step is critical - you'll need to dry your meat in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days, so plan ahead!
Ingredients (Serves 6 – 8)
1 Standing rib roast (~7 lbs). Ask for the ‘First Cut’ or ‘Loin End’
1 Roll of Kitchen Twine (a food-grade string available in most good grocery stores)
Salt and pepper
A roasting pan and meat rack
Procedure
5 Days Before Serving – Buy your roast of choice. Tie it with Kitchen Twine, looping the twine around the roast and in between each of the bones (see photo). Dry the roast in your refrigerator for 3-5 days, if possible. This adds flavor and makes the prime rib more tender.
7 ½ Hours Before Serving - Remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature for three hours. Trim excess fat and any bits of meat that are fully de-hydrated.
4 Hours Before Serving – Position oven racks so your roast can sits in the vertical middle of your oven. Heat oven to 200 degrees (yes, trust me, this works perfectly and is safe and you’ll be thrilled with the result). Wash the roasting pan and heat for three minutes over two burners on Medium-High. Coat pan with olive oil and brown meat on all sides. Season with salt and pepper.
In the pan, set the rack under the roast and place in oven. Cook for 30 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 130 (for medium-rare) in its meatiest center.
30 Minutes before serving – Remove from oven and place roast on cutting board. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving. This step is critical. The extra ten minutes are allocated for carving and plating.
Time To Serve! – Cut the string and place the roast on a cutting board with the bones sticking straight up. Use a carving fork to push the meat away from the bones while using a carving knife to separate the bones from the meat – save them to gnaw on after your guests go home. Rotate the roast until it is cut-side down then slice across the grain to desired thickness.
Cheers!
Dave the Wine Merchant
dave@sidewayswineclub.com
866-746-7293