Making Prime Rib for Dinner Tonight

[SteveR]

I try to buy the Prime Rib when it's on sale, I have a FoodSaver vacuum system, and it really works for saving meat in the freezer. Usually around Christmas, the local grocery stores have Prime Rib on sale, so I take advantage and freeze some for steaks and whole Prime Rib roasts.

I have my girls here visiting and Prime Rib is always good.

I tried a new way to prepare the roast, I normally season the Rib right before cooking, this time I seasoned and left it uncovered in the fridge for a day and 1/2. It didn't lose any water, and it seems to have dried out quite a bit. Well I will know in a few hours.

Anybody else cook Prime Ribs at home? Any advise? What do you use for seasoning the Rib? I use, salt(Kosher), pepper, ground thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and most times I will cut fresh garlic and poke holes in the underside of the roast, between the bone, and put the garlic pieces in the meat.

Steve

[Blaine]

I try to buy the Prime Rib when it's on sale, I have a FoodSaver vacuum system, and it really works for saving meat in the freezer. Usually around Christmas, the local grocery stores have Prime Rib on sale, so I take advantage and freeze some for steaks and whole Prime Rib roasts.

I have my girls here visiting and Prime Rib is always good.

I tried a new way to prepare the roast, I normally season the Rib right before cooking, this time I seasoned and left it uncovered in the fridge for a day and 1/2. It didn't lose any water, and it seems to have dried out quite a bit. Well I will know in a few hours.

Anybody else cook Prime Ribs at home? Any advise? What do you use for seasoning the Rib? I use, salt(Kosher), pepper, ground thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and most times I will cut fresh garlic and poke holes in the underside of the roast, between the bone, and put the garlic pieces in the meat.

Steve

The closest I've come to liking a home cooked prime rib was smoked on the Weber....A buddy sez to pack it in rock salt and use a clay cooker... I like it at Ruth's Chris mo betta....

[SteveR]

I try to buy the Prime Rib when it's on sale, I have a FoodSaver vacuum system, and it really works for saving meat in the freezer. Usually around Christmas, the local grocery stores have Prime Rib on sale, so I take advantage and freeze some for steaks and whole Prime Rib roasts.

I have my girls here visiting and Prime Rib is always good.

I tried a new way to prepare the roast, I normally season the Rib right before cooking, this time I seasoned and left it uncovered in the fridge for a day and 1/2. It didn't lose any water, and it seems to have dried out quite a bit. Well I will know in a few hours.

Anybody else cook Prime Ribs at home? Any advise? What do you use for seasoning the Rib? I use, salt(Kosher), pepper, ground thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and most times I will cut fresh garlic and poke holes in the underside of the roast, between the bone, and put the garlic pieces in the meat.

Steve

The closest I've come to liking a home cooked prime rib was smoked on the Weber....A buddy sez to pack it in rock salt and use a clay cooker... I like it at Ruth's Chris mo betta....

I'm not big on smoked Prime Rib, no good steakhouses around here . I do have to say, everybody who we have had over for Prime Rib has said they really like mine. Or they were scared I would hurt them if they didn't say they liked it, hahahaha.
I have over the years cooked a bunch of Prime Ribs, it's probably my favorite beef dish.

Steve

[Blaine]

I try to buy the Prime Rib when it's on sale, I have a FoodSaver vacuum system, and it really works for saving meat in the freezer. Usually around Christmas, the local grocery stores have Prime Rib on sale, so I take advantage and freeze some for steaks and whole Prime Rib roasts.

I have my girls here visiting and Prime Rib is always good.

I tried a new way to prepare the roast, I normally season the Rib right before cooking, this time I seasoned and left it uncovered in the fridge for a day and 1/2. It didn't lose any water, and it seems to have dried out quite a bit. Well I will know in a few hours.

Anybody else cook Prime Ribs at home? Any advise? What do you use for seasoning the Rib? I use, salt(Kosher), pepper, ground thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and most times I will cut fresh garlic and poke holes in the underside of the roast, between the bone, and put the garlic pieces in the meat.

Steve

The closest I've come to liking a home cooked prime rib was smoked on the Weber....A buddy sez to pack it in rock salt and use a clay cooker... I like it at Ruth's Chris mo betta....

I'm not big on smoked Prime Rib, no good steakhouses around here . I do have to say, everybody who we have had over for Prime Rib has said they really like mine. Or they were scared I would hurt them if they didn't say they liked it, hahahaha.
I have over the years cooked a bunch of Prime Ribs, it's probably my favorite beef dish.

Steve

I've restricted my Prime Rib cooking to getting the roast, and slicing it between the ribs, and dry aging it in the crisper for a week, then blackening them. Nice bark on the outside, rare on the inside....I got tired of preparing substandard, and expensive beef roasts I will say that I've been rubbing in browned sesame oil as a base for whatever rub I use on any of the meat I cook. Picked that up in Korea....

[Marlin32]

Bone in is easier to cook in my opinion, I would not worry about placing garlic into meat, in fact I try to not poke holes in it.
Generally season with garlic powder (not garlic salt) paprika, black pepper, kosher salt, maybe some lawrys seasonsed salt,
I have also used Prime rib rub from Penzey's spices. Cover meat with bay leaves. Usually set over night.
I turn oven on as high as it will go, put in the rib, usually for about 45 min and then turn oven down to 200 cook according to size of meat, might be a couple of hours, check with thermometer, I pull it out of oven at 130 and let set for 20 minutes.

[JohndeFresno]

I like it at Ruth's Chris mo betta....

Never trust a restaurant with two first names.

[Blaine]

I like it at Ruth's Chris mo betta....

Never trust a restaurant with two first names.

And both of them are expensive...

[octagon]

My favorite cut, always get it on Father's Day. I am usually in charge of cooking meat at my house, but prime rib is the wife's exclusive territory. In fact she ordered a big one from the butcher and is cooking it tomorrow night for her moms 85 birthday party. I will provide the music, after eating the big rare slice from the middle ( that's my territory ).

[stew71]

I checked my inbox for the invitation....hmmmmm....



But seriously folks....I'm not a huge fan of prime rib. Way too much fat. I'm a pork guy myself. But when it comes to beef, being a Californian, give me a smoked beef tri-tip roast anytime.

[guido4198]

Roasting a piece of bone-in Beef rib (aka "Prime Rib"...although VERY VERY few of you have ever actually used USDA Prime meat) is actually one of the most simple dishes one can prepare. The "difficulty" most people face is that since the darn thing is so expensive...it is a little intimidating.
First..let the meat come to room temperature the morning you're going to cook it. Set it out on the kitchen counter..rub with Garlic POWDER...coarse ground black pepper, and Kosher salt. Cover it, and leave it alone all morning.
20-30 min. in a VERY hot oven..then turn it waayyyy down and monitor with a meat thermometer. Allow to "Repose" at least 15 or 20 min. after removing from the oven, before cutting.
When I do cut it, I bone it first..keeping those for myself.
The only decision you have to make now is whether to slice the meat into thin "roast beef slices" or just cut off thick "Steaks" of your beautiful finished product.

[Tycer]

I like it at Ruth's Chris mo betta....

Never trust a restaurant with two first names.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Fertel
It's a good story. She was a tough nut and a giver. I got to meet her when I worked at Ruth's years ago. She fed my uncle and a whole bunch of Bell linemen in New Orleans for free after a hurricane hit in the '60s.

[Tycer]

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/12/how- ... inner.html

This is almost exactly how I cook mine. I used to start with high heat but now brown at the end. I only buy dry aged bone-in true USDA prime from only a known ranch or source. If I'm going to go all out and do a prime rib, might as well do it correctly.

[Blaine]

That Meat Thermometer has saved me from ruining hundreds of dollars of good, thick beef.
Of late, on steaks, I've been using the cast iron, and sort of blacken each side, and it's warm and very rare in the middle. A good vent fan is a real good idea. This is especially good for the lean variety of steak cuts. Venison steaks turn out super this way. Oh, room temp for the cut before cooking is a real good idea: makes readings for the meat therm. more accurate.
(You're going to need a good cast iron skillet to blacken steak/meat....a non-stick will not take those kind of temps...)

[CowboyTutt]

Blaine, nice tip on the sesame oil. I am going to try that next when using cast iron. It makes sense. -Tutt

[guido4198]

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/12/how- ... inner.html

This is almost exactly how I cook mine. I used to start with high heat but now brown at the end. I only buy dry aged bone-in true USDA prime from only a known ranch or source. If I'm going to go all out and do a prime rib, might as well do it correctly.

I wish I could find Dry Aged Prime beef from a reliable source. During my 25 yrs in the Beef industry...slaughter and processing...I was occasionally able to dry age my own bone-in, whole USDA Prime ribs. A couple of weeks hanging, then bone the resultant moldy mess to extract the Rib Eye, cut into steaks and ENJOY. In a lifetime of enjoying good beef...THOSE are the true standouts I still remember.

[Tycer]

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/12/how- ... inner.html

This is almost exactly how I cook mine. I used to start with high heat but now brown at the end. I only buy dry aged bone-in true USDA prime from only a known ranch or source. If I'm going to go all out and do a prime rib, might as well do it correctly.

I wish I could find Dry Aged Prime beef from a reliable source. During my 25 yrs in the Beef industry...slaughter and processing...I was occasionally able to dry age my own bone-in, whole USDA Prime ribs. A couple of weeks hanging, then bone the resultant moldy mess to extract the Rib Eye, cut into steaks and ENJOY. In a lifetime of enjoying good beef...THOSE are the true standouts I still remember.

I used to buy it from the owner of a local steakhouse that had a dedicated aging room. That was CAFO ranched beef which I won't eat anymore. Now we have a local butcher that has his own dry aging room. He's got a line on a rancher east of here that occasionally has prime and his animals have pastures. It's alway close to prime, but on a big loin, that fine marbling throughout is soo good I'm on the list to get a call when an actual prime stamped carcass shows up (they buy it on the hoof). In between there was a butcher that started out good, but his room got a funk that carried into the meat flavor profile and I stopped going to him. He never could get rid of that flavor. I have a dedicated refrigerator for dry aging, but I only use it for sausages and venison and on the venison only for minor muscle groups for 5 days before I wet age them for 7 more. I hope I never get that funk in my fridge.

[kaschi]

A recent cooking show instructed that when you buy a "prime rib", it must be cut from the 6th through and including the 12 ribs (in other words 7 ribs total) to be called "prime rib".

[guido4198]

A recent cooking show instructed that when you buy a "prime rib", it must be cut from the 6th through and including the 12 ribs (in other words 7 ribs total) to be called "prime rib".

Cutting 6-12 just defines the cut as "Rib". It could be Canner & Cutter Cow or Bull...it is still correct to label it "Rib".
"Prime" is a USDA grade that can only be applied to a whole carcass that has been submitted to a USDA Grader who determines whether or not it meets the grading standard for "Prime". If it does, the Grader will roll and stamp the carcass (using edible purple ink). The purple ink "Prime" grade should be visible on any primal or subprimal cut sold as "Prime beef".

[Blaine]

Imma gettin' hongry....

[Old Time Hunter]

I try to buy the Prime Rib when it's on sale, I have a FoodSaver vacuum system, and it really works for saving meat in the freezer. Usually around Christmas, the local grocery stores have Prime Rib on sale, so I take advantage and freeze some for steaks and whole Prime Rib roasts.

I have my girls here visiting and Prime Rib is always good.

I tried a new way to prepare the roast, I normally season the Rib right before cooking, this time I seasoned and left it uncovered in the fridge for a day and 1/2. It didn't lose any water, and it seems to have dried out quite a bit. Well I will know in a few hours.

Anybody else cook Prime Ribs at home? Any advise? What do you use for seasoning the Rib? I use, salt(Kosher), pepper, ground thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and most times I will cut fresh garlic and poke holes in the underside of the roast, between the bone, and put the garlic pieces in the meat.

Steve

All I can tell ya is my wife makes a killer Prime Rib...she seasons the night before like you did this time.

Better let ya know...she uses a #17 lb Prime...usually without bone. It is huge...She orders it through one of her clients that own a fancy supper club(he charges cost, no added profit, it is less expensive than ordering one from the butcher!).

Here is what she does: Oven at 400'F, cook for one hour. then shut the oven off...DO NOT OPEN DOOR...she lets it sit the oven for at least 4 hours, then she fires up the oven back to 400'F for another 45min to one hour(if it has a bone). Lets it sit for another half hour, then slice. Ends are generally medium to medium well, next layers are medium to medium rare, and the middle couple inches are rare to medium rare.

You can cut the meat with a fork.

[kaschi]

@guido4198:
Yeah, I know what you mean about "prime" grade beef and the definition of it. The show explained that and also mentioned the differences between it and "choice" and "select" grades. But they emphasized that the "prime" part of the rib section is from ribs 6-12. Maybe it's a play on words using the word "prime" to say that that portion is the most prime part of the ribs? Who knows. But in addition, it was also stated that most supermarkets advertising "prime rib" usually are not selling "prime" grade meat at all. Supposedly, true "prime" grade beef rib roasts are sold mainly to restaurants (more than one cook on TV has has pointed that out). So, when most people say they are making "prime rib" for dinner, are they talking about the rib section that is the "prime" part of the rib section (ribs 6-12) or are they talking about the grade of the meat itself? It's seems to me based on prices around here at least, there's a greater chance that it isn't the top grade, correct? That's probably explains why our local supermarkets call this meat a "standing rib roast" or simply "rib roast". I guess that means they sell select or choice grades. It would be false advertising if the term "prime" were included, wouldn't it? If they advertised and sold it as "prime rib", (provided that it is truly that grade), only the rich could afford it. And since they are the folks who can afford it, they dine out in fancy restaurants where they eat (surprise!) PRIME RIB!

On a different but related note, please explain how a butcher/meat inspector determines if meat is select, choice or prime. I've always been curious about that. Thanks.

[guido4198]

Kaschi, I'm glad you asked and I hope my response tells you what you want to know. I spent about 25 yrs. in the Beef industry..slaughter and processing.
Grading of carcasses may only be done by a USDA GRADER...that is NOT an Inspector. When a Beef slaughter plant wants carcasses graded, they have to pay a USDA Grader to come in and do it. That is not included in their general inspection service. For various reasons of their own, which are often controversial....over the years, the Agriculture Dept. has modified the grading standards that are used to determine whether a carcass is Prime, Choice, Select, etc. IMHO, Today's USDA Choice grade ain't what it used to be by any stretch. You can look up specifics to get more information but I can give you an idea of what the Grader is looking for here:
To grade a carcass...they want to look at it after it has been chilled overnight after slaughter. The carcass has to be split through the backbone to expose the ribeye.They examine the carcass for age of the animal (how old it was at slaughter), size of the rib eye ( cross-sectional area), color of the eye, amount of fat cover over the eye, amount of intramuscular fat and "marbling" present. Once they have made their determination, the carcass is rolled using edible purple ink and stamped in specific places which identify it's USDA grade.
Coupla things about "Prime Rib" offerings. There some places that serve genuine USDA graded PRIME RIB dinners and have a well deserved reputation for it. They are generally high end "white tablecloth" kind of places and the dinners they serve aren't cheap. They start with raw beef and roast the whole bone-in rib on the premises. They only offer it until they run out of what was cooked that day. It is possible for a restaurant to purchase a boneless rib eye which has been pre-prepared by a supplier. This is most often what you get in a Mid-level kind of place. Chain restaurants for example. These are boneless Rib Eyes of unknown grade that have been rubbed with a mixture of spices and usually something to give the finished product some surface color (caramel coloring for example), then sealed in a vacuum bag and cooked in a water bath to about 140 degrees so that the entire piece is uniformly just "rare". At the restaurant when someone orders "Prime Rib" a piece is cut off, put on a plate and finished to whatever desired level of doneness is required either in the oven or (most often) in a microwave. A hot Au Jus is made from powdered mix and poured over the meat just before serving. Sometimes we see small restaurants offering "Prime Rib" specials. Those will be pre-prepared as described above. If you don't know how to judge the grade (at least get a good idea of it) of a piece of Rib Eye after it's been brought to your table...the price of their offerings will tell you what you're getting. NOBODY is offering a USDA Prime Rib dinner for $8.99 !!
Hope this helps.

[.45colt]

I have been a butcher/ workman for 43 years. I am no expert, I leave that for others. at My store We sell Certified Angus Choice and some USDA regular Choice beef as well. We only order "Prime" when a customer absolutely must have it. I won't buy it. Too Fat for Me.
I have for years bought only USDA Choice Beef for My own use weather for the grill or for Standing Rib Roast. I let My steaks or roast sit on the counter and get to room temp before cooking weather on the grill or oven. I season a Standing Rib and cook to 140-145*, let it rest before cutting usually have no complaints.
In My opinion the worst thing that ever happened to beef is cry-0-vac- shipping in boxes. good for the bottom line, bad for the taste of Beef.

[Blaine]

A hot Au Jus is made from powdered mix and poured over the meat just before serving

That pelosi should be a hanging offense......I like a mix of gently browned minced garlic, butter, and some mild horseradish.

[kaschi]

That really did give me a good insight Guido and thank you!

[Old Time Hunter]

roast the whole bone-in rib on the premises

Not entirely true...you can go to Sysco or Reinhardt and custom order a USDA Prime grade without the bone...and you can purchase the Prime grade "off" bone separately (why...never could figure this out".

It is just that there is a misconception that the "meat" is sweeter closer to the bone. It is not necessarily as the cooking characteristics are what make the difference between bone in and meat away from the bone. If you place your Prime Rib roast on a ceramic substitute (where the bone was cut off) you might be surprised at the similar cooking tendencies.

When I worked as a chef at a fancy night club (way back when) that was known as the "House of Prime" we cooked them both bone in by it self and boneless on a curved ceramic (dusted with a calcium based seasoning powder) our customers could not tell the difference...except the boneless was easier to eat.

Then again...I am not with most of my own crowd...I'll take a sirloin over a porterhouse any day of the week. 2" thick..at least 2lbs...marinated overnight in lime juice (a natural meat tenderizer, breaks down the enzymes with no lingering after taste), a garlic-butter, crushed pepper, paprika season mix ( a couple more seasoning ingredients but will not give them up)...hot briquette coals...ten minutes on one side and nine on the other. Hmm..hmm. Medium rare... leaning a tad to the rare...smothered with sautéed mushrooms...sautéed asparagus with hollandaise...baby red potatoes swimming in butter with a hint of garlic and sprinkled with parsley.

Darn...wish I was ten years younger...my mouth is salivating!

[SteveR]

Thanks all, great replies, I learned a bunch, especially about grading the meat.
Mine came out great, I will do the seasoning like I did this time from now on, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, pepper, paprika and thyme, all a day before cooking. Then let warm to room temp, 450 degrees for 20 mins, then 13 mins a pound after.
The seasoning a day before, made a great crust/bark on the outside, and seemed to keep more of the juices in.

Maybe beef will go on sale again soon, but it doesn't look like soon. Maybe with fuel prices going down, beef may go down some too.

Steve