Prime Rib—Let’s go!

For some reason, the idea of cooking prime rib feels really intimidating to people.  But the truth is, it’s really not that hard.  You can do this!  And I can help you.

First off, a little about our cut of meat.  “Prime” Rib refers to the fact that this is a primal cut of meat—one of the main, large cuts that comes from a side of beef.  In butcher world,  “prime” can also refer to one of the three grades of meat quality: prime, choice and select.  Here, though, it’s all about
the primal cut, not the meat grade.

When you look for prime rib in the grocery store or at your butcher’s, don’t be confused by the variety of terms you may come across: prime rib, rib eye, standing rib roast, whole rib roast, rib eye meat….  They are all referring to the same cut of meat.

Once you decide to get that prime rib, you do have one fundamental choice to make.  Do you want a bone-in or boneless roast?  You can’t go wrong either way—they both taste so good.  If you’re not going for fancy and are just aiming for the goal line of great tasting meat, go for the boneless.  If, though, you want a little flair, try the bone-in.  It takes a few minutes more preparation, but the sight of that beautiful piece of meat with the ribs on it… it’s sure to impress your family or friends.  In the video, I show you how to cut and prepare both options, so I’ve got you covered.

Once you’re cut and tied your roast, it’s time to season it.  I season mine with a mix of Worcestershire sauce, Montreal steak seasoning, and kosher salt.  Because this is such a large and thick cut of meat, you really can’t over-season it.  So go ahead and cover all the sides really well.

For this week’s video, I prepared and cooked both a bone-in and boneless roast.  The bone-in, as you might guess, takes a little bit longer.  I cooked them at 300° for about 2-2.5 hours until it was rare, then cooked a little while longer at 500° to crisp up the outside and bring the roast up to medium-rare.  How, you might ask, was I able to cook it so precisely?

I’m glad you asked!  Partnering with this week’s sponsor, Meater, I used their WiFi Smart Meat Thermometers.  These little jewels go right into the middle of the roast and stay there while it cooks.  All I had to do was monitor the temperature using the app on my phone.  In the app, you select the cut of meat you’re cooking, and it gives you the correct oven temperature, estimated cooking time, and allows you to monitor the temperature while it cooks.  It works in the oven, on the grill, over a camp fire… you name it.  Genius.  And if you’e looking for a last-minute Christmas gift idea, Meater is offering 10% off in their online store if you use the link http://meater.store/ButcherWizard.  For Christmas delivery, make sure you order by December 18!

Now, once the meat comes out, it’s time for the true test of your self-control.  You’ve got to let it sit, covered by some aluminum foil, for 20 minutes.  No cheating!  Once you’ve managed to restrain yourself for those 20 minutes, all the while smelling the amazing smells, then it’s time to carve and eat!

One more thing, in the video I also show how to make a simple au jus sauce to go with the meat—it’s the little extra that takes this meal over the top. To get all the details, watch the video here.

So, what’s holding you back?  This week—prime rib on the menu!  Let me know how it goes!
—Brad