As at a haberdashery, the better the fabric, the better the suit. Choice beef from the supermarket makes a respectable dinner. Prime beef from a premium purveyor knocks it out of the park. The Michael Pollan crowd will want a roast from a grass-fed steer. Ask your butcher to “French” the roast, that is, scrape the meat off the last inch or so of bone.
There are several ways to cook prime rib. My favorite—surprise—is on a charcoal rotisserie, with a handful of soaked hickory chips on the coals. Why a rotisserie? Because the slow gentle rotation ensures even cooking and bastes the meat with the melting fat. Don’t have a rotisserie or even a grill? No problem, because you can make a killer prime rib in the oven.
Prime Rib Recipe
Time: 1-1/2 hours or more, depending on how rare you like your prime rib.
Serves: 8 to 10.
Ingredients
4 bone (8 pound) prime rib roast (Figure on 1 pound per person: you can always use leftovers.)
1 bunch rosemary, torn or cut into 1-inch sprigs
6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into matchstick slivers
Coarse salt and cracked black peppercorns
Set up your grill for spit-roasting and heat to medium-high (400°F)
Using the tip of a paring knife, make a series of slits in the roast on all sides. Each slit should be about 1/2 inch wide and deep, and 1-1/2 inches apart. Insert sprigs of rosemary in half the slits; insert garlic slivers in the other half. Generously—and I mean generously—season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper, patting the seasonings into the meat.
ROTISSERIE METHOD ON A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Set up your grill for spit roasting, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Place a drip pan in the bottom between the two mounds of coals. Skewer the prime rib lengthwise, securing it in place with the rotisserie prongs. Attach it to the motor and the grill. Toss a handful of soaked oak or hickory chips on the coals. Cover the grill and spit-roast to the doneness described above, basting from time to time with the fat that collects in the drip pan.
ROTISSERIE METHOD ON A GAS GRILL:
Remove the grates so the ribs have clearance to turn without striking the metal. Place a drip pan under the roast. If your grill has a smoker box, fill it with soaked wood chips; otherwise, place the chips in a foil smoker pouch over one of the burners.
INDIRECT GRILL METHOD ON A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high (400 degrees). Place the prime rib in the center of the grate over the drip pan. Toss a handful of soaked wood chips on the coals.
INDIRECT GRILL METHOD ON A GAS GRILL:
Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high (400 degrees). Place the prime rib in the center of the grate over the drip pan (if using—most gas grills have the drip pan built-in). Place a handful of soaked wood chips on the grill’s smoker box or in a smoker pouch.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the very center of the prime rib through the large end to test for doneness: cook to 120 degrees for rare; 140 degrees for medium-rare; 150 degrees for medium. We won’t go any more-well done than that. Remember, the prime rib will continue cook even after it leaves your cooker.
Transfer the prime rib to a cutting board (preferably one with a well—grooved border—to catch the juices when you carve it). Loosely tent with aluminum foil and let the roast rest for 15 minutes. (This is a good time to make Yorkshire Pudding.)
Show the roast off, then carve it at the table. Start by sliding your carving knife just behind the ribs down to the bottom. Remove the ribs and cut into individual bones. Let 8 guests fight over 4 bones. That will give you time to cut the meat crosswise into slices, thick or thin depending on your preference.
Prime Rib Recipes
Also Read:
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