There are a few recipes that are handed down from one generation to another; recipes that evoke nostalgia about our mothers and grandmothers; recipes that we learn to love and treasure as we grow old. Most of these dishes translate to the memories of our childhood, when we would watch our loved ones cooking just for us, stepping in at times, to lend them a helping hand. A classic roast is one such dish that never fails to look back on those days with wistful affection. Be it a whole duck, or chicken, or a Christmas turkey; who doesn’t love a good roast? Even today, roasted meat is a hot favorite in every household, whether you make it for the whole family, during the holidays, or serve it to your guests. Beef roast too is a dish that the English and the Americans cannot do without…especially on a wintry Sunday afternoon. The prime rib is a perfect example of this classic delicacy that echoes American novelist Edna Ferber’s opinion, “Roast beef, medium, is not only a food. It is a philosophy.”
What Is Prime Rib?
Prime rib is a beef roast delicacy that uses a large slab of tender, moist and juicy meat, running across seven ribs. It’s a classic recipe which has been enjoyed by families for centuries. The reason why it is called prime rib is because it isn’t usually deboned, and the flavor comes from being served in its own juices without any gravy or sauce. The meat is tender because it is cut out from the loin muscle of the cow. This steak is often called the “standing rib roast” since it stands up on its fleshy part. This preparation is highly popular since it has been existent for a long time, and equals to comfort food for many. The flavor of the prime rib is distinctly funky, with an outer layer of mouthwatering fat crackling. Once sliced open, it reveals a light pink interior of soft, delicious meat.
Photo Credit
http://www.gilt.com/brand/pat-lafrieda/product/53664973-pat-lafrieda-beef-rib-roast
Rules For Perfect Prime Rib:
Want to cook the perfect piece of prime rib steak? Here are ten rules to follow, starting from buying the meat, to cooking it to perfection.
1. Choosing The Meat
The first step to perfecting the art of making a good prime rib steak is to be sure of what meat to buy. Once you’ve figured that out, half the battle is won. The best cut of beef that makes for an ideal prime rib is the marbled meat. This implies that the meat would have several lines of fat running through it. The more the fat, the tenderer the steak is going to be. Graded or ungraded, ensure you research well, and go to a good butcher who will give you the best quality meat. In case you are watching your weight, or just don’t like beef fat, it would be a better idea to stay away from this delicacy.
Photo Credit
http://www.americanfoodroots.com/features/prime-rib-roast-beef-delicious-however-you-slice-it/
2. Go For The Grain-Fed Variety
It is a well-known fact around the world that beef which is 100% grass-fed is the healthiest and leanest variety available. However, when you opt for nutrition, there are times when you might have to compromise on the taste. Fret not though; grain-fed beef is gaining worldwide popularity nowadays. It is almost as lean as its grass-fed cousin, and is much richer in flavor. Grain-fed beef works wonders when cooked as prime rib. Beware of tricksters in the market though– if someone claims that the beef they are selling is grass-fed, grain-finished, they are lying. In reality, there is no such thing and it’s all a marketing gimmick.
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http://www.eatingtolive.co/organic-meat-what-are-the-benefits/
3. The Older The Better
Remember, for this beautiful steak, you would ideally need aged beef. When large pieces of meat are kept in a temperature-controlled store room, where even the humidity is monitored, the beef loses its moisture. The meat begins to rot (it might sound repulsive, but the rotting is controlled too, and the meat tastes delicious when cooked), till it almost takes on the fragrance of blue cheese. When this meat is sold, you don’t have to buy the rotten bits. Sans that, the juicy meat that you purchase is perfect for a prime rib.
4. The Drier The Better
Aging happens in two ways: dry-aging and wet-aging. The latter is a technique that has been picking up momentum in the recent past, but it is always better to choose meat that’s been dry-aged. Wet-aging neither affects the moistness of the beef nor does it transform the taste. So why go for something that is unnecessarily costly?
Photo Credit
http://westwoodprimemeats.com/dry_aged_steaks
5. Avoid Going Boneless
Even though deboning meat while eating seems like too much trouble, most people would agree that any protein, when eaten off the bone, tastes better. Moreover, roasting your beef rib with the bone facilitates insulation. As a result, the meat near the bones will cook at a slower pace, leaving those bits extremely moist, in such a manner that the meat falls off perfectly.
Photo Credit
http://porterandyork.com/product/buy-prime-rib-online/
6. Seasoning Matters
As we all know, seasoning is the key to great cooking, and so is the case with the prime rib. The longer it stays seasoned, the more flavor gets infused into the meat, and the more you enjoy your meal. The best way to go about this would be to rub kosher salt into the beef and leave it to rest for the whole night. This way the salt has enough time to get dissolved into the meat juices and you end up with a perfectly seasoned piece of rib.
Photo Credit
http://themeathouseblog.com/2011/11/30/meat-the-butcher-prime-rib/
7. Take Your Time
You need to treat meat with loads of love, respect and patience. If you’re in a hurry to finish off cooking, you will be left with rubbery, overcooked beef that will definitely leave a bad aftertaste in your mouth. Lower the temperature to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit and give the prime rib some time. That way, you will get the perfect steak with pinkish, medium-rare meat in the center and a brown, crispy exterior layer that is equally tender.
Photo Credit
http://www.dishmaps.com/oven-roasted-prime-rib/7762
8. Brown It In The End
Several recipes advise you to brown off the meat in a hot pan and then roast it in an oven. Though not exactly the wrong method, beginners who have never cooked a steak before, always run the risk of ruining the meat and ending up with tough, chewy beef in the end. Hence it is a better idea to slow roast the steak first, and once it is cooked, brown it off in a pan, in the beef fat itself towards the end.
Photo Credit
http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/packages/holidays/holiday-central-how-tos/how-to-cook-boneless-prime-rib-roast.page-3.html
9. Invest In An Instant Read Thermometer
Timing is not all that can help you get the ideal prime rib. You also need to keep a track of what temperature you are cooking the beef at. Though leave-in thermometers are cheap and readily available, it is a good idea to invest in one that reads the temperature instantly. This is because the temperature of your rib roast will continue to increase even when it is resting. A leave-in thermometer will show readings that are higher than usual. If you like beef to be cooked to medium, ensure the temperature is at around 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and if you want to cook it to medium rare, aim for 120 degrees.
Photo Credit
http://grub.gunaxin.com/grilling-perfect-steak-youre-caveman/147767
10. The Meat Needs To Rest
This is probably the most significant rule when it comes to preparing any meat dish. Meat, be it fowl or beef or pork, has to be given time to rest. The more it rests, the imbalance in temperature fizzles out, and the juices are allowed enough time to infuse into the meat. If you’re in a rush and you cut open a hot piece of meat, the juices will ooze out, and you will be left with dry, flavorless food.
Photo Credit
http://www.baconandsouffle.com/2011/12/28/perfect-prime-rib/
