Learn How to Cook Prime Rib
What is Prime Rib?
Prime rib is the best cut of meat from the ribs of beef. This is a very expensive cut of meat and can be purchased with bones or without. When you are shopping for your meat, look for a pink color. It is best to choose meat with the bone. The bones will provide you with great flavor and help keep the meat together. It can be purchased fresh from your butcher or in your local grocery store. You will want to stay away from frozen meat as it can be a little tougher. If you are making your purchase from a butcher, ask for it to be tied. This is done with butcher’s twine to keep the roast together and allows it to cook evenly. Look for a loin cut or top cut, since this is the leanest portion of the ribs.
How to Cook Prime Rib
Prime rib can be cooked in several ways. It is best cooked low and slow. This allows the protein to breakdown and become tender and juicy. While this might sound time consuming, it really is not. This will take a little prep time, but once you begin roasting you can walk away for several hours. Roasting does not mean you have to cook the meat in the oven. Prime rib makes the perfect crock pot meal. The crock pot will cook it at a consistent temperature and most crock pots can be set to a timer preventing your meal from over cooking.
Ingredients and Equipment
There is no special equipment or techniques used to cook prime rib. The basic kitchen will have all the required equipment needed for this dish. Be sure to take your list of ingredients with you to the grocery store, so you have all the ingredients needed to prepare your meal. These ingredients include:
- Prime Rib
- Pepper
- Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
Equipment needed to prepare this dish include:
- Butcher’s Twine
- Crock Pot or Roasting Pan
Preparing Your Prime Rib
Prepare your meat by cutting off the excess fat. You will want to leave a little fat, but no more than a 1/4 inch. Usually the butcher will remove the majority of the fat, but you can ask them to remove most of the fat and tie the prime rib. If your prime rib is not tied at the butcher’s than once the fat is trimmed away, use the butcher’s twine to tie each end of the meat. Tying your meat is only necessary if it has been de-boned. It is best to cook the meat with the bone, but can be harder to find in your local grocery store. Tying the meat will prevent sections from over cooking before it is ready to eat. You will need to allow your prime rib to reach room temperature before searing. This can be done by placing the meat on the counter for 2 to 3 hours and covering it with plastic wrap.
The secret to cooking prime rib is searing the outside before placing it in the roasting pan or crock pot. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil or canola oil into a large skillet on medium to high heat. You will want to sear the meat on each side. Place the meat into the skillet turning about every five minutes until all sides have been seared. Searing the meat before roasting will lock in all the flavor and juices. This will create a juicy, tender meal.
Season your meat with kosher salt or sea salt and black pepper. The amount you use is up to you. The more salt you use the higher sodium count will be in your final product. Some salt is needed to release the juices from the meat, but remember a little salt will go a long way. Place the prime rib into the roasting pan or crock pot. It is now time to add your rosemary and thyme. It is best to use fresh herbs as they will give great flavor, but dried can also be used. If using fresh herbs tie them together so they can easily be pulled out at the end. If using dried herbs place the herbs in an herb ball or cheese cloth for easy extraction.
Roasting Your Prime Rib
Now that you have prepared your prime rib, it is time to roast it low and slow. Preheat your oven to 325° F or set your crock pot or slow cooker on the low setting. Cooking your meat low and slow will allow it to break down and render the fat, creating a juicy cut of beef. Prime rib is best served rare or medium rare. If you are serving a family with children, it is best to cook to a medium rare. The cooking time will be about 6 hours in a crock pot or 20 minutes per pound if roasting in the oven. Towards the last hour begin checking the internal temperature of the prime rib using a meat thermometer. Be sure not to touch the bones with the thermometer as this will not provide you with an accurate reading. A prime rib served rare will need to reach 120° F and for medium rare you are looking for 130° F. Once the prime rib has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the roasting pan or crock pot and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes.
References
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