Recipe of the Week: Prime Rib Roast

Roasting a prime rib can be a daunting task. It’s a large joint, and not the cheapest cut in the case. But follow these steps and you’ll be sure to have success at the table this year.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

Seasoning Salt
1 bunch           rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
1 bunch           thyme, leaves picked and chopped
1 bunch           sage, leaves picked and chopped
10                    bay leaves, leaves sliced
⅓ cup              kosher salt
8                      garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup             freshly ground black pepper

Prime Rib

7–8 lbs            prime rib (3 bones), rib bones cut away from the muscle (reserved)
¼ cup              olive oil

Gravy Sauce

3 Tbsp             butter, cold (divided)
3 Tbsp             beef scraps (ask your butcher for this, otherwise use ground beef)
3                      shallots, peeled and chopped
1                      garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp             all-purpose flour
3                      bay leaves
6                      thyme sprigs
1 cup               red wine + ¼ cup for finishing the sauce (divided)
4 cups             Beef Stock 
to taste            Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Method

1. To make the salt, blitz the fresh herbs in a food processor with 2 Tbsp of salt. Add the garlic and pulse to chop. Add the remaining salt and the pepper and pulse until well combined. The salt should have a greenish hue.

2. Remove the roast from the fridge and rub all over with the seasoning salt, including on the bones. Rub all over with olive oil. Allow the roast to come to room temperature before cooking, about 1-2 hours for a 6–7 lb roast. This step allows the meat to cook more evenly.

3. Preheat the oven to 500°F and adjust the racks so the roast can fit in the oven. Have your roasting pan and a roll of strong butcher’s twine ready. I like to use a pan with an elevated roasting rack, which allows hot air to circulate around the meat and cook it more evenly.

4. Place the rib eye back onto the rib bones, to recreate what the roast originally looked like. Using strong butcher’s twine, tie the rib bones to the meat with knots in between each bone. Place the beef on the rack in a roasting pan. (If you don’t have a rack, prop the roast off the bottom of the pan with halved onions.)

5. When the oven is hot, place the roasting pan on the lower rack, close the oven door, and immediately turn down the heat to 300°F. Cook for about 18 minutes per pound for medium rare, or 1¾ to 2 hours for a 6–7 pound roast. To test for doneness, insert a thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. The roast is cooked when it reaches 120°F (it will be medium after resting). Remove the roast from the pan and transfer it to a platter. Cover the roast with aluminum foil, then a kitchen towel, and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes while you make the sauce.

6. To make the sauce, heat 1 Tbsp of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the beef trim (or ground beef) and brown it all over. Add the shallots and caramelize, stirring constantly, then add the garlic and stir. Add 1 Tbsp of butter and the flour and stir until the flour is nut-brown. Add the herbs. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of red wine, then reduce the wine by half. Pour in the stock, simmer, and reduce by half again.

7. Skim off any excess fat left in the roasting pan and set the pan over medium heat. Pour the contents of the saucepan into the roasting pan, and using a wooden spoon scrape up the cooked bits from the bottom of the roasting pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then simmer the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon.

8. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve back into the saucepan and whisk in 1 Tbsp of cold butter and 2 oz of red wine. Pour into a gravy boat.

9. To carve the roast, cut and discard the twine. Cut the rib bones into individual pieces and arrange them on a serving platter. Using a long slicing knife, slice the beef and arrange it beside the bones. Serve the gravy alongside.