Having a prime rib roast for Christmas dinner used to be a standing tradition at our house. But the last few years we've had a harder time getting everyone together. This year everything worked out just right and we decided to revive that tradition!
Grant's been cooking rib roast in commercial kitchens for years as a chef and it is always done to perfection. Makes me wonder why we don't have this meal more often - and then I remember why - it's EXPENSIVE! But hey, it was Christmas, so we splurged on a 7 bone roast.
It's a beauty, eh? 16 pounds of beefy goodness.
He did trim it up just a bit and cut the first 2 ribs off of the large end. We'll be having some kick ass ribeyes in the not too distant future.
He ended up with a 12 pound roast and 5 ribs, plenty for our little group of 6. He slashed just through the fat on the top diagonally both ways to expose the seasoning to the meat.
To give the meat even more flavor, Grant throws the following into the food processor:
1 large carrot
1 rib of celery with leaves
1/2 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp kosher salt
He processes the ingredients into a thick paste and spreads it over the meat.
Pop it into the oven on a rack, bone side down, uncovered. Roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
Turn the oven to 275 degrees and roast for 3 1/2 - 4 hours until your desired degree of doneness in the center of the roast. He went to 140 degrees, some like it more rare at about 120 degrees.
Remove the roast from the oven, cover with foil, and let it rest for half an hour before carving.
I'm telling you, it was killer. Juicy and tender, full of flavor - what a treat.
Grant does remove the rib bones before slicing the roast. He scrapes the paste from the top of the roast into the pan drippings and uses that to make his au jus. Add some red wine, season to taste, and skim off the fat.
We also use our butter warmers (for crab or lobster butter?) for our au jus. Keeps it nice and hot when you dunk in those beautiful chunks of beef.
That is some good eating. We rounded out our meal with au gratin potatoes, fresh green beans sauteed with bacon and shallots, and some freshly baked bread. It's the perfect Christmas dinner.
I'm already saving up my pennies for the next one!