A re you making prime rib this weekend? There will be one in my oven Saturday night as it’s been our Christmas Eve tradition for years. I’m into J Kenji Lopez-Alt’s reverse-sear method, which he explains as part of a step-by-step guide to prime rib:
Start your prime rib in a very low-temperature oven (200 to 275 degrees), let it reach about 125 degrees for medium rare, remove it and let it rest while you crank the oven up to its maximum setting, then set the beef back inside for just a few minutes to crisp up the exterior. The result is prime rib that is measurably juicier and tenderer, with a crackling crust and the biggest expanse of rosy interior.
When I do a rib roast I make a compromise: I buy a USDA Prime roast, but with the ribs still attached. So: A more expensive roast made cheaper because I'm not paying the butcher to bone it. Here's a video that will show you how to cut the bones from the roast, roll and tie it. I like to season the meat, then tie the bones back on for cooking. Here's a brilliant short video demonstrating how to do that.
If you're making a rib roast you HAVE TO make Yorkshire pudding, which is one of the world's most glorious expressions of beef fat. What? Your recipe says you can use vegetable oil??? Go beef drippings or go home. I'm sorry, vegetarians, but the whole flavor of the thing comes from the fat. And it has to be crazy hot, so you can't use butter. If you make Yorkshire pudding with canola oil you'll be all: I don't get it. If you make it with beef fat you'll be singing like Tennille to Captain: Do that to me one more time…
What was the best thing you cooked this holiday season? Send your stories and photos to thefork@sfreporter.com.
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