Prime Ribs of Beef au Jus
The word "prime" in Prime Rib refers to the primal rib section of the cow, which has six ribs. It does not refer to the grade of beef, USDA Prime. Butchers often refer to this as a Standing Rib Roast to avoid confusion.
I think a lot of people avoid making Prime Rib either because they think it's too expensive or because they think it's too hard to prepare. Well, it is expensive, but if you're not planning on making this a regular Sunday dinner, what is the value versus the cost for a quality meal as the centerpiece of a special occasion? So, while Prime Rib might set you back a few coins, it isn't so prohibitive that you can't splurge for a reason. We make this dish two or maybe three times a year. I'm grateful we have that much to celebrate.
As for people thinking that it's too difficult to prepare, let me dispel that notion with this recipe. While preparing a great Prime Rib is easy, there are also some easy ways to ruin it, too.
Here are a few tips for making a great Prime Rib to protect your investment.
Tip #1:
Buy the Right USDA Grade of Beef
Buy the right kind of Standing Rib Roast. Make certain that your cut is either Certified Angus Beef or USDA Prime. The next grade of beef is USDA Choice, and there is no point in spending money on Choice beef for a standing rib roast. Save your money and buy a steak instead.
Tip #2: Buy the Right Size
Buy a rib roast of 4-6 ribs. Anything smaller is really not leveraging your time. Plus, a few leftovers with this dish is a good thing. Prime rib freezes very well if properly protected and warms very nicely in a microwave.
Tip #3: Make Your Butcher Work for You
Purchase a rib roast with the ribs intact. Then, ask your butcher to remove the chine bone and separate the ribs from the roast, tying them rack back onto the roast with butcher's string. The primary reason for this is that the meat simply tastes better when cooked with the rib bones but this keeps you from having to conduct a delicate surgical procedure while the meat is hot and your guests are waiting. Simply cut the butcher’s sting, remove the rack of bones and proceed to slice the roast.
Tip #4: Invest in the Right Equipment
There are three essential pieces of equipment that you need to make a perfect Prime Rib, not the least of which is the roasting pan. You want one with a ‘V’ or ‘U’ shaped rack that’s tall enough to hold the roast about an inch off the bottom f the pan. This allows for good heat circulation and gives you room for the aromatic vegetables that help make the gravy.
Secondly, you absolutely must have a digital probe meat thermometer. The trick to a great Prime Rib is in knowing when it's done. The easiest way to knowing this is to buy a digital thermometer with a probe attached to an oven-proof cord that registers on a control unit outside the oven. Or, if so inclined, they also make cordless Bluetooth models. Either way, make sure the probe is firmly in the center of the meat of the roast and not touching any bone.
Finally, you also are going to need a gravy fat separator. The spout pulls liquid from the bottom, using the specific gravity of oil that rises to the top, giving you the delicious pan drippings and flavors from the roasted shallots and carrots without the fat that has rendered from the beef.
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
The national dish of Great Britain, the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Prime Ribs of Beef au Jus is the perfect kind of roast beef to serve with the pastry known to the Brits as Yorkshire Pudding. The hollow structure of what Americans would call a "popover" is a perfect vessel for the delicious pan gravy, the au jus, that accompanies this dish. Here is the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Yorkshire Pudding.
Prime Ribs of Beef au Jus
Ingredients
- 4-5 bone standing rib roast, USDA Prime or Certified Angus
- 4-5 tbsp olive oil
- 4-5 tbsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 4-5 tbsp minced garlic
- 4-5 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 6 large shallots, skins removed and quartered
- 15-20 baby carrots, peeled
- 4 cups beef stock (like, Swanson's or Kitchen Basics)
- 4 cups dry red wine
- 1 tbsp Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce
- 1 heaping tbsp Veal Demi-Glace (like, Williams-Sonoma, or substitute with Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base)
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
Instructions
- Bring the roast to temperature by letting it sit on your kitchen counter for 2 hours.
- Spray the roasting pan rack with non-stick cooking spray and nestle the roast in the rack, then put the rack in the roasting pan.
- Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
- Slather the olive oil all over the roast, including the ends. Rub the minced garlic all over the roast. Then, sprinkle Lawry's Seasoned Salt so that the roast is coated. Then, liberally grind freshly cracked black pepper over the entire roast.
- Put the shallots, the carrots, 2 cups of the red wine and 2 cups of the beef stock in the bottom of your roasting pan.
- Carefully put the meat thermometer probe in the center of the roast, making sure the end of it is resting in the center of the meat and not touching any bone.
- Put the roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes so that it quickly browns, then turn the oven to 325°F for the balance of the cooking time.
- Assume about 3-½ to 4 hours for a 4-6 rib roast, or about 15 minutes per pound. Cooking time will vary depending on a lot a factors, including your oven, so the easiest way to ensure your prime rib is cooked properly is by using a thermometer and roasting it to an internal temperature of 135°F. This puts you at medium rare, understanding that the roast will rise five degrees or so once you take it out of the oven before slicing.
- While the roast is in the oven, pour the remaining 2 cups of red wine and beef stock in a saucepan. Put on a very low heat to keep warm during the roasting period.
- When the meat thermometer registers 135°F, remove the roast from the oven. Do not take the thermometer probe out of the roast, yet. Take the cooking rack with the roast out of the roasting pan and place it on something to absorb any drips. Wrap the rack, roast and all, in aluminum foil. Just push the foil through the thermometer probe and blanket the meat. Let it rest for 30 minutes while you finish the "au jus."
- Using a kitchen ladle, spoon out the liquid from the bottom of the roasting pan into a gravy separator. The oil will rise to the top quickly. Pour the gravy portion of the liquid from the gravy separator into the saucepan with the wine and beef stock. Do this until you have transferred all of the liquid in the roasting pan, discarding the oil and cooked vegetables.
- Bring the saucepan of gravy to a strong simmer; add the Kitchen Bouquet and Veal Demi-Glace. Allow the liquid to reduce for 15 minutes.
- Remove the roast to a carving board after it has rested for 30 minutes. The thermometer should register between 140°-145°F. Remove the probe at this time.
- Find the butcher's twine that has been holding the bones to the roast and cut with a knife or scissors. Remove the bones and set aside.
- Carve the roast into one to 1-½ inch slices and serve au jus, that is, "with juice" on the side in small ramekins.
