My hamburger fiesta was such a big success that this weekend I’m putting on a prime rib dinner, and inviting you all.
I’ve got a number of enormous high-quality prime ribs ready to go, and believe me, I make 'em right. All crispy around the edge and so, so tender inside. Oh yeah. Yeah. But three questions must be answered:
How do you like your prime rib?
Do you want gravy, au jus, a sauce, horseradish, and/or something else?
What fixings do you want? Any potato, rice, vegetable, pasty you want.
Don’t forget to place a drink order.
NOTE: No substitutions for the prime rib itself. If you don’t like beef, don’t come over.
Ok, please give me an end cut, well-done and crispy, with horseradish sauce; a baked potato (with salted skin) with sour cream; and either a tannic red wine or some good Belgian farmhouse ale.
Baked potato with butter, sour cream, chives plus salt and pepper.
Nice cab. My favorite affordable cabernet sauvignon at the moment is Los Vascos Reserve. I picked up a bottle of the 2005 the other day for about $18-19. You can get the non-reserve version for about $10-12. It’s a Rothschild owned property.
I missed out on the hamburgers, so I’m first in line for the prime rib!
I like it pink. Not bloody. I ask for an end cut so mine won’t make me woozy with the blood.
Au jus and a horseradish-based sauce, not straight horseradish.
A nice risotto would be good, or a pilaf if it’s well made and not just rice cooked in supersalty beef broth. Plenty of wild mushrooms!
To drink, I like a nice Riesling. I know a red would be better but I have to stay away from red because of migraines. I’d prefer maybe a spicy Zinfandel. Or if I’m not drinking at all, ginger ale.
This lady reads my mind, all the way down to the red avoidance and migraines. But if I’m not drinking at all, I’d go for a G&T with the prime rib…wait.
Now I wish the rest of the family liked prime rib, otherwise I’d be calling at Federal Meats this afternoon.
There’s a rib in the fridge right now, so here’s what I’m going to do
1. How do you like your prime rib?
Put the seasoned rib (centre cut) in the oven at 275° for about 15 minutes - internal temp should be around 90°. Take it out then pan fry in a 50/50 mix of butter and olive oil for 1-2 minutes on each side. It will be lovely and rare.
2. Do you want gravy, au jus, a sauce, horseradish, and/or something else?
Sauce: Deglaze the pan with about half a cup of wine, reduce the wine til it’s almost gone, then add about 1/4 cup of cream.
3. What fixings do you want? Any potato, rice, vegetable, pasty you want.
Garlicky mashed potatoes left over from Monday, but they’ll be fine rewarmed. Maybe some pan fried mushrooms, which will be stirred into the sauce.
StGemain, I’m with you. I find wine repulsive. I don’t know why, I just do.
It’s not hard. If you follow this simple process you can’t really go wrong - I do a bit more than this, but in the interest of keeping it simple, this will serve you well.
Buy a prime rib, a GOOD roast, not a peice of crap. Go to a butcher and ask for it. Get one with the bone in; you’re paying a few cents for bone but I find it works better.
Get a meat thermometer.
Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side UP. Put a little water in the pan - not much, just a little to prevent your drippings from burning. Preheat the over to 500 and cook it at that temp for 15 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 325 and cook to the desired finish, which depends on the size of the roast. That’s why you need the meat thermometer. Any number of web sites will give you a list of temperatures-to-meat-doneness charts.
Remember that the roast should be allowed to sit for a few minutes after being taken from the oven and it will cook itself another 3-5 degrees while doing so, as heat transfers from the outside of the roast to the inside.
Oh yum! I’ll have mine medium-rare please with au jus and a little horseradish sauce, a large fluffy baked potato with butter and a little salt and pepper, some steamed veggies (brocolli, cauliflower, baby carrots), a couple of jumbo prawns, pan seared with butter and for dessert probably something light and lemony like a lemon souffle. If I’m having an adult beverage, make it a Blue Moon Ale and if not, then a Pepsi.