Slow Prime Rib

Another Christmas has come and gone. I hope all of you had a restful day, nothing too stressed, few family arguments, much laughter and memorable moments.

I spent my day with my immediate family and we enjoyed a classic Prime Rib Roast with the usual fixins' and some Greek touches.

For as long as I can remember, I've been doing Prime Rib as instructed by my father and his years of wisdom working in the restaurant industry.

My Pops & I have these "debates" about how to approach a dish or while watching a cooking show "if this dish goes with that ingredient".

Can you say generation gap?

Pops usual line is, "when I was working in the restaurant we NEVER did that, we would do it.....blah-blah-blah".

Yesterday, I had to keep him far away from the stove as the Prime Rib was roasting. You see, my dad likes to sneak into the kitchen and peak at what's being cooked and sometimes he make "adjustments" to a meal.

It could be anywhere from turning up or lowering heat, uncovering a simmering pot or opening an oven to check on a cake (Shreek)!

Prime Rib is one of those dishes whereby one always seeks to improve or perfect this wonderful, satisfying Sunday (or holiday) meal.

My inspiration for my Quantum Leap in Prime Rib came from recently watching an episode of Foodies, as shown here in Canada.

The hostess Lesia recently did her own Prime Rib and she too joined the chorus of those who prefer low & slow cooking.

I've read a myriad of methods or roasting Prime Rib, most divided into two camps: low and slow or fast & high heat. Oh there are cooks who combine a bit of both methods and I'd say I fall in the middle too.

You see, I'm still not convinced that roasting a Prime Rib entirely at 280F will give me a deep-brown Prime Rib that's juicy and cooked to perfection in the middle. During my Prime Rib experimentations, I've ended up with a Roast that ends up "Mcdonald's grey"...not a turn-on.

So, until I see or taste a better Prime Rib, I'm now going to go with this approach: a blast of high heat and then lower your oven for a slow gentle roast of your Prime Rib.

In my opinion, part of being a good cook (and offering delicious food) is to be pragmatic, not to be a 'know it all' and keep an open mind about improving upon family favourites. Pride has no room in the foodie's kitchen.

It's all about the "pursuit of delicious food", right?

Prime Rib Roast au Jus With Yorkshire Pudding

1 Prime Rib Roast, cap on - bone in
sea salt
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1 tsp. of chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. of fresh thyme

Yorkshire Pudding
(makes 12)
4 eggs
2 cups of milk
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. of salt
beef drippings
1 muffin tray

1. Ensure that the Prime Rib has been brough to room temperature before roasting. Season the cap only (not sides) of your beef with the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders and rosemary and thyme. Pre-heat your oven to 500F and set the rack in the middle position (ensure an evenly cooked roast).
2. Insert a meat thermometer into the top of the roast, right in the center. Place your roast in the oven and turn the oven light on. Keep the oven closed (some smoking will occur) and watch for the moment when your roast turns a deep brown colour (20-30 minutes).
   
3. Once your roast has achieved that deep-brown colour, reduce the oven's temperature to 260F. About an hour into roasting, add enough hot water to just cover the rib bones at the base (this will create your roast beef jus).
   
4. Allow the roast to cook until the thermometer has reached an internal temperature of 130F for rare, 150F for medium-rare and 170F for medium-well.
5. Carefully take your roast out of the pan and place on a large plate/platter and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 50-60 minutes (don't worry, the meat will still be warm at service).
6. Use this time to make your jus and Yorkishire Puddings. Pour the beef drippings from the roasting pan into a fat separator and reserve the separated beef jus and fat (separately).
7. Drop 1 Tbsp. of beef drippings into each muffin cup and pre-heat your oven to 400F. Add your flour and salt in one bowl and your eggs & milk in another bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients to blend and then whisk dry ingredients into wet and set aside.
8. When your oven has reached 400F, place your muffin tray on the middle rack of the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the muffin tin and pour equal amounts of Yorkshire batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 30 minutes or until the Puddings have puffed up to a lovely golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve in a basket at your dinner table.
9. Pour the beef jus into a pot and add 2-3 bay leaves anf bring to a boil. Taste for to adjust seasoning (add water if too salty or add some beef base or boullion to enhance) and reduce by a third. Keep warm until dinner service and remove bay leaves.
   
10. To carve your Prime Rib, cut off the butcher's twine and place the roast upright on it's side to expose the rib bones vertically. Secure the roast with a fork and cut off the rib bones and reserve for making beef stock and a Beef Barley Soup.
11. Now flip the roast back to it's natural sitting position and remove the fatty cap. Carve your slices of beef and arrange on a platter. Serve with Yorkshire Pudding and the gravy boats full of jus.