How to Make the Best Holiday Prime Rib
Carl's Prime Rib and Roast Seasoning
A Holiday Dinner With Prime Rib
One of the best Prime Ribs I have eaten has not come from any restaurant. No, the meal has come from my mom and dad's oven! There is definitely a pecking order as to who does what, but I will credit dad with this recipe even though my mother handles the baking of the roast. One thing I can tell you is that he has got this recipe down and you will not believe how easy it is to make.
One thing you will find in my philosophy on cooking is this: many of the best recipes I have seen and used, the ones that achieve greatness, usually occur with minimal ingredients but involve a synergy that will tantillize your taste buds.
This recipe from my dad involves meat, olive oil, garlic, seasoning and a good oven. We all know what magic garlic works in meat, and we all know how meat as it cooks, drips fat, and that fat produces some serious flavors and sensations. Combine all of these for a holiday meal and you have memory creation potential. You will be creating and serving a masterpiece.
Prime rib is by far the cadillac of all dinners in my opinion. You will not send away the masses but you will attract them. The smell of the roast that will permate the whole house will mesmorize your company. The whole process is worth all the effort.
I've caught up with my father for the Christmas holiday and discussed how he makes his dish, and he will admit, that many walk away shaking their heads and saying, "how did you do that?"
And he will say this is one of the easiest recipes to make and here it is:
Prime Rib Recipe:
Picking out the Roast: go to the local butcher and ask for a prime rib. My father recommends asking for the full roast, bone included. You might ask for a 6 or 8 or 10 bone prime rib. The weight will be anywhere from 6-10 lbs. The butcher will oblige.
Preparing the Prime Rib:
First, rub the entire roast down with some extra virgin olive oil.
1. Then, my father covers the roast with "Carl's Prime Rib and Roast Seasoning." He pats down the entire roast including the ends with the seasoning.
2. His next trick is to cut up around 15 or so cloves of garlic. He cuts them into around 1/8" slivers and inserts them into the meat. He does this by taking a very sharp knife and cuts slits in the meat (around 3/4" deep), and while holding the slit open with the side of the knife, he will then insert the garlic slivers into the roast.
He will cover the entire roast with garlic. Some areas closer to the fattier portions will be more difficult to cut slits, so he said to avoid those areas. Now you are done with all the preparation of the meat.
Cooking the Prime Rib
1. My father uses a temperature instrument from Radio Shack to measure the internal temperature of the meat (a wireless BBQ thermometer). This allows the probe to be inserted into roast while programing the monitor to the desired temperature. It will beep when the temperature is reached! My father inserts the probe from the side of the meat around the bottom 1/3 of the roast and angles upward to the middle section.
2. This is where a role change takes place. He hands my mother the roast that he has prepared, garlic and all, and hands this raw piece of meat to my mother.
3. My mother bakes the Prime Rib in her convection oven at 350 degrees F. The rule of thumb, according to my mother, is to use the following for an idea of baking time:
20 mins/lb for medium rare
22 mins/lb for medium
24 mins/lb for well done.
4. Mom will bake the roast until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F.
5. Take the roast out of the oven and set aside. Cover with tin foil for around 5 minutes or so which will allow the juices settle.
Carving the Prime Rib
Take carving knife and cut appropriate size pieces to serve your guests. My wife happens to like the end piece as it is more cooked and has more flavor than the middle section. There usually is a fight as to who will get that piece.
My mother will serve the prime rib with horseradish and also a creamed horsedish. The garlic and the outside of the roast will produce some incredible taste.