LOS ANGELES, December 24, 2011–Meat! There are certain times that there’s no greater protein than a huge pile of red meat. The holidays are a perfect time to splurge and take advantage of these succulent proteins. A protein near and dear to my heart is Prime Rib.
As I would drive up to my grandmother’s house in Kansas City for the Holidays, I was always pleasantly surprised by the smell of the Prime Rib that was roasting in the oven. She had an old stove that she lit with a match and, despite the archaic nature of her oven, the prime rib was always superb. With each bite, the bright red meat melted in my mouth leaving me salivating for more.
Prime Rib
I grew up in the Midwest where everyone eats meat. Whenever I come home from LA, my mom has a beautiful rack of lamb or New York steak waiting for me to celebrate my arrival. Even though I tell her that my diet is primarily vegetarian, she cooks meat regardless and I happily partake.
These cherished moments around the dinner table eating time honored traditional meals have left me with warm feelings toward something I don’t typically eat. Returning to tradition and bringing food into moments will give any experience more depth.
I learned it’s not only important to cook a piece of meat well but it’s also important to pick the right cut of meat and figure out the right cooking method. Equally important is the marinating process. Seasoning the meat on both sides will ensure that when you take it out of the oven it will give you a flavorful outcome.
From a health perspective, I always suggest the leanest cuts such as the filet or the sirloin. Portion size is a must for those who don’t eat it regularly and especially for those who do. The smaller the amount ingested the better, which is around 4-5 oz., and is comparable to the palm of your hand. What you eat should be of equal or lesser size. Remember, your stomach is not that big and you do not want to overwhelm your system.
Holidays call for the finest cuts of meat. These cuts of meat are the most tender parts of the cow because they are muscles that are least used. They consist of the rib and the tenderloin, located on the ribs of the cow. This would be considered the Prime Rib and the Filet Mignon.
When searching for the finest cuts of meat look for a bright red color (unless cryovacked then it might be purple). And you want it to be soft but firm to the touch.
A good test shared by one of Italy’s finest Chefs, Valter Roman of the Tuscan Chef Cooking School, is if you can put your thumb nail into the beef and when you remove your thumb the imprint of your nail remains in the meat for a few seconds.
It should smell clean and a bit sweet. The blood that comes from it should be red in color and not brown. Choose the smaller end of the Rib for a better proportion to fat to meat ratio.
Methods of cooking Prime Rib can vary but the fail-proof method below is one that is tried and true. This method, although unconventional, requires mere trust and patience and the result will be worth the effort.
Prime Rib Method
- Allow your Prime Rib to come as close to room temperature as possible.
- Preheat to 500 degrees
- Either you or your butcher take the meat off of the bone but tie the meat back onto the bone with butchers twine to retain the flavor and tenderness.
- Salt, pepper and add a small layer of olive oil to the meat
- Place the Prime Rib into the 500 degree oven
- Roast it for 7 minutes per pound at 500 degrees (5 pounds =35 minutes)
- Then turn the oven off but, NO matter what, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN for 1 hour
- After 1 hour remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes and then slice. Perfect every time for medium rare.
Happy Cooking!
Chef Mary
Read Chef Mary's "How to Cut a Rack of Lamb"
How to slice a lamb roast (Click to Enlarge) (Image: Chef Mary Moran)
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