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Fri, 26 Mar 2004
I love prime rib of beef, roasted medium-rare, and don't seem to get to eat it often enough. Not too many restaurants cook and serve it with confidence and consistency, and those that do tend to be "special occasion" type places. And in a small household there are not many opportunities to cook a large roast, except for a major dinner party.
So, the proposition: is it possible to treat a 1-bone, 2.25 lb. cut of prime rib as a standing rib roast, and cook it in time for dinner, when the idea just came to you while standing at the butcher's counter at about 6 PM? And if so, which of the two dozen algorithms for prime rib, typically written for 4-8 lb. roasts, will scale? I researched, and by way of synthesis, I ended up with:
- Preheat oven to 500F.
- Rub roast with Lawry's seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. (For a big roast I usually use kosher salt, but I was out, and there was no time to go back to the market.)
- Roast on rack for 15 min./lb. = 34 min.
- Remove, allow to sit for 10 min.
- Remove bone (set aside to be eaten Henry VIII-style), slice in thick slices, serve.
It was delicious throughout, and tasted just like the prime rib the big boys roast down at House of Prime Rib and similar places.
Analysis of the roast showed the following: there was a definite crust around the edges, but it was dark brown, not black, and incredibly tasty, especially toward the "tail" of the rib cut (i.e., where the bone ends and it becomes narrow). Because of the overall shortness of the roasting period, though, the crusty/well-done portion went only a few millimeters into the surface, and the middle of each cut was pink/red. This suited me fine. Whether you find this desirable, depends, I guess, on how you like grilled or roasted beef. Given the temperature "medium rare", some people like a moist mahogany on the outside and pink/red in the middle; I like the cut nicely charred on the outside and pink/red in the middle.
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