Cooking Class with Chef Ivan Flowers Lesson 24 - Prime Rib

Last week we learned how to make a fresh ham for the holidays. Continuing with holiday favorites, I thought that this week we would learn how to roast a prime rib.

Before we start cooking, I want to go over some basic meat facts that will make buying the perfect prime rib a breeze. Meat usually is sold in three grades: select, choice and prime. Select is the least expensive and does not have a lot of marbling (fat running through it).

Remember, fat is not only flavoring, but also makes the meat tender, so select meat is not very tender. A grade up from select is choice. Choice meat has more marbling so it is more flavorful and tender.

Finally, the top grade is prime. Prime meat comes from the top five to eight percent of steers and it is heavily marbled, so it is very tender and very flavorful. Prime rib is NOT a prime grade. That is simply the name of the cut. When buying a prime rib, look for a choice grade that has a nice layer of fat on top of the meat, a large eye (the center of the roast) and that has ¾” or less fat running through the center of the eye. The recipe that follows is for a 6 rib roast and that will serve eight to ten people.

Now, let’s get cooking!

To make your prime rib, you will need: large roasting pan, roasting rack, spray oil, mixing bowl, meat thermometer, six tablespoons Kosher salt, four tablespoons coarse ground black pepper, two tablespoons granulated garlic, two tablespoons sweet smoked paprika, two tablespoons brown sugar and four tablespoons canola oil. Make sure to let the prime rib sit at room temperature at least one hour before cooking. This will allow the roast to cook more evenly.

After you have pulled the prime rib from the fridge, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Next in a mixing bowl combine the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, paprika, brown sugar and canola oil, mix well. Rub this mixture all over the prime rib, excluding the bones. If the roast has any bones have ends that are not covered in fat, place foil over them. This will keep them from burning. Spray the roasting pan and rack with Pam and place the prime rib on the rack with the bones sticking straight up. In other words, the eye should be on the rack. You will want to cook this for approximately two hours.

Check the temperature after one hour of cooking. Do this in the center of the eye, away from the bones. We are looking for a temperature of 120 degrees, which after carry over cooking will give us a mid-rare center and medium ends. Once the meat hits 120 degrees, remove from oven, tent with foil and let sit a minimum of 20 minutes.

Remember, doing this allows the juices to redistribute into the meat, so they won’t all run out when you carve the roast.

Carving the prime rib does not have to be stressful. There are several ways you can carve and serve the prime rib. One way is to cut down the meat next to the bones; this will leave you with just the eye. Then you can cut boneless slices of the eye and serve. Another way is to cut between each bone and serve the meat as chops. Finally you can cut in between the bones, create a chop and then cut off the bone. All these methods are perfectly acceptable. Simply serve it the way you like to eat it.

Now, with prime rib, you must have horseradish sauce. For this sauce you will need: one cup drained horseradish (buy it in a jar marked horseradish, make sure it is NOT the sauce), two cups sour cream, one cup mascarpone (at room temperature), juice of one lemon, ½ cup sweet chili, one tablespoon tomato paste, salt and pepper. We add the tomato paste because it adds a slightly sweet element and mellows the horseradish. In a bowl combine the horseradish, lemon, sweet chili, mascarpone and tomato paste. Once mixed, add salt and pepper to taste.

I recommend making this the day before so the flavors really combine. Serve on the side with the prime rib. This is also fabulous on roast beef sandwiches.

There you have it, a delicious prime rib with horseradish sauce for the holidays. If your family doesn’t like horseradish, you can serve a garlic aioli or some simple beef jus instead. As with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what creates delicious.

Chef Ivan Flowers brings 25 years of fine cuisine experience to Top of The Market, San Diego. Prior to becoming Executive Chef at Top of The Market, Chef Flowers owned Fournos restaurant in Sedona, Arizona, named a top 25 restaurant in Arizona. He was also Executive Chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, the AAA Four-Diamond, Four Star award winning restaurant. Flowers has created extraordinary cuisine for some of the finest restaurants in Arizona, including T. Cooks at Scottsdale's Royal Palms Resort and the Phoenician's Mary Elaine's and Different Pointe of View.

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