Best Standing Rib Roast Recipe

[mtleahy]

I am hosting a Christmas Eve party this year, and am looking to do a knock your socks off rib roast. What is your best tried and true recipe? Also, there will be a lot of kids there, so what should be the temperature I should cook it to, since kids are often turned off to medium rare meat. I also do not want to overcook it, so I am looking for a happy medium. (no pun intended : )

[adamclyde]

The ends of the roast are more well done than the very center, so maybe you can give those to the kids? But not sure how many kids you have...

If you can, I LOVE doing it out on the grill. I don't like mine totally rare in the middle, so I cook mine to about 125 at around 350 degrees on the grill. It will rise another 5+ degrees once it comes out of the oven/grill. It doesn't take very long at that temperature.

Here's my recipe:

3-rib standing rib roast
Salt
2 TB coarsely cracked pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced into paste
2 TB chopped rosemary
2 TB chopped thyme
2 TB chopped parsley
2 TB chopped oregano
Olive oil

Rib roast is one that thing I love to start a few days in advance. Salt the meat a full 48 hours before you are going to cook it. Cover it and return it to the fridge.

Before cooking, mix the herbs, garlic, olive oil and pepper into a paste. Rub it all over the meat and let it sit out for an hour or two a room temperature.

Cook in an oven at 350 until it reaches 125 in the deep center.

Or, as I like to do it, go out to the grill, and cook it indirect with some wood chunks/chips added (I like hickory or pecan) added at the same temperature until it reaches 125.

That's it. It's about as easy as could bem

Let it rest a good 15 minutes before carving. When you do, I like to cut the bones away, then it's easy to carve.

Good luck!

[fourunder]

A few years back I read an article in Cook's Illustrated magazine that centered on testing Rib Roasts exclusively in 25 degree increments from 225* through 500*. The test concluded cooking at 225* was the best choice.

Since the article, this has been the only way I cook large roasts of beef, pork and turkey. For beef this method works well for cheaper cuts as well including eye rounds, london broils and hangar steaks. The meats you see in your local deli cases are all cooked in this manner and is how the great red color is achieved.

For appearance it is suggested you brown the meat to make it more attractive. I have a large brazier pan, so this makes it easy for a home stove top since it can be placed over all four burners. If you still have access to your outdoor grill, it is much easier to do it there. Not my suggested method, but you could crank up the oven to 500* for the last 15 minutes and it would brown nicely.

You will get a lot of responses suggesting thermometers, but I can tell you assuming your roast is four ribs, 4.5 hours cook time. If you cook a full 7-8 Rib Roast, 6.5 hours cook time. I never check the roast or use a thermometer and it has come out perfectly medium for the entire roast, including end cuts every time..

The rule of 25 minutes per pound @ 225* i would suggest the use of a thermometer for checking the accuracy of the oven itself.

BTW, this is the preferred method of commercial kitchens that specialize in Prime Rib. There is no chance of burning and drying out meat and there is less shrinkage for greater yield.

Good luck.

[JoanN]

One of the reasons the "low and slow" method is used for cooking a rib roast, especially in restaurants, is that you can have rare (or medium rare) meat end to end. It seems that's not what the OP is aiming for. If you want varying degrees of doneness for varying tastes, a high heat cooking method will do that for you.

[fourunder]

Your points are noted and correct, but are you suggesting a temperature of medium cannot be obtained roasting low and slow? It's only a matter of time spent in the oven. The OP makes mention of many kids to be present and not liking medium rare doneness. I'll go out on a limb and assume they do not want many rare cuts either, but rather more medium cuts and the low and slow method is the only way to achieve the greatest yields.

One reason you failed to mention about commercial restaurants, and as I have referenced with Cook's Illustrated, is that it is the best way to achieve the best roast possible without fear of drying out the meat and keeping it moist and flavorful. Slow roasting also improves the texture of the meat as well. I read the OP post as looking for a recommendation for way to make an excellent roast for her guests and to impress them, not looking for a way to achieve varying degrees of doneness.

[fourunder]

Important to note, whichever method or recipe you ultimately decide to use........make sure you start with your roast/meat at room or near room temperature. It makes a tremendous difference for actual cooking time.

[JoanN]

You're right. I did indeed read the OP post to mean s/he was looking for varying degrees of doneness. Guess it's just that the thought of a standing rib roast cooked to medium is almost physically painful for me to contemplate.

[WalterR]

"Guess it's just that the thought of a standing rib roast cooked to medium is almost physically painful for me to contemplate." -- I'm with you, what a terrible thing to do to such a wonderful cut of meat.

[sfisher]

Can a rib roast (9lb) be slow roasted in a large countertop electric oven? I would like to try to sear it off in a 500 degree oven and then transfer to the roaster oven at 200. Does anyone have experience with this type of oven for rib roast?

[Melanie Wong]

Last year I did our 7-pound roast in a countertop convection oven (that doubles as a microwave). Here's my report with cooking times and photos, http://www.chowhound.com/topics/35418...

[sfisher]

Just a follow up on roasting rib roasts in a large covered 18 quart counter top roaster. It worked out very well since the oven is freed up for side dishes, fresh dinner rolls etc.

I had 2-9 lb roasts, warmed up by setting out on the counter for 2-1/2 hours and seasoned with Kosher salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder and sweet paprika.

I used 2 counter top 18 quart Nesco covered roaster ovens (NOT convection, or toaster ovens) The ovens were checked ahead of time to make sure they were an accurate 225 degrees. I seared the roasts on a cookie sheet in a clean 500 degree oven for 25 minutes. They went into a 225 degree roaster oven (no added liquid) with a digital thermometer set to alarm at 125. They took 2 hours and 15 minutes in the roaster. Which works out to 15 minutes a pound after the searing.

The roasts were uniformly pink through, but the main difference I saw from my previous roasts (seared then in roasted in a 325 degree oven) was the texture was so tender and the pink was almost to the top edge. They rested for 25 minutes tented with foil. I made Au Jus with the drippings added to broth. Some Au Jus was kept very hot on the stove for a relative who wanted to dunk his piece for well done meat. (yuck)

I am sold on the low temp cook method in the roaster oven. They can be purchased at almost any store that carries kitchen appliances, mixers, etc. for 50.00 or so. I use my roaster ovens for big family gatherings, steaming corn on the cob, large batches of chili, pasta sauce, lasagna, and many other dishes.

[Diane in Bexley]

This is DH's recipe, as he is HUGE meat eater. Our preference would be for a bone-in standing rib roast, even though that's usually more expensive in the long run. Very important to let meat sit (already seasoned) on counter for 1-2 hours prior to roasting. Personally, no way would I spend $50-75 for rib roast and make it medium. You can zap kid's portion in M/W if they insist on more well done. Funny, my kids have always loved their meat bloody, they find it's much juicier and tastier (probably parental influence). Figure 2 people for each rib if you are having lots of apps, side dishes & desserts (3 rib roast for 6 people, 4 rib for 8 people, etc.). Try to get a roast from the small end of the rib, closer to the tenderloin, rather than large end, closer to chuck. Some people like to have butcher cut off chine bone and reattach with twine to make carving easier.

Spice rub: 2 T Lawry's season salt, 1 T kosher salt, 2 tsp fresh cracked pepper, 3 T chopped garlic, 1 T paprika, 2 T crushed rosemary. Spread on meat 1-2 hours prior to roasting

Slice onions in thick slices, attach to seasoned meat with wooden toothpicks (not plastic, they will burn) fat side up. This will season fat and make roast very tasty.

Place roast in pan just large enough to hold it, not too big or pan will burn. Spray with olive oil or other cooking oil. Very important for crusty exterior, sides of pan should be no more than 1-2 inches. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roast at 400 degrees for 20 min, without opening door, reduce oven heat to 350. t=Total cooking time should be 15-18 min per lb., can't even think of making this medium. We take out roast at 120 degrees, cover with foil, let rest 15-30 min while Yorkshire pudding or popovers bake, serve around 125-130 degrees. There is always a big fight in our house as to who gets a rib bone.

For occasional variation, spread some freshly grated horseradish on seasoned meat before attaching onions. Enjoy!

[weinstein5]

Definitely start with a good rub - mine is a little different than the others listed here I used about - all measurements are approxiamtions I learned to cook via add enough until it looks right method

1/4 cup of dark brown sugar,
1 -1 1/2 tbspn of garlic powder
1- 1 1/2 tbspn of onion powder
1 -1 1/2 tblspn of sweet paprika
1 tblspn each of kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

This is my base then add what I think will taste good - last time I made it added 1 tbspn of mrs dashes seasoning and teaspoon of white pepper -

placed it on the roast after it had sat out for about 2 hrs and had been patted dry - placed into a 5oo deg oven - dropped the temp immediately to 325 and cooked for about 21-22 minutes per pound - this came out to be medium and was delicious - I am a medium rare fan and found it great

[Marion Morgenthal]

My family loves the garlic & horseradish crusted roast from Epicurious (it calls for boneless, but I always use with a standing rib). Here's a link to the recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

they consider it a Passover recipe--but I use it all year long.

[Morganna]

I gotta go on a limb here, I prefer salt and pepper, nothing else, on the outside, and I like Alton Brown's method for cooking the roast. (I'm such a fan!) :)

[fourunder]

Morganna,

My preferred recipe is also a Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper Crust only.

As for the Alton Brown method you mention, are you referencing the episode where he aged the 3-4 Bone Rib Roast for approximately 3-4 days in a RubberMaid Cake type container in which he poked holes in it for air circulation? I recall he said that intensified the flavor with minimal shrinkage to the meat.

[Morganna]

Yah that's the one. I never had the time to do the drying in the fridge (I don't get these roasts often, anyway), but I used the same method and it came out absolutely perfect. :)

[mtleahy]

Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. I was looking for a recipe with a lot of flavor so I think I'll do a test run this week with a small roast and use the horseradish idea, but I am still open to any other ideas. I appreciate all of the ideas on how to cook it. Although I prefer medium rare, I do not want to offend the majority of my guests by serving them something they most likely would not eat, so the idea of low and slow to achieve a medium sounds like a great idea. The problem is I can not sear it on the stove if I am using a crust method, so should I turn the heat up at the start or at the end?

[fourunder]

I have viewed the the Epicurious recipe and I would suggest you brown at the end of roasting. Spraying Pam or brushing butter on will speed up the process and give a deeper color.

[adamclyde]

If you do low and slow, I actually prefer to brown at the beginning, only because it's easier to gauge when it's going to be done and not overcook. If you do at the end... you need to be more careful of at exactly what temp you are going to start cranking the heat, and estimate how much time it will take to brown nicely, v. how much that will raise the overall temp of the roast.

Just my personal preference.

[fourunder]

If a topic was started to discuss the merits and necessity of searing meats or steaks, I am sure the majority of answers would be yes.

In addition to the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen article I referenced in my original response, Alton Brown also did a test on one of his shows. Both CI's and AB's conclusions were in agreement the actual searing and browning of meats has little to do with actual retention of juices of meats and is more appearance related. These conclusions were reached by the actual comparisons of cooking identical meats side by side and weighing the meats before and after the cooking methods. The weight differences were a negligible. It was noted actual searing was necessary in the beginning if you wanted to achieve grill marks on steaks, doing so at the end would not provide distinct marks. Browning however was not as important. You could achieve similar results at either beginning or end.

As for a debate on browning in the beginning or end of roasting, it has been my experience doing it at the end does not affect the overall temperature because you are doing it for such a little time and then the roast is removed from the oven. In the beginning, if you do not bring the temperature down from 500* to 225* by opening the door to the oven and letting the heat escape,,,,you are unwittingly cooking at a higher temperature for an undetermined unknown period of time. The end browning method is like cooking a turkey and browning/crisping the skin......it has little effect on the interior meat,

[Fritter]

The CI method in this case initially was very flawed and even the National Beef council spoke out against it. Their method ignored standard food safety handling. The roast should be seared FIRST then slow roasted. Searing first has nothing to do with sealing the juices in the meat but rather bringing the exterior temperature of the flesh up into the safety zone. If you have wet aged your prime rib in cryo vac for 3-6 weeks before you cook it then this is even more important. Ultimately CI included this information in their book and they do suggest searing the roast first.
You do not need to open the door to allow the oven to cool down if you are cooking an entire prime rib as most ovens cool and adjust fast enough for that not to be an issue.

[fourunder]

Duly noted.....thanks.

[sebetti]

I made the following years ago and loved it. The citrus addition might sound a little odd but it was the best rib roast I've ever made. The only reason I haven't made it again is that the coriander/pepper crust ruins the pan drippings. (oh, I knew it was futile but I had to try...and it was the most disgusting gravy I've ever put in my mouth)

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/co...

[gwarring]

If you can find a dry aged standing rib, buy it. Please don't cook it medium, make it medium rare at least. After the roast has rested a while, slice off some for those who want the roast a bit more done and heat it a bit longer - or make a small roast a cook it medium.
Many years ago I used to buy my standing rib roast from a butcher who would remove the meat from the bone, and then slice it like a roulade, season it, roll it back up and tie it to the bone. It was amazing. I got a marriage proposal from one on those roasts.

[SusieS]

I use the one from the big yellow Gourmet Cookbook, the one using a very simple, yet very good Kosher salt crust. Enjoy!

[mtleahy]

So, I am doing a test run while my parents are in town this week in preparation for what I will be serving to my husband's family on Christmas Eve. I decided to splurge on the roast a bit and buy a 4 pound dry aged roast from Whole Foods. I have never actually cooked aged meat, so I thought that for the 4 of us I would splurge a little. Well, I did not know exactly how much I was really splurging, and when the guy handed me the 4 pound roast my mouth nearly fell to the ground. It was $98.00!!!! Needless to say I WILL be cooking this one to medium rare. Cross your fingers, if I screw this up that is a lot of money down the drain. I am rationalizing the cost because I did not get to eat out for my birthday because we were all sick : )

We never go grocery shopping at Whole Foods because it is 45 minutes away, and usually only go there if we need something super specific that we can not find at our Albertson's or Winn Dixie. So, when we were done shopping my Dad said we could have flown to Hawaii for the cost of the groceries : ) Oh well, it is Christmas!!

[adamclyde]

Good luck! And don't fret too much. If you have a good thermometer, it's pretty darn hard to not produce spectacular results with a roast like that, regardless of the method chosen.

[Debbie_J]

I too just use koser salt and fresh black pepper and a meat thermometer. My first one was dinner for 16, so I understand about spending a lot of money and going for it the first time out. It is one of those things I always buy from a trusted butcher. I get mine from Fresh Market, but I've always gotten great meats from Whole Foods, too. Now, I've found a local farmer and buy beef from him. It is raised with no hormones and no steriods. I get that great beef taste that I get from the specialty stores from my own freezer. But I didn't get the standing rib in the bargain, so I'll be back a Fresh Market this year.

You will look like an amazing cook, cause it is difficult to screw up a really good piece of meat if you use a thermometer and don't over cook. Hope you have a fabulous meal.

[sebetti]

Oh, a price heads-up: I used to order by the rib-count and was used to paying a certain price. Last year I got an aged roast (expensive enough) AND it was from the largest section of the ribs (that had never happened to me, I guess, by luck, I'd always gotten the better, smaller end). It looked like I was carrying a one year old out of the butcher shop. (and cost almost $200)
Either ask for the smaller ribs OR order by weight.

(actually, it wasn't that bad eating cold rare beef for the whole following week...)

[Scrapironchef]

I was just talking with my butcher last night, he's pulled my roast to hang for a week in his cooler. I'm looking at $175 of meat, but I have 24 for dinner. Yes, it is the size of a small child.

[chazzerking]

So as to not ruin(IMHO) BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF MEAT FOR THOSE WHO ACTUALLY LIKE IT COOKED TO BEST ADVANTAGE(RARE), COOK THE ROAST SLOW, AS DESCRIBED ABOVE(i START IT AT 500 DEGREES THEN(sorry for caps) turn down to 250 and cook to an internal temp of 115. let it rest and bring a saute pan of consomme to a simmer, and anyone who wants it more done, place the slice of beef in the consomme until the desired doneness is reached. this is how most restaurants do it to have all degrees of doneness available, and it comes out fine at all degrees.

[nomdeplume]

How far ahead can a standing rib roast be made? I imagine it is not the sort of thing that can be refrigerated and reheated. Any guidelines here?

[JoanN]

No, please. Don't try to refrigerate and reheat. You'll dry out the meat. A standing rib roast should be transferred to a heated platter and allowed to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving anyway. And rib roast doesn't have to be really hot to be appreciated, so you could probably add another half hour to that. I wouldn't--unless you don't mind serving it at room temp, which would be acceptable if that's what you had in mind--let it rest much longer than that.

[adamclyde]

I agree completely. rest it for 30 minutes under foil. 45 if you don't care for it to be too warm. But don't refridgerate and reheat... it really defeats the purpose of having a great roast.

[Roland Parker]

Tyler Florence has a fantastic recipe for a rib roast with a salt-horseradish crust. The amount of salt is mind-boggling, but the resulting beef is excellent, juicy, and tender.

However you chose to roast the beef, please be sure to let the meat sit and rest for at least a half hour (40 minutes is better) before carving. This is an often overlooked aspect of roasting beef, but one that makes a world of difference.

[JCMBUTCHER]

We own a butcher shop. The business has been in our family for over 40 years. We also raise beef cattle and offer this meat in our local meat market. I typically am not a "poster", but I had to reply to this post. First let me start by saying that I hope your meal turned out the way you had intended. Personally speaking, you got a real deal on the price of the standing rib, if you did indeed get a true dry aged standing rib. I find it hard to believe that your meat was at least choice grade (least I would recommend) and dry aged for that price. Do not buy into the "wet aged" meat! This is just a marketing scheme for retail grocery chains to sell lesser grade meats at highest profit margin. Basically, your meat is in a cryovac bag (vacuum sealed) for shelf stability, waiting in refrigerated warehouse. It's not aging, just sustaining. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO DRY AGE IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR!! This MUST be done in proper conditions with maximum air flow in a "hanging" enviornment with proper humidity and temp levels. THIS CANNOT BE TRUELY ACHIEVED IN A HOME REFRIGERATOR! Find a local butcher shop at a meat market (not a retail chain grocery store). He/she will properly age your beef for you.

Also, I noticed that many did not recommend meat thermometers. This is simply not true. You should use a meat thermometer to avoid disaster in the oven. Slow cooking is great for a standing rib, but cooking slow for an extended period of time will dry the meat if moisture is not added to your oven in the form of a shallow pan in the bottom with liquid. You CAN ruin an expensive standing rib by leaving it in an oven too long even at low temperatures.

Good rules of thumb. Purchase the highest quality of beef from the highest reputable source available in your price range. Choose at least USDA Choice Grade, USDA Prime Grade is recommended, but choice will serve the purpose if the marbling is there. Leave the bone on. This adds flavor that cannot be achieved without the bone. Have your butcher "cap" the roast if you prefer to have easier carving. Let your standing rib set at room temperature for at least one hour, prior to roasting. The "browning" that people have been referring to as for looks only also serves a purpose. This browning seals the exterior of the rib ends, trapping moisture inside where you want it. There are many variations on seasoning, but the quality of the beef you choose and the thermometer you use will be your saving graces. I prefer just to add cracked peppercorns or butcher grind black pepper and salt, perhaps a dash of garlic. I find it best not to hide the taste of good beef, just enhance it. And, as always with beef, the more done you cook the roast, the more dry the meat will be. Always remember, your beef will continue to cook some 10-15 degrees or so as it sits.

[Scrapironchef]

Great advice, I feel lucky to have a good butcher myself. I'm wondering whether I should cut a really large roast (18#) into two smaller pieces to cook in a home oven? I'd be less concerned if I had a convection oven but the length of this is going to put it awfully close to the walls on the ends.

[Diane in Bexley]

Scrapiron, pls let us know how it turned out. The largest rib roast I did was 12 lbs. and I cut it in 2 because we like our meat med rare. Was concerned by the time the middle reached med rare, the ends would be well done. Curious to see what advice you receive.

[Scrapironchef]

I picked it up this afternoon, 15.83 pounds after aging and trimming. I'll size it in the oven in the morning.

A woman in front of me was picking up a 20 pounder at noon and wanted to know when she should put it in so that it would be ready for dinner at six tonite......

[Scrapironchef]

It actually fit nicely in the oven, Came out of the fridge at 7 in the morning in a 225 oven at 9 shooting for a table appearance at 4ish. Roast come out of oven at 2:30, rests nicely while everything else jumps in to finish off.

SIL who calls at 3:45 from 45 minutes away, she and 6 other guests with her are running late. BIL calls at 4 from 1:15 away saying he's just leaving with his wife and 2 kids. Meanwhile I already have 12 guests sitting around drinking and going through a second batch of horsie doovers while I'm scrambling to make a third. The meat is now cooling so back into a low oven it goes. SIL arrives at 4:45, BIL arrives at 5:20, Oven cranks to 500 to crust meat, everything else starts cycling through the microwave to rewarm, gee, it was all hot an hour ago.

Everybody is seated at 6, meat is carved, most of it is just this side of medium, but still quite juicy.

[bsetal]

I have 2 - 7.5 lb. 4 rib roasts to cook. Can I cook these in one large roasting pan at one time or will I need to cook seperatly? First time at this , don't want to mess up!

[Food Tyrant]

Please do not perpetuate the myth of searing seals in juices. This has been disproved many times (recently by Harold McGee (Alton Brown also debunked this, but did not acknowledge prior art, so pfthhhh on AB for being churlish). While searing does provide tasty Maillard reaction flavors, it does not seal in the internal moisture of the meat.

[Fritter]

"Do not buy into the "wet aged" meat! This is just a marketing scheme for retail grocery chains to sell lesser grade meats at highest profit margin. Basically, your meat is in a cryovac bag (vacuum sealed) for shelf stability, waiting in refrigerated warehouse. It's not aging, just sustaining."

I'm not sure where you learned your craft but if you were seriously short changed on your edumication. It's hard to believe that any butcher could post such totally in-accurate information.
Nearly all meat in the USA is packed by a few packing houses. That meat is cut into sub-primals and then sealed in cryovac bags.
There is zero air in a cryovac bag so enzymes sealed in the bag are indeed tenderizing the meat.
Very few stores sell meat below choice grade.
Any one can wet age meat in their fridge as long as it's sealed in a cryovac bag. Put a whole prime rib or strip loin in your fridge for five to seven weeks then cook your roast or cut it into steaks and I think any one can easily tell the difference.
The SOP manual for many high end steak house's requires that every prime rib or cryovaced loin be dated on arrival and then wet aged for a minimum of two weeks before using that meat.

[hazelhurst]

"Very few stores sell meat below choice grade"--really? I guess "select"(which used to be dog food) is higher than choice? I see "select" everywhere.
What is "choice" today wouldn't have made it to the store thirty years ago..and real prime is impossible to find.

[fourunder]

I don't know where Fritter resides, but I know for sure in Northern New Jersey there are more than a few large supermarket chains that sell only select grade meat and do not even offer choice grade as an option. Pathmark is one example.

[Fritter]

"I guess "select" is higher than choice?

Select is below choice. Choice is the standard now. I'm in Mi and you will have to look hard to find Select grade meat here. I do see "select" grade sub-primals at the store super sales from time to time.
Prime is indeed hard to find but even Costco carries some prime grade steaks, although I would quickly agree that their "prime" is about as low on the prime scale as one can get.
I'll stand corrected on my statement that "Very few stores sell meat below choice grade" as I should have said where I live and Forunder notes there are stores in his area that only carry select grade.

[hazelhurst]

"select" isn't worth shooting or even using teh captive bolt gun. I am well aware of meat grades and have been since I wass taught by a Gristede's butcherr back in the 1960's. Tha was when Prime was Pprime, before they lowered the standards. Select can be used for some things and it is a challenge to make something good but I use it only for something like a stew where I can get flavors from lots of other things. Not what it could be but better than nothing. I suppose the 7 steak cut could be used for flavoring a gravy. But it is so hard to find real, first rate prime anymore and if you do, it is at a place like Lobel. It'll cost you the keys to your Mercedes plus a couple of hunddred in cash.

[Jane917]

One of the butchers in my town advertises he cuts the meat away from the bone, then ties it all up together. Would this dry out the meat, or is this a preferred method? I plan to go pick up my meat tomorrow.

[Pampatz]

I've been having my roast cut from the bone and retied for years. Makes for a very easy roast to carve-thin or thick. After taking the meat off the rack of bones, I roast the bones a little longer and then slice apart for the really heavy meateaters in the crowd.
Can't wait for New Year's Day for our roast.

[Musky_Hunter]

I noted a desire for horseradish in the OP. Here's a recipe we have used for years and really enjoy.

Mix it into a paste and slather it all over the roast the day prior to cooking.

3/4 Cups fresh horseradish
1/4 Cup garlic run through a garlic press
1/2 Cup light olive oil
1/4 Cup kosher salt
1/4 Cup black pepper
1 Tbl brown sugar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp paprika

[Craiglv]

I also have been cooking standing rib roasts for many years for Christmas dinner. I used to use the standard high temp, sear/brown first, followed by 350-375 until medium rare (125 degrees). I also was never happy with the unevenness of the meat (well done on the outside and rare in the middle). Now I use the low and slow approach (saw it first on the Food Channel with Elton Brown). I cook the roast for 5-6 hours at 200-215 degrees until the internal temp is 125 (about 45 minutes per pound). I track the temp carefully with a good electronic meat thermometer. I adjust the oven temp if the internal temp is climbing too fast or slow . When it hits 125, I wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil to rest until about 50 minutes before dinner (may place it in my oven warming drawer at the lowest setting if its going to be too long). Then I put it back in the oven at 550 degrees for 15-20 minutes to brown it real good. It comes beautiful and is very uniformly medium rare throughout. For medium, I'd use 140 degrees.

[bsetal]

I have purchase 2 - 7.5 lb. 4-rib roasts . Should I Roast seperatly or can I place in large roating pan with rack together? Waiting eagerly for advice.

[fourunder]

bsetal.

I hope this is not too late for you, but you can roast in the same pan, but it would be best if you could create as much separation as possible between the two roasts. You need oven temperature and circulation to pass as evenly as possible. Halfway through your cooking time, it would be wise to rotate your pan. As all have noted, use your thermometer. It's now 8:00 AM here in the East, and I have just put my 16 pound roast in the oven @ 225* for an expected duration of 6,5 hours for medium-rare....entire roast.

Good luck.

[chazzerking]

not only should you be rotating the pan, but rotating the roasts as well, to put the insid ends to the outside to get a much more even heat to the meat. I also like the low and slow cooking technique, with one alteration; I brown the roast on the stovetop over high heat before putting it in the 250 oven. I also only cook to 110 internal and then cover with foil. and rest it. Then I use the fat drippings to amke popovers to serve with the meat

[Joe H]

I've wanted to respond to a thread like this for a good while. This is the link to a Gourmet recipe from December of 1998: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo... Please note that there are over 90 responses with 86 or more of them a full four stars. The only four that did not receive four stars admit that they did not follow the recipe exactly. I have used this recipe every Christmas Day since 1999 and absolutely love it. Prior to this I probably used a different recipe every year for a couple of decades. This is the best.

Much of any recommendation on here is going to come down to the credibility of the person who posts. For this, it is not my recipe. Rather one from Gourmet. Still, I am suggesting this is one of their best and most popular of all the recipes they have ever posted. For myself, I am just following the recipe. But I think enough of this to make it over and over and over. Year in and year out. With a $200+ eleven pound cut of beef that this recipe does justice to.

[Ellen]

That's funny. I'm using a recipe from Gourmet December 1988 that also includes a fabulous Yorkshire pudding recipe made with the rendered fat. I've been using for so long and its always turned out well. Not sure if its online though. I have a paper copy-- multiple ones in case one gets lost. Mmmmm it smells good.

[Joe H]

I cannot tell you how good our house smelled when the roast was cooking....well, maybe you know!!!

[millygirl]

Yeah I know, real good but it made one hell of a mess to the oven. Fat everywhere.

[Roland Parker]

I did a 15.25 pound prime rib roast (5 ribs). At $244, I wanted to make sure this beef was d*mn perfect.

I'd had mixed success in the past, so this year I tried a new recipe from Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall's River Cottage Meat Book.

Amazing. It came out perfectly done-rarish, a little close to medium rare but with plenty of nice good pink meat in the center.

This is what he told me to do: Make sure the beef is at room temperature, or at least have it sitting out for several hours before putting it in the oven.

Preheat oven to 450. Rub some olive oil all over the meat, and lightly sprinkle it with salt and fresh pepper. No other flavorings.

Put it in the oven. The initial high temperature sizzle lasted 45 minutes. Then I turned the temperature down to 325 degrees, and roasted for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Three hours total roasting time at 9 minutes a pound after the initial 45 minutes sizzle.

After I took it out of the oven, the temperature of the beef was 130 degrees (I was aiming for 125-130 for rare/medium rare). We let it sit for a full 45 minutes while doing the potatoes and popovers.

The sensation of making the first carve into the beef was exhilarating, especially to see the perfect pink color of just a hint beyond rare into medium rare beef that I like. The flavor was outstanding.

Hugh F-H's River Cottage Meat book is a first rate cookbook for anyone interested in meat cookery. He devotes ten pages alone to the art of roasting, and provides an excellent timesheet of time/pound for each kind of meat.

[deepo]

What a great read this post has been while I wait to stick my 3 rib in the oven. Mine is an annual New Years Day meal inspired by a wonderful old Saveur article on a classic British New Year's meal by R.W. Apple. I reread it every year as I prepare for New Years Day. I favor the simple prep: salt/pepper crust (I might rub a bit of garlic, but that's it), initial high heat sear and then a slow roast WITH MEAT THERMOMETER. Horseradish cream accompaniment and Yorkshire pudding from the drippings. Sides vary but I like shredded Brussels sprouts in butter with a bit of caraway and sauteed carrots for kids. Paid about $93 for the roast- always worth it. However, what is with the cost of horseradish? Paid a freakin' $8 for a root (the smallest, mind you) the size of my arm. I need 5 tablespoons...so that leaves me with, well, a root the size of my arm. Geez louise. But fresh root with whipped cream is so worth it. You all understand.

[coll]

I used to grow horseradish on the edges of my yard, and tried making shredded with some of the pounds we picked: it was like teargas! Now I buy it fresh made at my local fishstore, I let him suffer, and it costs exactly $8 for a pound, already prepared. Now THAT'S worth it.

[Diane in Bexley]

I buy fresh horseradish every year for the Passover holiday. Always have way too much left over. This year, I tried sticking grated horseradish in freezer trays and froze it. Turned out very successful. Defrosted cubes on the counter and added to mayo or whipped cream, etc.

[NEbeefgirl]

Hey everybody, my husband makes steak for a living and your suggestions are all great! However the key is to start with a great cut, does not have to be from Whole Foods, but if you are a scared of the mass produced, by all means.... marblization is the key.... you can age your own BTW. A FoodSaver is a good investment. Buy it, seal it and throw it in your fridge. I have aged for 100 days.....oh yea...it is great! The seal prevents outside (non-indigenous to the meat) bacteria from entering, (the concern here is lysteria, and E. coli, which on a primal cut is only on the outside, and all concerning bacteria are killed at 157 -158 degrees, which the outside of the roast will hit) because aging should "rot" the meat consistently. When you age you are just breaking down the connective tissue through decomposition making for delicious tenderness.. Sounds gross, but try it with a few steaks...and delish, you will be hooked. 40-sum combined years in the food producing industry in my house agrees!
As far as any standing rib roast.... I am a pan searer prior to a 300 degree oven. Let your roast come to room temp, sear, and then rest before throwing it in the oven. I have read the other posts as to weight and yield when confronting when to sear (before or after) The industry does it before cooking when they mass produce (that is how they keep the water filler in , but here, you keep the juice). Searing in a pan allows you more control too, over doing it in an oven. Garlic, black pepper, garlic, salt, hell-whatever you want if it is a good cut. Stick a good thermometer in there and pull it out 5-10 degrees before desired doneness....let rest 10-15 mins, and chow. Nuke the portions that want it more done....because more done is ruined above and beyond what the microwave can do! Good luck, have fun, and eat your face off!

[coll]

I used to work at a meat place too: whenever our buyer would find a primal cut that had a tear in the cryovac, he would cut off the discolored part and butcher the rest up to sell to the employees. He told us this was as tender as it gets. People would line up to get some. I think I'll try the Food Saver trick.

[tncboston]

I also read the recipe from Best Recipe - Cook's Illustrated and roasted a 5-rib semi-boneless rib roast for Christmas eve a couple of years ago. I only used kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, roasted at 225 for about 4 -5 hours and it came out great, even med-rare temperature end-to-end. I pan seared first, then roast ... though base on responses below, I might try "searing" at 500 F in the oven at end of roasting next time.

Has anyone ever prepared multiple full-rack, semi-boneless rib roasts (that are at least 13 pounds each after trimming) at the same time? Iwill be hosting a family Christmas dinner this year for about 35 adults and 10 children so I estimated I'll need at least 2 full rib roasts, perhaps 2 full and 1 small rib roasts?

I have an oven with convectional setting and I have a gas grill. I was thinking that I can roast the 2 large ones in the oven and the small on the grill. I plan to roast the 2 large ones to med-rare for most adults and the small roast to medium for the kids.

Given the costs for these meats, I really don't want to ruin them so I'd love to get some feedback! Thanks.

[fourunder]

tnc,

If you are cooking the two rack rib roasts in the same oven, from what I have read in the past about home ovens, two large roasts such as turkeys will take longer to cook. Since you have a convection oven, that will not be the case. Just create as much separation as possible between the roasts. Normally, when I slow roast meat or turkey, I NEVER use a thermometer and I just rely on my experience of sight and touch.....however n this case, I would probably recommend the use of internal probe thermometers.

In commercial kitchens that cook multiple roasts, they use ovens known as cook and hold ovens. When the desired temperature is reached, the oven resets itself to hold at 100-125* from the original setting for cooking, and the meat is held until it is ready for serving. If you can tie up your oven, you can hold for as long as you need to. Using cook and hold oven, the commercial kitchens put the meats in the day before they need to serve. The meats go into the ovens before they leave for the night and when they come back in the morning, the meats are ready....for lunch or dinner. Hold for an hour or two is not a problem.

Back to your situation, I would anticipate the two rib roasts to take longer to cook than the boneless roast, and in my experience the boneless roast takes 3.5 hours @ 225 for medium-rare, but this is done in a non-convection oven. Using a convection oven you may be able to cook in three hours...or at the very least, start checking temperature. If you are using a conventional oven you can cook a little longer or increase the temperature to 250* for the same cooking time. Either way, I am sure you will receive excellent results.

Much is made of the the use of thermal probe thermometers....but in all my years in the food industry I have seen very little use of them by experienced kitchens, unless they are using cook and hold ovens. Yes they all carry a thermometer on their person, but it is more for checking temperature of items such as soups to make sure it is up to standards of health codes. I believe the use an oven thermometer is actually more important for the consistency of heating and cooking meats and poultry. Hot or cold running ovens impede desired results. The beauty of slow roasting is the higher yields, more moist and more tender meats......if you can afford or dedicate the necessary time to slow roast, it's the only way to go.

With regards to searing, when I originally started experimenting with slow roasting, I used to sear the meats in the beginning on the stove top...but I found that to be a very messy and awkward process. After seeing more cooking shows and reading about more methods, e.g., like Alton Brown testing on roast, it was found searing on a large roast had little effect on roasting and seared and unseared meats on finished products had the same weights as when they started...or no loss of juices. Now I sear at the end and it has absolutely no effect on overcooking the meats. My method is to sear at the end or the last ten minutes of cooking time. In your post you say you have a gas grill to use. I would recommend you sear ALL THREE of your roasts on the gas grill to save yourself the mess on your stove top.

Last advice, make sure your oven is clean before you roast your holiday meal. Dirty ovens are known to be poor heat conductors for even oven temperatures.