Making a Delicious Prime Rib Roast
There really is nothing quite like a prime rib roast that has been perfectly cut, aged, and prepared. Unlike almost any other cut of meat, the preparation of a prime rib roast demands both patience and finesse. The entire process from selecting a piece of beef to aging and finally roasting the prime rib roast should be handled meticulously. Keep in mind that the outcome is something very special indeed – the most delicious and astounding dinner possible.
A prime rib roast dinner always starts with the selection of beef. Obviously the best choice will be USDA prime, but it is not always possible to obtain beef of this grade. Physical inspection of the beef for prime rib roast should show a fair amount of “marbling” and be not too lean, but not too fat either. Once the prime rib roast is cut from the beef it should be aged for about six weeks in a meat locker at 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
There are many schools of thought on how to go about preparing a prime rib roast once the aging process is complete and you’re ready to begin the actual cooking, but most experts agree that the prime rib roast should be coated on the outside in rock salt. Doing so helps to seal in the prime rib roast’s natural flavors during cooking.
The most important thing to do when preparing prime rib roast is to be aware of the inner temperature of the prime rib roast as much as possible. The real secret in preparing the prime rib roast is in knowing when to pull it from the oven or off the grill. Using a cooking thermometer, you want to allow heat to slowly and evenly build as you cook the prime rib roast.
How hot you want to allow the prime rib roast to become will depend upon your desired result, but generally you will want to remove the prime rib roast from the oven or grill when the internal temperature is between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Much less than that and the prime rib roast will probably be terribly rare, much more and it will be tough and overdone in the middle.
