Perfect prime rib dinner that’s a game-changer

Prime rib is roasted, then seared, which creates a succulent roast that’s not overdone.

Article content

For years, my family and I and friends would spend the holidays on the island of Hawaii. Who doesn’t love two glorious weeks of sunshine, sand, and sea? And since we would have a kitchen, every New Year’s Eve I would serve a prime rib dinner, complete with au jus and the most delicious cheesy, garlic herb mashed potatoes.

Advertisement 2

Article content

I love serving prime rib on special occasions because it’s decadent yet easy. And since it’s so flavourful on its own, it doesn’t need much else other than a generous sprinkling of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Once seasoned, the roast is placed uncovered in the refrigerator for up to three days. This allows the salt to penetrate and flavour the meat and for the exterior of the roast to dry out, creating the perfect surface for browning.

Article content

Searing the roast first to lock in the juices is an old wives’ tale. The sear-first method cooks the roast quickly, leaving you with more well-done meat and a small pink and tender middle. However, the reverse-sear method cooks the roast low and slow, creating an incredibly tender piece of meat that’s pink throughout with the least amount of well-done meat. It’s a game changer.

Advertisement 3

Article content

Allow yourself a lot of time to cook your roast. Depending on the size, you’ll need between four and 10 hours. The low and slow method allows the fat to melt and render the roast, creating an incredibly succulent, yet tender prime rib. Should your roast be ready before your guests arrive, simply reheat it in a 170 F oven until the internal temperature reaches 130 F for medium-rare or 135 F for medium before you move onto the searing step. And for those guests who find medium a little too pink, microwave your sliced roast in 20-second intervals until the perfect doneness is achieved.

Whatever you do, don’t do what I did one year. Our plan was to spend the morning with our friends at the beach. I lost track of time and didn’t get cooking until late afternoon. We ate our New Year’s Eve dinner after 10 p.m. that night. Despite snacking while waiting for the roast to be done, our beach-going friends agreed that it was the best prime rib they’d ever tasted.

Advertisement 4

Article content

This year, we’re bringing Hawaii to us. Along with our prime rib dinner, I’m serving a Hendrick’s Neptunia Rose Fizz cocktail. Hendricks’ Neptunia is a limited release gin that’s inspired by the sea. How perfect! The aroma is citrusy and clean, with flavours of cucumber and rose. To further enhance the floral flavour, I’m using a good quality rose syrup. The cocktail is refreshingly delightful, and it reminds me of holidays past on the island of Hawaii. I’ve been perfecting this recipe and cannot wait to serve this to friends at our New Year’s Eve dinner party.

As the year comes to an end, I want to thank you for reading my recipes and to wish you and yours a Happy New Year. May your 2023 be bursting with great food and exciting adventures, in the company of good friends and family.

Advertisement 5

Article content

The Perfect Prime Rib

Ingredients

1 standing rib roast, between 5 and 12 lbs (2.3kg to 5.4kg) See note.

Coarse kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Digital probe thermometer

Instructions

2-3 days before, generously season standing rib roast with coarse kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Place roast on a rack over a cookie tray, uncovered in the fridge. Allow roast to season. Surface will dry out considerably and it will look like your meat is ruined. But rest assured, it’s supposed to look like this.

On the morning of, preheat oven to 170 F.

Place the roast with the fat cap up, on a V-shaped rack set in a shallow roasting pan. Insert probe digital thermometer into the thickest part of the roast.

Place the roast in oven and cook until thermometer registers 130 F for medium rare or 135 F for medium. Note that this will take between 4 and 9 hours depending on the size of the roast.

Advertisement 6

Article content

Remove roast from the oven and tent loosely with foil for up to 90 minutes. While roast is resting, make mashed potatoes and au jus.

45 minutes before serving, move oven rack to the lower third position. Preheat oven to 500 F.

15 minutes before serving, remove foil. Place roast back in the hot oven and roast until the exterior is brown and the fat cap is crisp, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Carve and serve immediately with Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes.

Note: This recipe works for all standing rib roasts between two and six-ribs. Plan for one pound, bone-in rib roast per person or one rib for every two guests. For example, purchase a three-rib roast weighing approximately seven pounds for six dinner guests. If there’s only 2 of you for dinner, the smallest roast I recommend purchasing is a five pound, two-rib roast, for this method to work.

Advertisement 7

Article content


Just before serving, garnish these Cheesy garlic Herb Potatoes with freshly grated parmesan cheese and additional chives. Karen Gordon photo
Just before serving, garnish these Cheesy garlic Herb Potatoes with freshly grated parmesan cheese and additional chives. Karen Gordon photo

Cheesy Garlic Herb Potatoes

2 lbs (1kg) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved

½ cup (240ml) milk, heated

½ cup (113g) butter

1 package (150g) garlic and fine herbs cheese

¼ cup (23g) grated Parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind)

2 tbsp fresh chives, minced

salt and white pepper

Instructions

Add water to a large stock pot. Salt the water liberally, stir and taste. It should taste salty like the sea. Add potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.

When potatoes are just about done, in a separate small saucepan, add the milk, butter, and garlic and herb cheese. Whisk and bring the milk mixture to a simmer.

Drain the potatoes well. Do not rinse. Mash potatoes. Add the hot milk mixture and stir until just combined. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and chives and stir until mixed through. Do not overmix as it will cause potatoes to become gummy. Adjust to taste with salt and white pepper. Set aside. Just before serving, garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and additional chives.

Advertisement 8

Article content


Easy Au Jus

Drippings from prime rib with excess fat removed

1 cup (240ml) beef broth

1 cup (240ml) red wine

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

Instructions

Add drippings, beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce to a medium size saucepan, whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a boil. Add the cornstarch slurry and continue whisking until au jus is slightly thickened, approximately 3 minutes. Turn heat down to low and keep warm until ready to serve.


Hendricks’ Neptunia is a limited release gin that’s inspired by the sea. The aroma is citrusy and clean, with flavours of cucumber and rose. Karen Gordon photo
Hendricks’ Neptunia is a limited release gin that’s inspired by the sea. The aroma is citrusy and clean, with flavours of cucumber and rose. Karen Gordon photo

Hendrick’s Neptunia Rose Fizz

2 oz Hendrick’s Neptunia gin

1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1 oz good quality rose syrup

Soda water

Cucumber for garnish

Instructions

Add cubed ice to a glass. Add rose syrup to the bottom of the glass. Then add gin, lime juice and top with soda water.

Advertisement 9

Article content

Thread cucumber slices through cocktail stir sticks. Have guests stir cocktails before consuming. Enjoy!

Karen Gordon is a food blogger from North Vancouver who shares her recipe creations online at karentology.com, on Instagram at @karen.t.ology, and on Pinterest @karentologyblog.


More news, fewer ads: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 per week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

Advertisement 1

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Source: vancouversun.com

Share