Cooking method - Prime Rib

If you check out Alton Brown's topic on Rib roast you will see a bit on dry aging at home and a good way of low to high cooking style. He also talks about the cuts and what end you should get the roast from. It is a very educational show.

One thing that makes a big difference in the taste of your meat as well as the texture is weather it has been frozen or not. Most meats you get from anyone but a butcher have been frozen once. That is why you should only freeze & thaw them once more. Even some butchers process their steaks frozen, easier for a uniformed cut. That is one of the biggest differences between fancy steak houses & home cooking. The last place I worked as a cook at was a steak house in KCMO and I learned a lot about meats there!!! If you can get a butcher who will supply you with meat that hasn't been frozen you be amazed at the difference.

By the way several other "steak" meats make excellent roasts. If you can get you butcher to get you a bone-in strip (loin, NY, KC, etc.) you have the makings of a roast that I like better than the rib roast. The main problem is that the butcher doesn't want to waste the tender loin so most won't do it. None will if you just walk in and ask for it, but some will if you call a day or two ahead to give them a chance to trim it properly so they won't waste the tender loin.

Sirloin also makes a good roast if you can get a really good cut of it. I didn't know about how good this cut could be until I moved to Texas. I rules down her in the "comfort food" restaurants down here. I say again you need a really GOOD cut for it to be a good roast.

Bob, the Green egg is the only one I knew about but the couple I have seen have fairly thick walls. Now this could be both ceramic & insulation. My neighbor could do an entire brisket in his on one load of wood though. If there are better ones I want the names!! The ceramic cookers are the cat's meow for long & slow.

Jim

This is how restaurants cook their prime rib:

http://www.alto-shaam.com/product_detail.asp?productnumber=55

If you check out the site, make sure to click on the "yield calculator" link - that is really the attraction for operators - besides producing delicious rib roasts, the slow cooking method boosts yields dramatically - so the oven pays for itself.

I don't know just how long your restaurant cooks their rib roast, but I am having trouble envisioning it being meltingly tender, and still being medium rare to rare which is how I want my roast beef. the reason for that is that in order to make it tender the collagen has to be broken down. (Melted), and that take an internal temp of about 190F.

Thanks Bob, maybe "melting" was the wrong choice of words. I/we didn't mean melting ala a braised short rib or pulled pork. It's more of a very tender, softer chew than a roast or steak even though it is rare or medium rare. I guess I would describe it as not quite the way a piece of perfectly roasted beef tenderloin would feel in your mouth, but ALMOST.

Carrie, there is no problem with the description of meltingly tender in my mind. I was just wondering how it is achieved and still have the beef rare to medium rare. I have to try some experiments. I wonder if one could get a really tender sirloin roast using that method. Thanks for the information.

One last thing I remember about steak. There is a huge difference between meat that has been dry aged as opposed to wet aged. Dry aged meat usually takes about 14 days on the hanger and there is a tremendous amount of fiberous break down by the bacteria that causes the aging change. There is a bit more shrinkage and the meat is darker and has a stronger beef flavor ending in that melt in your mouth texture. This is restaurant grade beef and is generally not sold to the public. This is the steak that Delmonico's has built its reputation on. Wet aged beef on, the other hand, is vacuum sealed (may be injected -- but not necessarily) and will keep that bright red color. The difference is in the texture and the flavor of the meat. Although we consumers can get a good grade of beef, unless you are Martha Stewart or some other culinary maven, it is unlikely you will score this steak without bribery or breaking your piggy bank for that once in a lifetime experience. Yes, I have tasted this beef and I know of what you speak. If you find a source, let us know.

Jo Ann - I'm sure it's available from other sources, but the market around the corner from me offers dry aged beef (for a price). Not sure if they would ship up your way or not. Website is Taylor's Market.

Jo Ann - I'm sure it's available from other sources, but the market around the corner from me offers dry aged beef (for a price). Not sure if they would ship up your way or not. Website is Taylor's Market.

Much appreciated, Mike. I will definitely give it a try.

Maria, I know what you mean about some of the restaurant Prime Ribs melting in your mouth like butter. I've never had that at home either. I'll be interested in hearing what others have to say. Maybe Chef Carey is out there and can give us a clue about it.

I can give you a clue - but John has said it already. It's the quality of the meat.

What most folks call "prime rib" ain't. It's choice or even below.

"Prime" ain't got nothin' to do with the cut of meat - it's a grade.

The proper name of the dish is "rib roast" not "prime rib" unless you bought beef graded "prime" (oh, and somebody said something about "baking" it. We don't "bake" meat, we roast it.)

About 2% of the beef graded is graded "prime."