Geo,

I'd be prepared for that roast to take longer than that to come to temp. It has a much larger surface area than a tenderloin, plus a bone and more fat.

I splurged to celebrate my new job and picked up an 8.6lb prime, $22.50/lb roast at Paulina today. You do the math

I'll be doing the low n' slow method and plan to start it off at 4:30pm with a target mealtime around 9. I figure that's reasonable given 4 hrs for cooking to 120, 30 mins rest and then another 10-15 at 500.

The rest of the menu is Old Skool -- yorkshire pudding, asparagus w/ hollandaise and caeasar's salad.

Wish me luck. Somewhat nervous, but I've done brisket and shoulder on my WSM. However, those don't cost $200 ! It's currently in the fridge, salted (about 2tsp .. enough ?) to air dry overnight.

Will post pics tomorrow.

Stevez--I apologize, I neglected to respond to your (correct) prediction. I took the temp on the roast at 2.25 hours and it appeared to already be too high: 135°F. So, basically in a panic, I pulled the meat and pushed ahead with the Yorkshire pudds, vege, etc. So then I cut into the roast, and it's pretty much purple inside. Obviously, thermometer is not truth-telling. In the end, I put the roast back in for another 45 mins, after which it was still a bit raw. But deelisch. I getting a new thermometer since obviously this one lied to me. Tnx for the advice!

Sure was good eats tho' !!

Geo

The roast last night turned out amazing. It took about 4:20 to get up to 120 but that was most likely because even after having it out of the fridge for about 3.5 hrs before cooking, it still was only 46 degrees when cooking started. Oven temp was 200. It carried over to about 125 while resting and ended at 130 after 10 minutes at 500 and resting for about 10 minutes after that. The result was as advertised -- edge to edge rosy pink medium rare perfection.

The only casualty of the night was the hollandaise sauce, which started off looking great but broke after one two many tablespoons of butter or overheating. I tried to save it with some ice a lá Pepín but it didn't take so I pitched it. I'll have to practice it for next time.

Pix below.

tem wrote:The roast last night turned out amazing.

Based on the pics, that's the understatement of the year.

Beautiful stuff!

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p.s. Sorry about the hollandaise but with a roast like that, who cares?!

That roast looks delicious, congrats on the new job!

Oh Yeah! on the roast.

But also YUMMMM! on the Yorkie pudds! I've gotten addicted to the da** things with roast beef.

Bien fait!

g

thanks for the compliments

The only roast-related downer was that since I cooked it on a rack, there wasn't any fond to make a jus. I put it directly in the roasting pan for the final blast but there really wasn't anything to deglaze, unfortunately. Didn't really need it given the fact that all the juice pretty much stayed in the roast.

I was, however, able to get a tablespoon or two of fat drippings to use in the yorkshire puddings (add some butter, too).

tem,

1. Really lovely photo.

2. Broken hollandaise - next time, start with a tablespoon or two of lukewarm water (clean bowl), and try whisking (slowly at first, then a bit faster) the broken mixture into the water. This works every time.

3. tem said "The only roast-related downer was that since I cooked it on a rack, there wasn't any fond to make a jus. I put it directly in the roasting pan for the final blast but there really wasn't anything to deglaze, unfortunately."

This is exactly why I will always continue to roast a great piece of meat in the "old school" manner, 350-375F from start to finish, pulling at about 110 for carry over to 120-125. There is nothing in this world that comes close to the crisp, almost burnt fatty crust of a great piece of beef rib roast, seasoned well and cooked at moderately high temperature. To me that salty crispy fat, as well as the contrast between the rare center and more medium fat cap is what cooking prime rib will always be about. Not to mention the lovely pan drippings and generous supply of beef fat for your Yorkshire pudding.

Back in KC for a week of bidness, my housies greet me with a 7lb 4-rib roast! Oh yessss! Here, I've got a blowtorch, don't have one in Montréal. The advice above is to torch the roast *before* putting into the oven. Yet, when using the slow-roast, blast-oven finish method, the browning gets done at the final stage, not the initial stage. Wouldn't it work to use the torch *after* the oven-roasting? That would give me a lot longer for the herbs + salt to work on the meat.

Any thoughts?

Geo

Geo wrote:Back in KC for a week of bidness, my housies greet me with a 7lb 4-rib roast! Oh yessss! Here, I've got a blowtorch, don't have one in Montréal. The advice above is to torch the roast *before* putting into the oven. Yet, when using the slow-roast, blast-oven finish method, the browning gets done at the final stage, not the initial stage. Wouldn't it work to use the torch *after* the oven-roasting? That would give me a lot longer for the herbs + salt to work on the meat.

Any thoughts?

Geo

You don't really brown the roast when you torch it before, you just start to melt the fat and such. We ended up giving it a little bit more of the torch when it came out, but I'd suggest you torch, apply herbs/salt, and then roast.

Hi,

Last Christmas, I bought a cryovac whole rib roast, which translates to about 18 pounds of meat and bones. I anticipated cooking it over the summer when our entire family had planned to gather. As always seems to be our challenge is lining up people's calendars. When we finally hit that sweet spot, I learned I messed up and had to be out of town.

I have a feeling I need to begin defrosting the beef soon to allow some time to continue to wet (or dry) age. I also don't want to cook all of it at the same time.

One scenario could be cutting two roasts to eat on Christmas and New Year's Day with portions cut into steaks to eat in between. Another could be to cut (hack?) what I want for Christmas from the frozen piece and return the rest to the freezer. I did see a short thread on cooking a rib roast straight from the freezer, I am not willing to experiment on an expensive cut. Of course, I will do it with an inexpensive turkey without any reservations.

Any ideas are welcome on how to proceed.

Regards,
Cathy2

What, you don't have a sterile bandsaw?

JoelF wrote:What, you don't have a sterile bandsaw?

Hi,

I did contact where I bought the meat from to see if they would cut it for me. If I had asked at time of purchase, they would have. Now I am now on my own.

Regards,
Cathy2

I always get my whole (7 bone), Christmas Eve rib roast from Zier's in Wilmette. I generally call Dave about 5 weeks out and ask him to start dry-aging it. One of the very nice things he does for me is "roll" it, which is to separate the roast from the rack and then tie it all back together. So, it all cooks intact -- low and slow method for me, thanks -- but then, after cooking, it's nothing more than a few snips of the butcher twine to separate the meat from the rack. After that, and while the roast is resting, we put the rack back in the oven for a few minutes to put a crispy finish on it.


Rolled Prime Rib from Zier's in Wilmette

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Zier's Prime Meats &Poultry
813 Ridge Rd
Wilmette, IL 60091
(847) 251-4000

There are indeed many schools of Rib Roast Cookery.

I remain a fan of the NYTimes method.

You start by cranking up the over to 500 degrees and then using a chart that's based on the size of the roast you just turn the over off after a set period of time and let it sit. No door opening, nothing. You can serve any time after the required time is past, just leave it in the oven. No worries about "is it done?" and it has turned out perfectly for me every time. I jack up the recipe by adding ground dried porcinis to the flour salt and peppering stage. The stuff is like crack cocaine.

While this does mean a single oven can't be used for anything else, the beauty is that you just throw it in, turn off the oven at the appointed time and otherwise forget about it. It cocktail hour goes long or if someone shows up late the roast will still be perfect. My copy of the recipe has a note "remember to OPEN A WINDOW or the smoke detector will go off."

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/101 ... st-of-beef

I looked online and found ... not much consistency in what little guidance there is available on defrosting times for large beef roasts. Among the guidelines I found on various websites were: 8-10 hrs/lb, 24 hrs for every 4 lbs (=6 hrs/lb), 24 hrs for every 5 pounds (=approx 5 hrs/lb), 7 hrs/lb, 6 hrs/lb ... so far, that looks like 5 to 10 hrs per pound. So for an 18-lb roast, that would be 90 to 180 hrs = approx 4 to 8 days. There's probably some nonlinearity contributing to the inconsistency in suggestions: larger roast, longer defrosting time per pound.

If I were in your place, Cathy2, and thinking of cutting the roast in half and saving half to cook a week later, I would start defrosting it 8 to 10 days before Christmas morning. I wouldn't start two weeks before Christmas, especially if half of it won't get cooked for another week. Assuming you can cut it all the way through after 8 to 10 days, if the the half you're going to cook for Christmas is still a little frozen, it can be put in a large ziplock bag and defrosted a little more in water, and the half you're going to save for New Year's can go in another bag and go back into the coldest part of the fridge til then. I think that half would be fine in the fridge for that long if it's still borderline frozen/thawed by Christmas and kept really cold til New Years.

Here's another idea: once you've defrosted your 18-lb roast in the fridge for 8-10 days, when you do go to cut it, don't cut it in half down the middle; rather, cut it a quarter of the way from each end, cook those two 4.5-lb roasts for Christmas, and save the middle (presumably least defrosted) 9 lbs in the middle for New Years.

Hi,

Since this morning, I have pulled the beast from the freezer to begin defrosting. I will let it wet age for now, because there won't be time enough to do much else. When I get very close to Christmas, I will open it up and begin dividing.

I thought I would then dry age the remaining roast. I have a mini-fridge and will buy a wee desk fan.

We shall see how it all ends up.

Regards,
Cathy2

I would put it back in the freezer until you are closer to usage.
Wet and/or dry aging can be fraught with possible unwanted bacteria growth.
You also will require a stought cleaver or butcher saw to parition the whole rib if the bone is in.
Zier’s or Joseph’s, you can’t beat either for dry aged Prime Rib.
Removing the bones makes the most classiest and easiest roast.
We always go to my youngest Daughters’ for XMas as she is mother to my grandchildren and serves a spiral cut ham even though I offer to purchase a whole rib.
But we have a number of smaller rib roasts throughout the year.
Season ala Pepin, blast the heat until crispy, reduce to 350F until about 110F and then let rest. Easy!-Richard

Who has the best price on whole rib roast this year? I saw that Aldi and Meijer (sale starts Sunday) both have it for $6/pound.

Jim-Bob wrote:Who has the best price on whole rib roast this year? I saw that Aldi and Meijer (sale starts Sunday) both have it for $6/pound.

Jewel is $4.99 per pound.

Cathy2 wrote:Jewel is $4.99 per pound.

There are three often seen grades of beef, prime, choice, select. Less common, but sold at the low end, standard and commercial. There is also Utility, cutter and canner which are typically sold as packaged ground beef or, more likely, made into a myriad of products.

Steer, a neutered bull, or heifer, a cow that has never had a calf, are preferred. Cow and sometimes bull are offered at the lower end.

A rib roast is not a deal* if your jaw gets sore chewing.

Caveat emptor

*I am not implying Jewel is selling cow or canner, but I still remember the bull meat beef tenderloin I purchased 20-years ago in a cost saving effort. I was not a fan!

Just called Jewel in Lake Forest, they indicated it was choice.

G Wiv wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Jewel is $4.99 per pound.

There are three often seen grades of beef, prime, choice, select. Less common, but sold at the low end, standard and commercial. There is also Utility, cutter and canner which are typically sold as packaged ground beef or, more likely, made into a myriad of products.

Steer, a neutered bull, or heifer, a cow that has never had a calf, are preferred. Cow and sometimes bull are offered at the lower end.

A rib roast is not a deal* if your jaw gets sore chewing.

Caveat emptor

*I am not implying Jewel is selling cow or canner, but I still remember the bull meat beef tenderloin I purchased 20-years ago in a cost saving effort. I was not a fan!

The Jewel circular says "USDA Choice Bone-in Rib Beef Roast $4.99/lb (limit 1)" on it. In my experience, when Jewel (and others) has these holiday sales on rib roast, it's always choice. If their meat is unlabeled with a grade, then it's select. We were just out in Phoenix for Thanksgiving and, similarly, Fry's and Basha's had choice rib roast at $4.99/lb.

(As for other grades, I have seen and have pictures of utility grade rib-eye steaks being sold at Shop and Save. It's the only place I remember ever seeing meat labeled "utility" at retail. "USGI Utility boneless ribeye steak prod of USA" on the label. And still $5.99/lb!)

The following is a good reference to USDA Beef Grading.
https://meat.tamu.edu/beefgrading/
The most interesting fact is that within a Grade there can be a wide variation.
I know that Peter Luger’s individualy picks each Primal cut from USDA Prime Cuts.
What I have learned is that the supplier whether Jewel, Zier’s or Joseph’s is the most important aspect to beef purchasing.
In Wisconsin we have had a good supplier in Pick n Save over the years for Choice.
Pick n Save was purchased by Krogers and I have yet to perceive a change in Beef Quality.
If I want Prime it’s been Costco, Dry Aged usually Joseph’s (call ahead) and certainly Zier’s is just as good. Fresh Farms has some good Skirt Steak inner cut and I buy the whole Cryovac package which they will trim for you. I have purchased Prime Skirt at Joseph's.
Pick N Save Choice is the best Chain Beef I have encountered.
Some very nice cuts of Prime are available at Costco especially Brisket.
Usually, low price is Select.
On another note, none of whole animals I have purchased, raised locally have been to my Choice Standard even though I ask that the animal be kept on corn longer than normal, but what we have noticed is a very different, less sanguine taste.
In the last year we have gone to purchasing a lot of Buffalo from a local grower, Lester’s in Kenosha County. So far I can’t find a local source for a whole or half an animal!
Caveat Emptor!-Richard

I used to be someone who'd always grab a chuck roast on sale at Jewel or Mariano's for my Guinness beef stew recipe or a few steaks on sale for a special dinner, and I do believe that the beef Jewel and Mariano's sell is choice grade, but I've had so many experiences in the last year or so with disappointingly flavorless beef that I've become more cynical about supermarket beef and more selective.

I've been googling things like "flavorless beef," and what I've learned so far has changed my beef shopping habits. My ongoing little research project has led me to believe that (a) there's a lot more beef out there these days being sold as choice, including beef from animals---like dairy cows, as opposed to Angus---that weren't bred for their flavor; and (b) a lot of beef that qualifies as choice has nonetheless comes from animals that were fed growth hormones and sped to market too quickly for them to develop flavor.

I wouldn't pass up a chance to buy prime-graded beef from Costco (which, though, if I understand correctly, sells a wider range of "prime" than it used to, and a wider range than specialty butchers and steakhouses sell) or from a specialty butcher (where I live, the closest highly reputable one is Dorfler's in Buffalo Grove), but my schedule these days doesn't often leave time for that, so among the local grocery stores, lately for beef I favor Sunset Foods, which sells the choice-grade "Certified Angus Beef" brand (which, if I remember correctly from my googling, is not merely Angus but at least 51% black Angus). Mariano's appears to sell a choice-grade Angus beef (not necessarily black Angus?) with a different (brand?) name. I have tried without success to find out online if what Mariano's sells is certified black Angus; I'm guessing not, but I'll ask someone next time I'm at Mariano's. Aldi's is a little more slippery than Jewel or Mariano's in that it seems to sell multiple beef products, some of which is labelled Angus and some of which is labelled just USDA choice.

So, in previous years, this is the time of year when I would have bought a prime rib roast at Jewel for $5.99/lb to cook for Christmas, but this year I opted for Sunset's certified black Angus rib roast at $9.99/lb. I'm cautiously optimistic that it will turn out to be a more flavorful choice.

The age issue in fed cattle is big. Too many are basically calves that are put into a feedlot and fed hot rations so they reach choice grade but are too young to have good flavor. Going back a few decades many were on grass or forage heavy rations and were yearlings or even two-year olds by the time they landed in feedlots. Even then there was more roughage in the ration than is common now. Prime beef in the 1950s came almost exclusively from older cattle. Most of the prime beef now would have graded choice back then before grading standards were redone.

Several years ago I bought choice strip steaks at Jewel that had been mechanically tenderized, which is a dastardly thing to do with good beef. Later I looked at other steaks at Jewel which showed the subtle but tell-tale marks from the tenderizer. I have never bought another steak at Jewel since then. Does anyone know whether under current ownership they still use mechanical tenderizing on steaks or, worse yet, on rib roasts?

Standing rib roast, my favorite vegetable.





Standing rib roast, count me a Fan!

Just reporting that the roast was a success.

2 ribs, 4.5 lbs, 2 ribs ~$10 on sale at Whole foods, I was a bit concerned since it was Choice, not Prime, but is was nicely marbled.

I used the NYTimes method of 500 degrees and then just turn the oven off.

It was, IMHO, the best roast I've ever made - to the recipe's coating of four salt and pepper I added some powdered dried porcini for extra hit of umami, and I used course sea salt. Perfection. Crispy exterior, after 2.5 hours in the oven with it off it was a perfect temperature, nicely pink on the inside with a bit of that nice fatty done stuff on the outside. Since it had already "rested" in the oven, all I had to do was pull it out and carve.

This recipe doesn't lend itself to gravy, so I'd made some beforehand with broth and veggies and was able to scrape up enough from the bottom of the roasting pan to at a final bit of goodness when I took the last step to thicken the gravy.

Gorgeous stuff, Gary!

Here's a great video, shot by my wife, of my "stepdad" taking our Christmas Eve standing rib roast (from Zier's in Wilmette) out of the oven after its final sear. This one was 24 pounds before cooking. I've coached them well over the years but why they used a foil pan is beyond me . . .



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