Rib Roast
Is there any cut of meat that says “OK, this must be an extravagant dinner” more than a rib roast? Before we get started let me clear the air on something: A rib roast can be a “prime rib” even if it isn’t “prime” graded. If you happen to find a prime rib roast somewhere more power to you but nearly every rib roast you will find at the grocery store or butcher shop will be USDA Choice and not USDA Prime but it is still a prime rib. You might also see it called a standing rib roast which is perfectly acceptable.
For many people a nice big piece of prime rib is the highlight of their dining experience. A thick cut of rib roast with a nice crusty, salty exterior and a tender, red interior is a sight to behold. There are few cuts of beef that look better on a plate than a rib roast.
Where does the rib roast come from?
A whole rib roast is essentially the entire rib primal. If you take about 10 of the best steaks on a steer (ribeye) and forget to cut them you have a rib roast. If you get a full rib roast it will be comprised of ribs 6 through 12 and will weigh somewhere around 15-18 pounds. You can find rib roasts anywhere from 2-7 ribs and a 3 rib roast will usually weigh around 6 or 7 pounds. Each bone should feed two people so if you need to feed 10 people get a 5 bone, if you need to feed 6 get a 3 bone.
There are two ends to a rib roast (after I typed that I realized how stupidly obvious that sounds). If you get a cut from further back on the steer (ribs 10-12) you will have a larger “eye” on your rib roast and less fat. If you get it cut from the front (ribs 6-8) you get a larger spinalis or cap of ribeye and a bit more fat. Personally I would go for one cut from the front since the cap of ribeye is probably my favorite muscle.
Bone in or Boneless?
The question of bone in or boneless will also come up. Each has their own advantages. When you keep the bones on you have some great thermal protection for some of the meat. A common assumption is that bones add flavor. I have seen some great arguments on that one. Personally I don’t think the bones add much flavor at all. The flavor of the bone is in the marrow and very, very little (probably none) will leech out through the bone. Some marrow flavor can be transferred from the exposed ends of the bones but not really enough for that to be a factor. I will talk about that more in a future post though. For now let’s just go with the advantage of the bones protecting some of the meat from the heat of cooking.
A boneless roast will cut more easily since you don’t have to navigate the bones. Many rib roasts also come with the bones cut off and then tied back on which gives you the best of both worlds. After cooking cut the strings, pull the bones off, and carve. The visual presentation isn’t as awesome as a big thick cut with a bone attached but it will taste the same and be much easier to cut and eat. I would almost always opt for a bone in roast or one with the bones tied on. If I were to buy a boneless rib roast I would probably just cut it into ribeye steaks.
How to cook a rib roast
Two schools of thought dominate the rib roast cooking conversation. The first starts cooking at a high temperature to sear the outside of the roast and then finishes at a low temperature. The second cooks at a low temperature and then finishes with a high temperature sear. The two cooks I have learned the most from, Alton Brown and Kenji Alt-Lopez both recommend roasting at a low temperature and then finishing with a sear so I would lean that way.
A nice rib roast needs to have a nice exterior crust, a deep pink interior, and should have very little grey around the edges. Let’s take a look at a nice prime rib stock photo:
At first glance, yeah, that looks awesome. But take a closer look. On the slice do you see the cap of ribeye? It is towards the bottom of the picture. Those are the best bites of the rib roast and they look like they are cooked medium well. Such a waste. Also on the other end of the slice there is a nice little nugget of meat that looks overdone as well. The rib roast in this picture might look good but after closer examination it has some problems.
The cooking method
You want to get the internal temperature of the roast to 120 degrees with as little of the outside of the meat getting above that. Starting at a low temperature and then finishing with a sear helps accomplish this. You could probably do even better if you seared with a blow torch but that is getting a bit excessive. Basically just start your rib roast in a low oven (200 degrees or so) until your roast comes up to 120 degrees internal temperature. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 30-60 minutes. About 15 minutes before you serve crank the oven as hot as it will go. Put the roast back in to sear it for about 6-10 minutes and get a nice crust.
One other method I have tried before is deep frying the rib roast. Just like a deep fried turkey a deep fried rib roast cooks much quicker than roasting in the oven. You get a nice crust on the outside and don’t overcook the inside. It has been years since I did this though. If I remember correctly the roast was very tasty but the exterior was a bit on the greasy side. Thinking back I would probably just stick to oven roasting.
Where to buy a rib roast
Costco usually has a good selection of rib roasts but they tend to be on the larger side. Unless you want a big 7 bone roast I would probably recommend your local butcher. They will be able to cut you whatever size you need. You will also be able to choose if you want one from the front or back. You will probably spend $12-$18 per pound.
Grocery stores tend to have small rib roasts (usually 2, maybe 3 bones) in their meat case. Ask one of the butchers and they will probably cut you whatever size you wanted. I would call ahead though to make sure they can get you what you want.
Like I mentioned earlier, if you want a prime rib roast you either need to have a great butcher or you will need to order online. The best of the best would be either a Pat LaFrieda dry aged prime roast which costs up to $460 for a 7 bone roast or an American Wagyu boneless prime rib roast which will cost $299 for a 6.5 pound roast. $50 or $60 per pound might seem crazy and it probably is. But really, how often will you cook a rib roast? Maybe once a year?
Like what you read? Be sure to share it with your friends and come back tomorrow to learn about another cut of beef.
