Sunday Supper Prime Rib

I've been craving prime rib lately and looking back, it's been almost four months since I last made it, so time to get it back in the rotation.  When my kids ask me what's for dinner, and I answer prime rib, they get a little excitement in their faces and then they realize I'm talking about a beef roast, not ribs.  That 'rib' in the name always gets them.  But they, like Chris, love a prime rib dinner mostly because of the brown sauce I make from the leftovers.  The pasta dinner a couple of days later is the real pay off for them.  For me, it's that lovely slice of rare rib roast with my horseradish sauce.


I followed my usual preparation of the roast by leaving it uncovered, in the refrigerator, for at least a day, but preferably 2.  This dry aging of the roast makes it more tender.  I took the roast out of the refrigerator about 1.5 hours before roasting to get it to full room temp.  A simple and generous coating of kosher salt and pepper on the top of the roast is all that's needed.  Roast at 450f for 15 minutes to get a nice sear on the outside and then turn the oven down to 325f for the remainder of the time.  For this size of roast, it's about 60 minutes, but the best way to assure proper cooking is an accurate meat thermometer.   Let rest about 15-20 minutes before slicing.


Using any drippings from the roast, I made a simple gravy.  Make a roux with a bit of the fat and some flour and then add beef stock and some red wine and bring to a boil.  Whisk to remove any lumps and bring to a rapid boil for a bit.  I always make extra gravy as the base for the pasta sauce to come.
Of course you can't have prime rib without potatoes, right?  One of my favorite potato recipes is also one of the simplest.  Peel yukon gold potatoes and cut into large pieces.  Boil until slightly softened.  Melt a couple tablespoons of lard in a baking pan in the oven.  Then add the potatoes to the hot fat, turning the potatoes around to make sure they are evenly covered with the fat.   And then I decided to add some rosemary to the mix.  Sprinkle with salt and roast at 425f until golden.  The potatoes were crispy on the outside, fluffy soft on the inside.  Delicious!
And tonight I decided to add a classic English pairing of Yorkshire Pudding.  I used this recipe from Epicurious.  Really good, I must say.  Stella poured a little gravy in the middle and ate it like a little soup cup.  
Then a few sauteed mushrooms on the side and we were off to the races.  The prime rib did not disappoint, but the surprise of the night was the Yorkshire pudding.  Really, a simple recipe, and a comforting addition to the meal.

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