Welcome toClubhouse Eats, where we celebrate the game’s most delectable food and drink. Hope you brought your appetites.
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Some tips for enjoying the festive season:
Avoid crowded malls. Steer clear of crazy in-laws.
And come up with a great way to make prime rib.
James Syhabout is the golf-mad chef and owner of Commis, a two-Michelin star restaurant in Oakland, Calif.
Here is his 5-point guide to doing the holiday favorite right.
1. Go with bone-in
You could always buy boneless, but, Syhabout says, a bone-in cut yields juicier, more flavorful meat. It also produces more drippings, and there’s no such thing as having too much of that. While you’ll want to go with high-quality meat, don’t bother spending extra on designer beef like Wagyu, Syhabout says, as the expensive, richly marbled beef will wind up cooking down into a fatty mess.
2. Use a wet rub, not a marinade
With a large cut like prime rib, Syhabout says, marinades don’t penetrate deeply enough to make it worth the time and effort. He recommends a wet rub instead. Syhabout makes his with olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic, black pepper, thyme and, lastly, anchovies, which lend a pleasing undercurrent of umami. Rub the mixture generously over the entire cut, set it aside in the fridge overnight and you’re good to start cooking the next day.
3. Cook it medium to medium-rare
No one wants dry, over-cooked prime rib, but Syhabout isn’t big on rare prime rib either. “It’s too chewy,” he says, “because the collagen in the meat hasn’t broken down.” Prime rib in the medium rare to medium range is more tender. For that, Syhabout says, take the meat out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature, then cook it at 500 degrees for 20 minutes (that will create a nice, caramelized crust) before turning the oven down to 325 degrees. From there, Syhabout’s rule of thumb is about 13 minutes per pound to get an internal temperature of 120-130 degrees. That’s the sweet spot.
4. Slice it thin
Thick rib-eye steaks can be cut from prime rib. But that’s not your goal with this holiday dinner. “A thin cut is more pleasurable,” Syhabout says. “And it gives you more sauce coverage.”
5. Doctor up the drippings
Set the roasting pan on the stovetop, with all its drippings, add a bit of beef stock and bring to a simmer. You might consider adding mustard for a bit of bite; cornstarch or tapioca flour for thickening; and a slab or two of butter to create a nice sheen. Your prime rib dinner is now ready. Serve with classic sides, such as horseradish, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding.
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Josh Sens
Golf.com Editor
A golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.
FAQs
Cook it medium to medium-rare
What is the secret to making perfect prime rib? ›
It's no secret that roasts need to cook slow and slow, but for that killer crust on a prime rib the secret is to hit it with a lot of heat first. Like our other prime rib recipes, this rosemary-rubbed prime rib cooks at 450F for 20 minutes before cooking for another 60 to 90 minutes at 350F.
How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? ›
How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? The secret to restaurant-style prime rib is cooking the meat super slow at low temperatures.
What makes the best prime rib? ›
Choose a rib roast that has a bright color with milky white fat. Avoid dull-colored meat and yellow fat. Also, look for even fat distribution and a good layer of fat around the ends. This isn't the time to look for the leaner cuts.
What is chef style prime rib? ›
If you are looking for a prime rib roast that is easiest for carving, ask your butcher for a “chef style” prime rib roast. The ribs have been carved away from the roast and then tied back on with butcher twine. Now when you go to serve your roast, simply remove the butcher twine and the ribs fall away from the roast.
Is it better to cook prime rib slow or fast? ›
Cooked low and slow in the oven and finished with a blast of heat for the juiciest, most flavorful, evenly cooked prime rib roast. Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site.
What makes prime rib chewy? ›
No one wants dry, over-cooked prime rib, but Syhabout isn't big on rare prime rib either. “It's too chewy,” he says, “because the collagen in the meat hasn't broken down.” Prime rib in the medium rare to medium range is more tender.
What temperature do restaurants cook prime rib at? ›
Aim for 115 to 120°F for medium rare (125 to 130°F after resting), or 125 to 130°F for medium (135 to 140°F after resting).
How do you get the best flavor on prime rib? ›
The Best Prime Rib Seasoning Rub
Combine 6 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 Tbsp black pepper, 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves, 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves, and 3 Tbsp light olive oil. It's even better if you let it sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Is it better to cook prime rib at 325 or 350? ›
Prime rib should be cooked at 500F for 15 minutes, then lowered to 325F for the remainder of the cook time. A good slow roasting prime rib temp is 325F. It is the perfect temperature for medium rare prime rib.
Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the prime rib registers 130 degrees F for medium rare, 35 to 45 minutes of cooking time per pound. An 8-pound roast will take about 5 1/2 to 6 hours.
Do you cook prime rib covered or uncovered? ›
Do you cover prime rib roast when cooking? You can cover rib roast when cooking after searing it to help it retain some of its moisture, but it's not necessary. For the best results, leave the roast uncovered until you remove it from the oven or grill and place it at room temperature for resting.
What is the highest grade of prime rib? ›
The two highest grades are Prime and Choice.
What is the prime rib cooking trick? ›
Here's a quick look at how to cook prime rib with the closed oven method: for medium-rare prime rib, you cook a prime rib roast at 500 degrees for 5-6 minutes per pound, then turn the oven off and leave the door closed for two hours. At that point, the temperature of the prime rib will be perfect (or very nearly so!)
Is it better to cap on or cap off prime rib? ›
Prime rib roasts are often sold as “chef style” or “cap off”. The cap of the prime rib roast is a bit tougher in texture, so the price for chef style prime rib is usually less than a prime rib roast that has had the cap removed. I prefer to purchase prime rib with the cap off.
Should you pan sear prime rib? ›
Searing is an important part of roasting a prime rib. Searing the roast first will kill the surface bacteria, which is a nice touch, especially when you are roasting at lower temperatures.
What is the best way to prep a prime rib? ›
Bring meat to room temperature: Remove prime rib from the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Season it on all sides with salt and cover it loosely with plastic wrap as it comes to room temperature. Prime rib roast will cook better and more evenly when it's at room temperature.
How do you keep prime rib moist? ›
First things first, wrap leftover prime rib tightly in plastic wrap, preferably keeping it intact rather than slicing it. This will help keep as much moisture inside as possible.
What is the rule for prime rib? ›
Prime rib is best cooked to rare or medium rare, so I aim for about 120 to 125 degrees. 125 to 130 degrees will get you to medium doneness. Don't go beyond that or it'll end up dry and tough. I'll say it once more: A meat thermometer is your best friend!
