When it comes to
holiday meals, I am a traditionalist. This is not the time
to wow people with your latest culinary creations. There
is an emotional charge to the food we eat during this
season, and people –especially family-type
people—expect their old favorites. At my house, the
anticipated festive meal is a retro-style rib roast. This
is a gorgeous piece of meat, a big piece of meat—big on
taste and big on price, as you'll see when you get your
receipt. When you spend this kind of money, you need
everything to go off without a hitch.
Let's keep it simple because a rib roast is so loaded with
flavor that it requires little more than salt and pepper.
But first, you need the right butcher, the right roasting
temperature, and plenty of patience.
A
'Primer' on Rib Roasts:
The rib roast is exactly that, the seven rib
section between the shoulder (or chuck section) down to
the loin. A good serving rule of thumb is one rib section
for each two people. But because the diameter of the meaty
"eye" varies from roast to roast, I always over
compensate. For me, a 7-rib roast is good for 10 to 12
people, and in this case, we're working with a 4-rib roast
for 6 diners. This is about a 9 lb. roast.
How to
Order:
There are three ways to order a rib roast, with the meat
removed from the bones and then roasted boneless (the
misguided think this is "convenient"), with the
meat removed from the bones and then replaced, rolled and
tied against the ribs (the insecure believe this makes for
easier carving), and the meat roasted with the bones
intact (my favorite and frankly, the only way to go).
Order your four
rib roast cut from the loin or "short" end. The
chuck end of the rib has better fat. But in a four rib
roast, you still get enough of that extravagant marbling
as the roast extends from the loin towards the chuck end.
Ask your butcher to clean the ends of the bones (called
"frenching").
Equipment:
- Sturdy
medium–sized roasting pan with low sides (10 X
14-inces ought to do it)
- Oven
thermometer to guarantee the internal heat in the oven
is where it should be
- Instant-read
meat thermometer to gauge the internal temperature of
the meat
Preparation:
The goal here is a
roast with beautifully browned crust and tender interior.
Take the rib roast out of the refrigerator and let it
stand at room temperature for at least forty-five minutes.
Preheat oven to 450F and place the empty
roasting pan inside heat up during the process. When the
roast is placed in the pan, the bottom will already begin
to brown as soon as it hits the hot surface.
There is plenty of
external fat on a rib roast so I don't rub the surface
with oil. But I do use the tip of a paring knife to
lightly score the fat in a crosshatch pattern so I can rub
liberal amounts of salt and pepper right down in there (I
used Bourbon
Smoked Peppercorns here). This creates better flavor
and the excess falls off during the cooking process.
(For medium
rare) - Place your roast (fat side up) in the
preheated pan in the 450 F degree oven for 45 minutes.
Then turn the oven down to 350F and cook until the instant
read thermometer probe inserted horizontally into the
middle of the eye of the meat reads 125F. (While the meat
rests, carryover cooking will raise the internal
temperature as much as 10 degrees.)
This takes about
12 to 15 minutes per pound or about another hour and a
half to hour and forty-five minutes (adjust according to
the weight of your roast.) Transfer to cutting board and
let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes. This is
critical; don't poke or prod or insert anything into the
roast.
CARVING
When you're ready to carve, use a slicer knife with a long
sharp supple blade. Press the blade lengthwise against the
bones and follow the line of the meat down to the cutting
board. Remove the "eye" roast and slice into
generous portions. Save the bones (they're the best part)
for your favorite guests.
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