How To Make a Great Prime Rib

Restaurants are to expensive and the gas prices will cost you more in the round trip down the street to your favorite steak house then the dinner would. Here's what you do. Stay home, and cook yourself a fool proof restaurant quality prime rib yourself.

It amazes me how many people are intimidated by prime rib. It's stupid easy. This is my fool proof method of a restaurant quality prime rib. And in my own personal case, it's better. My wife's fault really. She used to manage a bar / restaurant and used her own recipe for making prime ribs. We used to frequent our favorite steak house and I'd always get the same thing. Prime rib!

Over time, the quality started to decline and the service with it. I don't know what happened to the restaurant we used to go-to, it used to be a good joint. I remember one of my last visits there I had to wait in a very long line that trailed outside the doors where I had to share a bench seat with a more then over zealous woman that couldn't wait to get her prime rib dinner!

I sat in line and waited for our name to be called on the long waiting list as I kept my fingers crossed hoping this woman with an eat attack didn't ruin my appetite. It was worth the wait though. This place was jumping so naturally I assumed it had to be great food!

When my wife and I were finally seated I promptly ordered my usual and was informed that the restaurant was all out of prime rib. Well that was it for me. I had my mind set on one thing and they were out. I ordered a drink and asked for a few more minutes while I contemplated going home instead. The kids were hungry and I was disappointed. Our server disappeared into the back somewhere and we never saw her again. While we waited for our drinks (which never came) my wife started to turn into Linda Blair right there at the table. The manager meekly came to reassure us that he was sorry for the mix up but our waitress had a lot on her plate and was running behind. Meanwhile I had nothing on my plate and not even a glass of scotch to make it seem OK.

We promptly left and my wife was still spinning her head. Arriving home she pulls out the meat from the fridge that was meant to be prepared for tomorrows dinner guests and slaves away in the kitchen.

She informed me that her fool proof prime rib would make my stomach sing praises she's only heard in the bedroom.

SO here you have it. The fool proof prime rib even a simpleton can't screw up.

What you will need:

• prime rib bone-in roast. (we use a 14-15 pound-er)
• kosher salt
• peppercorns
• Worcestershire sauce

Cooking:

• preheat oven to 350
• set meat in oven pan fat side up
• generously coat with Worcestershire sauce, crushed up peppercorns and kosher salt
• pour in a 1/4 cup of water in bottom of the pan
• cook for a few hours (this varies for your desire of "doneness)
• check temperature with a meat thermometer - once center of meat reaches 140 degrees it's at a medium rareish and ready to be consumed (we usually cook it till it gets to 150 as this is the 'medium' I prefer)

That's it! Easy, & Fool proof!

Now there are several variations for prime rib and many differing opinions on 'how' to cook it, including many different spices to use and different labor intensive cooking directions. But this one is my fool proof favorite.

One variation I always enjoyed on Christmas was the method of preheating the oven to 500 degrees. Throw in your prime rib and cook for 30 minutes. Turn oven off and don't open the door for anything for 2 hours.

The saying around my house during these festive times is "when you hear the smoke alarm, dinner is served!"