Prime Rib

5 Responses for "Prime Rib"

1. Chef Adam December 10th, 2007 at 12:05 am

   Taking food from one location to another so that it will be ready to eat is one of the basic practices of catering, and it can be tricky. The main idea is that you can’t cook the food on site, so the next best thing is to cooking and transport it.

   We do have a few questions for you. One: Although you will arrive at your party in 40 minutes, when will dinner be served? Keep in mind that you will not want to hold your meat at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Two: Is there a possibility of finishing your roast on site? And, three: Will everyone be ok with dining on a roast that is not hot, but instead room temperature?

   But that is almost NEVER as good an option as cooking the food on site, as far as quality is concerned, so how can you make it as close to “cooked to perfection” as possible? “Par-cook” it, which is short for ‘partially cooking’ it.

   Par cooking your prime rib.
   1) Since overcooking it is not an option, we need to err on the side of under cooking it. Your prime rib will continue to cook for a short time after it is removed from the oven. Cook in your electric roaster until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 120 degrees.
   2) Ideally, you will be able to bring it to temperature (cook it more) at the location of the dinner. If this is an option - do that by finishing your unsliced roast in a 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, uncovered.
   3) When traveling, bring an aluminum roasting pan, your meat thermometer, a carving knife, and aluminum foil so your guest will not worry about a thing.
   4) Alas, if you are unable to squeeze the prime rib into an oven when you arrive, let’s cook the roast in your electric roaster to rare (125 degrees internal temperature) and hope that, in transit, it doesn’t cook too much more. Slice it right before serving.
   5) In order to minimize the risk of prime rib continuing to cook between the kitchen and the dining room, use low-heat transport devices (aluminum foil as opposed to a hot box). Also, cook in your electric roaster at 200F for between 25-40 minutes per pound (really depends on the size of the roast). This lower temperature will help insure that the continued cooking of the roast once it exits the oven is at a minimum.

2. Jennifer Beisser December 10th, 2007 at 12:40 am

   Hi.

   One tip: Be sure to bring your prime rib to room temperature before roasting. Season well.

   Also: Chef Cary’s podcast “Traveling with Prime Rib” might be of interest to you as well. See
   Traveling with Prime Rib

   And, be sure to check out our prime rib recipes.

   http://www.chefsline.com/recipes.php

   Jenn

3. Peter December 19th, 2007 at 5:45 pm

   To continue along this line, what about par cooking the roast the day before, and refrigerating; then finishing the next day? Is this an option, or am I commiting “Rib Roast Blasphemy”?

4. Chef Kevin December 21st, 2007 at 1:51 pm

   Peter,
   Great question. In order to warm the roast without re-cooking it (and thus over-cooking it) you’d need to set the oven at around 180 degrees and it will take as long as roasting it to begin with.

   If you really want to do it in advance, cook it completely to 120 internal temperature. When you’re ready to serve, carve it and warm individual slices in the microwave at medium power for about 2 minutes each. It won’t look great, but it should end up at medium rare after zapping it.

5. Chef Kevin December 21st, 2007 at 1:54 pm

   Peter,
   Another thought. You can cook the roast earlier in the day if you wish, remove from the oven and allow to rest, then return it to a 160 degree oven and hold it for a couple of hours