posted by Leslie in AK 12-22-98
Prime Rib Roast
Serves 6 to 8
1 three-rib prime-rib roast, first cut, trimmed and tied
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
3 short ribs, tied
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
Have the butcher tie roast with kitchen twine to keep outer layer of meat from pulling away from inner rib eye. Tie short ribs for easy handling. Trim roast of excess fat, but not the thin layer of fat the butcher leaves on the roast to protect and baste it while it cooks. To cook evenly, the roast must not be cold—let it stand at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Place short ribs and roast, fat-side up, in a heavy metal pan. (Nonstick pans yield fewer of the cooked-on bits, which make for more tasty juices.) The rib bones are a natural rack; you won’t need a metal one. Rub the meat all over with salt and black pepper.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer roast to the lowest rack , and cook 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, but don’t
open the door. For beef that’s rare in the center and brown and crispy on the ends, cook for 1 hour and 25 minutes more.
Check temperature using an instant-read thermometer. Stick the probe about halfway into the thick end of roast between two ribs, making sure that it’s not near a bone. (Bones conduct heat through the roast and are hot.) It should read around 115 degrees if done; if not, return roast to oven, and check temperature at 10-minute intervals. (While roast is resting, it will continue cooking, and the temperature will go up about 10 degrees.)
Transfer roast to a large platter. Place near stove to keep warm. Keep the short ribs as a snack or to use when making
soup. Do not cover the roast, or the crisp exterior will get soggy. Save drippings from the pan these beef drippings are an essential ingredient in Yorkshire pudding.
Place roasting pan over medium-high heat on top of stove. Carefully pour wine into the pan. Bring to a boil,and use a
wooden spoon to scrape off the caramelized and crispy brown bits that are stuck to the sides. These crispy bits will add flavor to the pan juices. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes.
Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Place a fine sieve (or a strainer lined with lightly dampened cheesecloth) in a medium heat-proof bowl, and pour juices through. Using a wooden spoon, press down on any remaining solids to extract all the juices. Discard the solids. Cover the bowl tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Keep the juices warm by setting bowl over a saucepan containing one inch of barely simmering water.
Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pan drippings from the fat separator to the roasting pan. Heat the pan with the
drippings in a 425-degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove the cold Yorkshire-pudding batter from the refrigerator, stir well, and quickly pour into the pan. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until pudding has risen and is golden brown.
While pudding bakes, cut the twine with kitchen shears, and remove from roast. Arrange roast with bones perpendicular to
platter. Grip the bones with one hand. With the other hand, slide the sharpened knife straight down between the meat and
the bones, separating the two as you cut down. Continue until the bones are completely separated. Transfer the roast to a serving platter where it can easily be sliced