Prime Rib Return Of A Classic

Many classic foods are making big comebacks, thanks to younger chefs and home chefs discovering them .This is the case with prime rib.It's starting to be seen both  in restaurants and dining rooms. Once, relegated to fancy affairs it's becoming a part of the American diet again.

Jeff Gordonier explored this in today 's New York Times Wednesday Food section  Once the star of Sunday roasts, it's been associated with weddings and bar mitzvahs. This is the year for it to come back into its own.Prime rib is already being seen in some of Manhattan's best restaurants such as Cherche Midi. The cut itself is stunning, a true roast with a photogenic and seductive look. It has a ruby red eye in its' center surrounded by a tender melt in your mouth meat. The exterior is a crisp rind of fat and salt, the perfect crust.There is also the plus of gnawing the bone, satisfying any Paleo urges.The meat should be aged 120 days before cooking so it has , as Mr. Gordonier puts it"a beautiful blue cheese funk about it."Prime rib is   usually served with Yorkshire pudding, as it has for centuries in Britain. This is the forebear of our popover, and started as a runny batter  to collect the cut's juices.

Both are easy to make. If  you have a fireplace you can roast the meat the original way.It does require a hook that will hold the string wrapped around the meat.You're going to have to check antique shops or even Etsy for meat hooks. They may have a comeback thanks to the cut  but stores like Williams and Sonoma and Sur la Table have yet to pick up on this trend . You can cook prime rib in an oven  usually for two hours  after an initial browning of 15 minutes at 500 degrees Farenheit Many chefs like to marinade the meat.The Lafayette Restaurant in New York preps the meat with packing it with salt , a necessary along with cracked peppercorns and herbs.Some, like, Washington DC chef Nate Anda of Partisan coats his in fennel pollen and red pepper flakes.it is then  cooked for eigh hours in a sous vide, followed by searing. It's then sliced in wafer thin pink slices and served on flat breads.FOr home chefs just use fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to seal in the juices and to give it a nice salty crust. Yorkshire pudding is baked afterwards, using the prime ribs' dripping. It's just a simple blend of flour, whole milk and kosher salt. A teaspoon of the meat's rendered fat or even melted butter is added to the batter for more flavor.The puddings only take 10 to 12 at 400 degrees Farenheit/ minutes to bake in a muffin tin. Serve with only horseradish cream.

Prime rib is an elegant cut, a throwback to our beef eating days. Make it and Yorkshire pudding for a truly flavorful experience  appealing to any and every meat lover's tastes. It's downright delicious and as you'll soon find out , addictive