Christmas is Wednesday? Did it seem to sneak up on us this year? I suppose we have an excuse with construction and all, but sheesh. If you’re unsure what to serve for that holiday dinner, a roast is a classic choice. Impressive, serves a crowd easily, and doesn’t require a lot of fuss or hands-on cooking. Thankfully Baron’s Quality Meats & Seafood still has some of their coveted prime rib roast (recently featured in Eater SF’s Holiday Gift Guide).
Why age prime rib?
Baron’s begins aging their prime ribs in late October for the holiday season. “The dry-aging process produces an intensely flavored and tender cut of meat; the flavor is an heirloom experience as it cannot be replicated by any modern method. The taste has been described as ‘buttery’ or ‘nutty’. During the dry-aging process, the enzymes in the meat naturally tenderize, change and enhance the meats flavor, providing an exceptional taste and texture.”
While you wait for the Castro Valley location to open, you can call Baron’s Alameda (510-864-1915) or San Francisco (415-654-5449) to reserve yours. Allow about 1 pound per person (which takes into account the bone loss).
Roasting a pricey cut of meat can be intimidating, but is pretty painless with an accurate thermometer (we love these). Thanks to butcher Nick Ratto and owner Dave Samiljan for sharing Baron’s prime rib recipe with us.
BARON’S EXCELLENT DRY AGED PRIME RIB ROAST
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 35 minutes
Makes
6-10 servings
Ingredients
For a 5-10 pound roast:
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For a 10-18 pound roast:
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 3 Tbsp kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
Mince the garlic cloves with a chef’s knife and sprinkle with the salt. Using the side of the knife, scrape and mash the garlic and salt together until they turn into a paste.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic paste with mustard, thyme, olive oil, and pepper. Rub the garlic mixture over all sides of the beef. Put the roast, fat side up, on a rack set in a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet or small roasting pan.
Let the roast sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.
Roast the beef for 15 minutes. Without opening the door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted in the center of the roast registers 125°F for medium rare.
Let the beef rest for 20 minutes. Carve beef into desired thickness.