Salt-Encrusted Herb-Roasted Prime Rib!

Well friends it's almost a brand new year! And, after 5.5 years of teaching at the university level, I am putting down my spectacles and red marking pen for a season to focus on other passions of my life. This, of course, means getting back to creating and crafting in my KITCHEN more than I've had time for of late.

When my husband Steve and I opened our business, and I started teaching in the Hospitality, Tourism & Events Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver, 

my days in the kitchen were severely compromised. However, it has been a priority since opening those business doors in February of 2014 that our employees are honored in a very big way on their individual birthday. We have kept that tradition for nearly 5 years now, and this week, amidst all the holiday hooplah was no exception, as Mike Thompson, one of our technicians, was honored for his December birthday on none other than Christmas Eve! 

The rule is the birthday boy or girl gets to choose the menu and I make it for them and everyone enjoys. Well, when Mike asked for Prime Rib, I wasn't completely certain it would work out, as the new shop where he works (our second store that opened this year) is 25 minutes from my kitchen. Well, I'm happy to report that thanks to this amazing process, tweaked from multiple recipes and web video how-to's, it turned out great! You should definitely try this, as it is nearly fool-proof!

Salt-Encrusted Herb-Roasted Prime Rib

Large bone-in prime rib roast (6-10 lbs) with ribs attached/intact

1 box (3 lbs./6 cups) Kosher salt

Large roasting pan with 2 inch edges 

Standard kitchen oven-proof meat thermometer

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Fresh or dried minced shallots

Minced fresh Rosemary

Freshly ground coarse black pepper

(Sorry I don't have actual amounts to share with you, but after years of cooking the eyeballing it method worked for me here and I didn't measure!)

Process:

• Take roast out of refrigeration and let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours
• Meanwhile make herb rub as follows:
• Measure 2-3 Tablespoons of EVOO into small glass bowl and add shallots (I used dried as I ALWAYS have them on hand thanks to Amazon & Harmony House and the EVOO works to reconstitute them.)
• Add minced fresh Rosemary - keep in mind this is a very herbaceous flavor--some like a lot and some not as much. You could opt for any other favorite including Thyme or even Oregano
• Add coarse black pepper to your taste level
•  Next make salt rub:
• Place entire box of Kosher salt in large bowl
• Add about 1/2 cup of water and stir together. Add more water as needed to create a paste consistency that still leaves salt grains essentially intact. You should be able to press the mixture against the side of the bowl and it will readily cling.
• Preparing the Meat:
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit (245 degrees Celsius)--yes, that's HOT!
• Remove strings from roast if it is tied up
• Place about 1-inch of salt paste in bottom of roasting pan in an oval shape the size of the roast
• Place the roast on top of this salt base, with the fat side up. Do not trim the fat!
• Cover the top of the roast (mostly fat) with the herb rub
• Now comes the fun part, using ALL of the rest of the salt, encase the entire roast with the salt paste. This takes a little time, but is not difficult if the paste is the correct consistency. 
• Roasting the meat:
• Now place the meat thermometer fully into the center of the roast where visible and reaches the middle of the meat (see my "in the gas oven" picture below)
  
• You want to roast the meat at this high temperature for about 30 minutes then turn the temp down to 425 degree F (220 C)
• The final roasting time at the reduced temp is all about reading the thermometer correctly and taking this baby out at the appropriate time, as overcooked Prime Rib is a travesty! Bottom line, it is completely ready to come out of the oven when that thermometer hits 125 degrees F (52 C)! Keep in mind that meat continues to "cook" internally out of the oven, so you cannot mess with this or you will be sorry. (125 degrees F ensures a rare to medium rare 130-135 degrees F after resting time.)
• This roast took another 1.5 hours fluctuating between 450 and 425 F (Since I was in a time crunch, I upped the heat a couple of times to get that needle to move!).
• Once out of the oven, cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes. (With the travel time to serving location, mine rested for 30 minutes and was lovely!)
• It should look like this before carving, at which point you remove the salt casing, separate the ribs (these literally fell off) and slice!

 

This was hands-down the most fool-proof method with a BEAUTIFUL piece of meat that everyone raved about. It could have been even rarer for some, but we all had our favorite piece, including the crusty ends for me! Served with Mike's requested cheesy potatoes and cherry pie with homemade chocolate ice cream (a life-changing experience of taste reminiscent of a chocolate-covered cherry!), we were all in a food coma. 

If you are still nervous about this method, there are plenty of how-to's online with variations Taste of Home & Food & Wine. Do a bit of research, as I did, and you will be enjoying this gorgeous roast with your own family in no time! 

ENJOY!

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