It’s the exact same as reverse sear steaks but on a bigger scale. A grander scale. And this is how you do it. This is the Serious Eats prime rib recipe. If you want more details that’s where you’ll find them.
A few simple steps
There’s a few steps involved to reverse sear prime rib. First, unwrap your prime rib and let it air dry for a day or two in the fridge. Just make sure you don’t bump other things into it and you’ll be fine. Then cook it low and slow in a 225F oven. This takes time but it is time well spent. It took almost 3 hours for a 2 rib roast. For a big one plan on 4 or more hours. Pull it from the oven when the internal temperature hits 125F. Let it rest for 30 to 60 minutes. Crank your oven to as high as it will go – like 500F – and let it pre-heat. Return the rested prime rib to the oven and blast it for 10-12 minutes to crisp up and really brown. Done. Perfectly done.
Make the gravy
There’s one problem with reverse sear prime rib. And it’s a big one. Everything comes at a price. In this case the price is no fond in the bottom of the pan. No beautiful little flavour bombs to make your gravy. Luckily there’s a way to fix that. Sort of. It won’t be as good but it will work. If you can get some demi-glace, that fixes the problem nicely. Just add it into your gravy. Problem solved. If you can’t you have a bit more work to do. Demi-glace isn’t that hard to make but it takes time. Make a roux with some of the fat in the pan and about equal volume of flour. Add the best beef or veal stock you can find or make. Concentrated veal stock works really well here. Season it with salt and pepper. Or you can just serve the prime rib sprinkled with a bit of fleur de sel. That works too. At the end of the day you have a choice to make. Roast your prime rib at 325F and live with the grey meat on the outside. You’ll get a great gravy. Or, do the reverse sear and serve it with a gravy that’s not quite as good. Tough decision? I don’t think so…
