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The best of the recipes, techniques, and methods practiced by our large extended Italian-American family - with emphasis on the legacy handed down to us by the original immigrants.

This is a cookbook-in-process project. If you try any of these recipes please let us know how they turn out, whether or not you had any difficulties, and any clarifying improvements you might recommend to make them foolproof. We will of course acknowledge genuine "test-kitchen" assistance.

Family Secrets #49

Prime Rib of Beef - Picture Perfect

By Ray Zara, La Lama Mountain Ovens

While living in the Philadelphia area many years ago, I dined frequently at a quaint old Inn in the King of Prussia area. The name of the restaurant was the Peacock Inn, and they had a well deserved reputation for serving the best prime ribs in the area. My culinary interests at the time was still focused on mastering some of the Italian recipes that my mother made so well, and I was quite content to have dinner at the Inn whenever the urge struck me for some prime rib.

After moving to New Jersey some time later, I quickly learned that not all restaurants did such a fine job with prime rib of beef. Being a fairly proficient if still amateur cook, I decided to add this dish to my expanding Italian repertoire. So off I went on a mission to make prime ribs just as I remember them from the Peacock Inn.

I researched several cookbooks, and the cooking methods they advocated were all pretty much the same. It seemed like a pretty simple project. Locating an adequate supply of prime rib at the supermarket presented no challenge, so I announced to my family that we were going to have prime rib for dinner on Sunday.

The results were adequate at best, but not even remotely close to the dish I enjoyed so often at the Peacock Inn. I tried several more times, with the same results. I then determined that the beef I was purchasing must not be as good as what is being served at the Peacock Inn, so off I went in search of the absolutely best meat. No matter how much money I spent on the meat, my finished dish never measured up to what I remembered having at the Peacock Inn.

Out of sheer frustration I called the owner of the Peacock Inn and told him of my dilemma. He remembered me well as an excellent former customer and invited me down to his kitchen for a hands on lesson in the do's and don'ts for cooking a prime rib of beef. I immediately accepted the invitation and have been making picture perfect prime rib ever since.

The first order of business is to select the prime rib. The choice you will have to make is a matter of personal preference: bone in or bone out. The cut of rib with the bone in is sometimes referred to as a "standing rib roast", and the boneless cut is generally called "eye of the rib". My personal preference is the boneless model, which makes the eventual carving of the cooked roast a simple matter, and gives me more options on the exact sizing of the roast.

The next choice is how large a roast and the "grade". I prefer to purchase a whole prime rib from the wholesale section in the supermarket rather than a piece. A whole prime rib will generously serve 14 people. I like to cut rib eye steaks from the whole rib until I reduce the size of the roast to fit the dinner I want to serve. Economically this is generally the best way to go, and as an extra benefit you can have a stock of rib eye steaks cut exactly to the thickness you like. If you prefer to buy a cut sized to serve immediately, allow one pound per person as there will be some shrinkage in the cooking.

When purchasing your prime rib be very selective on the USDA grade. If you choose to buy the whole rib the grade must be stamped on the package, because it is a wholesale cut. I recommend "USDA Choice" for best results. The circle of fat that runs through the entire rib is called the "corn", and the size of the corn is one of many things that make up the grade of the rib. The smaller the diameter of the corn the better. The USDA choice grade will give you the best shot of purchasing a rib with a small corn.

Prime Ribs of Beef with Au Jus Gravy

Total Ingredients to Serve Seven:

• 1/2 of a whole boneless prime rib
  or a piece weighing 6 to 7 lbs

• 3 tbls. olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 medium onion chopped coarsely

• 1 medium carrot chopped coarsely

• 1 stalk celery chopped coarsely

• 5 sprigs of fresh parsley chopped fine

• A few drops of Kitchen Bouquet

Step One: Prepare the prime ribs

Rub the olive oil over the entire prime rib. Generously salt and pepper the entire rib. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

Step Two: Cook the prime rib

Remove prime rib from refrigerator and let stand until it reaches room temperature, about two hours. Select a roasting pan that has sides at least 3 inches deep. Place the onion, carrot and celery on the bottom of the pan. Build a rack that will elevate the roast at least 1 inch off of the bottom. Fill the bottom of the pan with water to the top of the rack. For a richer Au Jus gravy you can substitute brown stock for the water. Place the prime rib on the rack and insert an accurate meat thermometer in the center of the rib. Put in an oven that has been pre-heated to 225 degrees.

The cooking time will depend on the degree of doneness you desire. As a rule of thumb it should take about 4 hours, more or less. The real key to a successful roast is the internal temperature, so you should monitor the roast closely after three hours so attain the exact internal temperature you desire. You can use the following as a guide: 120 degrees rare, 130-135 degrees medium rare, 140-145 medium. I would never suggest going beyond medium.

Au Jus Gravy

Remove roast from the oven and place on carving board. Cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil and let the roast rest for about 15 minutes. Strain the liquid through a sieve to remove cooked vegetables, into your fat separator. Pour off the drippings into a sauce pan and quickly bring to a fast boil. Reduce for 5 to 10 minutes and stir in the chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet to attain the proper color.

When carving your roast you will notice that the degree of doneness is exactly the same from end to end and top to bottom. This is what I call a "picture perfect" prime rib of beef roast. If you have one or two guests that desire their rib a little more done it is a simple matter to advance the color slightly by giving it a few seconds in the  microwave or put some Au Jus in a sauté pan and place over a medium heat to attain the desired degree of doneness. Remember you can advance the degree of doneness but you can't go backwards.

When serving your prime rib another nice touch to keep in mind is to prepare a little horseradish sauce served in a small saucer on the side. Simply add a little sour cream to pure horseradish until you achieve your desired heat range. Mix well. The perfect partners to finish this plate is a simple baked potato, a simple green salad, and a good bottle of red wine.

For those who insist on a well done prime rib you may use either of the following techniques. The first is to forget about all of the above instructions and simply place the roast in a pre-heated 375 degree oven, and cook until it is dead, or remove the sole from your least favorite pair of shoes, add salt and pepper, and heat in a microwave until serving temperature is attained. The results of both options will be about the same. Maybe you should consider a nice piece of fish?

Altitude Adjustment: None.