Roast Prime Rib with Pink & Green Peppercorn Crust

Roast Prime Rib with Pink & Green Peppercorn Crust

Beef
Dinner Party, Holidays, Main Dish, Classics

Serves 8

This is a grand centerpiece for you Christmas dinner table. It's expensive, but you're buying yourself some peace of mind on a busy day. Prime rib is easy to cook, easy to carve, and almost universally popular.

The procedure described in the first paragraph below may seem strange, but this dry-brining operation allows the salty liquid to be drawn back into the meat, changing the structure of the proteins and creating a roast that is tender and juicy. Meanwhile, the long period uncovered in the refrigerator creates a dry surface that will brown and crust beautifully.

Ingredients #

4-rib standing rib roast (8-10 lbs), trimmed and tied

  • For Crust: #

    • 2 tsp whole allspice berries, crushed
    • 3 tbsp pink peppercorns, crushed lightly
    • 3 tbsp dried green peppercorns, crushed lightly
    • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
    • 2 tbsp flour
    • 1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
    • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp salt

  • For Sauce: #

    • 1 cup Madeira (or a dry red wine)
    • 1 2/3 cups beef stock
    • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
    • 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
    • 1 tbsp water

Instructions #

24 to 96 hours before cooking: #

Using a sharp knife, cut shallow diagonal slits in the fat cap, 1 inch apart in a cross-hatch pattern. You want to cut down to the meat, but be careful not to cut into it. Rub 2 1/2 tbsp of Kosher salt over all sides of the roast and into the slits in the fat cap. If the roast has been cut from the bones and re-tied, try to work salt down between the meat and the bones. If it was cut and not retied, salt the meat portion all over, and then return to the bones. Transfer to a large plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 to 96 hours.

3-4 hours before serving: #

Remove the roast from the refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 475 F.

In a small bowl, combine to crust ingredients and stir to form a paste. Pat the beef dry and season with black pepper and a light sprinkle of salt all over. Place the beef in a roasting pan, rib-side down, for 20 minutes. Transfer beef to a board, and discard the drippings from the roasting pan (unless needed for another purpose).

Reduce oven to 325 F. Return the beef to the roasting pan, rib-side down, and spread the peppercorn paste evenly over the cross-hatched side. Roast beef for 1 1/2 to 2 hours more, until a meat thermometer inserted into the fleshy part registers 125 F (for medium-rare).

Transfer beef to a cutting board and carefully remove the strings. Loosely tent the roast with foil and let rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.

Skim fat from the drippings in the roasting pan. Place the pan over moderately high heat and add the wine to deglaze, scraping the brown bits up with a wooden spoon. Boil the mixture until reduced by half and transfer to a saucepan. Add the broth and boil for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in Worcestershire sauce and water. Add to the pan in a thin stream, whisking continually, and boil for 1 minute. Correct seasoning with salt, pepper, drops of Tabasco Sauce, etc.

Place the roast on a serving platter, garnish with springs of rosemary, and serve with the pan sauce.