If there is such a thing as a meal that is synonymous with Christmas dinner—it’s Prime Rib. The massive roast is the ultimate crowd-pleaser to celebrate the season, and it’s easy to see why. Simple, juicy, and packed with flavor, there is, in our opinion, nothing better! Be sure to try these tried and true methods to make your holiday entertaining easy and stress free!
Prime Rib with Roasted Garlic and Horseradish Crust
Ingredients
30 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
¼ c. olive oil
1/3 c. prepared cream-style horseradish
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 6 lb. well-trimmed, boneless beef rib roast
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toss garlic cloves and olive oil in a small baking dish and cover. Bake until the garlic begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Drain the olive oil into a food processor or blender and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel the garlic and add to the processor. Add prepared horseradish and coarse salt and puree until almost smooth.
Place a rack on a large, rimmed cookie sheet and sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Spread a thin layer of garlic mixture on the underside of the beef and place the beef, garlic mixture side down, onto the rack. Spread with the remaining garlic puree and cover with foil. Refrigerate for at least three hours, or up to one day. Position the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Uncover the beef and roast until a thermometer registers at 125 degrees for rare, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and let sit for 30 minutes. Scrape the juice from the pan over the top and slice beef crosswise.
Fool Proof Prime Rib
Ingredients
Bone in Prime Rib, any size
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Let the rib roast stand at room temperature for one hour. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, uncovered. Cook for one hour and then turn off the oven. Do not open the oven until you are ready to serve the meat, regardless of how long it sits in the oven. 40 minutes before dinner, turn the oven back on to 375 degrees and continue to cook. Remove from the oven after 40 minutes and let the meat rest. Slice and serve.
Slam Dunk Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
4 lbs. russet potatoes, about 12 medium potatoes
1 c. hot whole milk
¼ c. heavy cream
1 c. unsalted butter at room temperature
1 ½ tsp. sea salt, to taste
1 tbsp. fresh chives for garnish
Directions
Peel your potatoes (cut in half if they are exceptionally large) and place in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook partially covered until easily pierced with a fork, approximately 20-25 minutes. Drain well and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, start the mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and slowly drizzle in the hot milk and heavy cream. While the mixer is on, add softened butter, one tablespoon at a time. Add the salt. Taste the potatoes and add more salt if needed.
Prime Rib Essentials
When it comes to prime rib, there are dozens of options to kick up the flavor. But there is one staple you must include, and that magical elixir is creamy horseradish. Simply grate fresh horseradish into sour cream for an extra zing of flavor. The sour cream will mellow out the heat of the horseradish and makes the perfect accompaniment to the juicy prime rib. Of course, you can always buy the store-bought version if you are short on time.
LOCAL ANGLE
The 209 has more than its fair share of butcher shops and premium grocers to order your prime rib. Just remember to order it ahead of time and make sure you get a large enough prime rib to feed your hungry guests.
Fiori’s Butcher Shoppe
400 W. Lodi Ave. , Lodi
(209) 334.4121
FiorisDeli.com
Lakewood Meats
316 N. Ham Lane, Lodi
(209) 369.1122
LakewoodMeats.com
Podesto’s Market and Deli
104 Lincoln Ctr., Stockton
(209) 951.0234
PodestosMarket.com
Yosemite Meat Market
915 N. Yosemite St., Stockton
(209) 466.7357
Fat City Brew & BBQ
1740 Pacific Ave., Stockton
(209) 323-4920
FatCityBrewBBQ.com