Prime Rib and French Dips

I caved.  I went to Hillstone’s for lunch the other day.  I still couldn’t bring myself to order the $20 french dip so instead I ordered a $16 salad and $5 fries.  Do the math.  Go figure. 

I have never made prime rib before but I wanted to try (and then charge everyone in my family $20 to sit down and eat).  I went searching on Food Network for a recipe and found one by Bobby Flay.  Then I went to my favorite local meat market, Kuby’s, and Karl Jr. made some tweaks.  The result: a meal that everyone loved and that we’re going to fight over the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Ask your butcher to remove the bones and then tie them back on for the roasting process and to score the meat.  David ate this as prime rib – a thick slice of beef, no bread.  For the kids, I sliced it thin with an electric knife (power tools in the kitchen!) and then placed it on a buttered and toasted French roll.  While you're at Kuby's, pick up their twice baked potatoes to go with your meal.

Ingredients:

French Dip version of the Prime Rib

1.      Bone-in prime rib (6 to 7 pounds) 

2.      2-3  cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3.      Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

4.      2 cups red wine

5.      4 cups beef stock

6.      1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or ½ T dried thyme)

Thirty minutes before roasting the prime rib, remove from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Make small slits all over the prime rib (or ask your butcher to do it) and fill each slit with a slice of the garlic. Season liberally with the salt and coarse pepper, place on a rack set inside a roasting pan and roast for about 2-3 hours (20 minutes for each pound of meat) until medium-rare, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 135 degrees F. Remove the meat to a platter, and tent with foil to keep warm.

Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over 2 burners set on high heat. Add the wine to the pan drippings in the pan and cook over high heat until reduced, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half. Whisk in the thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Slice meat as desired and serve with thyme au jus.

If making a French dip, split a French roll in half.  Butter each half and toast on a warm skillet.  Pile on the thinly sliced prime rib.  Spoon on some au jus or horseradish sauce.