I have always aspired to prepare a prime rib roast for Christmas, but the plethora of conflicting opinions and techniques in cookbooks, online recipes, and tutorials left me feeling intimidated. The high cost of the meat made me apprehensive about ruining it if I made a mistake.
Last Christmas, I summoned the courage to purchase an 8 lb bone-in prime rib roast from Nick’s Meat Depot, based on excellent reviews. They even removed the bone and tied the meat for me. With the assistance of my cousin, Kuya Jonathan, who provided a recipe with step-by-step instructions and stayed on the phone with me throughout the process, I confidently prepared the dish. It turned out exceptional, especially considering that it was my first attempt. This experience boosted my confidence, and I look forward to making it again next Christmas.
The recipe I followed uses the reverse sear method, which involves slow-cooking the roast at a low-temperature oven and then finishing it with a short blast in a very hot range to create a golden-brown crust without the gray zone that often results when starting at a high oven temperature. I cooked the roast until it reached a temperature of 125 F, instead of the 118 F recommended by the recipe, to achieve a medium-rare doneness as opposed to rare. Although the meat turned out gorgeous, my family found it a little too red for their liking. Therefore, next time, I plan to cook it until it reaches 130 F for the perfect medium-rare finish.
I served this with chimichurri sauce and mashed potatoes and beans.
