The hardest part of this recipe is finding a bag large enough to fit the prime rib. Sous vide is a great technique for steaks, but sometimes you crave carving into a crusty, peppery prime rib. This method results in a perfectly cooked roast with minimal overcooking on the exterior.
A couple of tips are worth noting in addition to finding a bag large enough, make sure your water bath will hold the prime rib without overflowing. Also, it is important that it doesn’t float in the bath – but rather sinks to the bottom. So make sure you get all of the air out if you are using the dunk method or that your vacuum sealer created a tight seal.
In this recipe, I don’t include a lot of aromatics or seasoning in the bag – just the bare minimum. For one thing, it is hard to get the roast much less extra things sealed up for the water bath. I do include a generous amount of salt as well as about a tablespoon of my Chicken Seasoning which contains garlic and onion powered. But depending on your roast, you can get creative with additions. I also don’t pre-sear the meat prior to cooking. I agree that it adds a flavor profile that improves roasted meats, but in long cooks like this it tends to get washed out. Plus, the title of this recipe is “quick” so I skip that step. I don’t think it adds anything to the final product to include it in this version.
One of the best parts of a prime rib is the crusty exterior and that is missing when you use sous vide as your cooking method. There are multiple ways you can achieve this crust, but my technique is pretty simple and includes sorghum which browns and helps to caramelize the exterior. After you dry the exterior really well with paper towels, paint the exterior with sorghum an oil and then sprinkle generous portions of our BBQ rub mixture (50:50 mixture of kosher salt and 16-mesh black pepper).
Roast the prime rib in an oven on a rack at 420F until it is dark, brown and crispy. You can remove it to a carving tray and serve immediately. It does not depend too much on a lengthy resting period. It should be ready to go and delicious.
1 two-bone prime rib, about 3 lbs, tied
salt: sprinkle a good 1 to 1 TBS over the exterior
1 TBS chicken seasoning
2TBS sorghum
2TBS safflower or neutral oil
BBQ Seasoning to taste
Preheat the sous vide water bath to 132F. Sprinkle seasonings over the roast and then seal by your preferred method into a vacuum bag. Slowly lower the sealed bag into the water bath using caution that it doesn’t float. Leave it to cook at this temperature for about 6 hours. (See note.)
In the meantime mix up a paste of 2 TBS sorghum and a neutral oil. Dry the exterior of the prime rib well with paper towels. Paint the exposed surface with the oil/sorghum mixture and then sprinkle it fairly liberally with the 50:50 salt/pepper mixture.
Put the roast on a wire wrack in the oven set at 420 degrees, Watch closely and when you have achieved the level of darkening that you prefer, take the rib out of the oven and place it on a serving tray.
Slice and serve.
Note: To tell if the roast is done internally you can follow a host of online guidelines based on time and thickness of the prime rib. Since they are often irregular I usually stick a needle thermometer into the roast and though the bag.The roast is done when the internal temperature matches what the sous vide circulator is set on. The two temps should equalize – mostly. Very little water will enter the bag if you use a small. needle thermometer, but if it does it won’t bother anything this late in the cooking cycle. Also, this is for a medium-rare prime rib so don’t be alarmed by the intense red color. That is the beauty that you get from slow cooking, but if you like it more well done then all you have to do is increase the temperature of the water bath.
#primerib #sousvide #quickrecipe #sorghum
