Prime Rib – A Royal Roast for Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 4:00AM 
Who says you have to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving? While my family usually succumbs to tradition and roasts a bird with dressing each year, we also enjoy a change every now and then. Besides, turkey is a bit over-rated, at least by my definition of what a special roast should be. It’s gotta scream special, be easy to prepare and tough to overcook.
Prime rib is a grand cut of meat, especially when roasted on the bone… and it definitely meets the criteria above. The garlic, onions, and red wine in this recipe add a subtle perfume to the roast’s royal nature. Sautéing the wild mushrooms in the aromatic pan juices adds an earthy note to the stately sauce. It’s an impressive dish for any holiday.
Roast Prime Rib with Wild Mushrooms
6- to 8-pound rib roast (5 ribs)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 onions, cut into thick slices
4 carrots, sliced
2 lemons, cut into wedges
2 cups red wine, more if necessary
1 cup whole garlic cloves, peeled
4 cups chopped wild mushrooms, including portobello, shiitake and oyster
Place the prime rib on a cutting board and rub it with the oil and salt. Cover with a tent of foil and set it aside for at least 1 hour to bring it to room temperature. This will help the meat cook more evenly.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Scatter the sliced onions, carrots and lemon wedges on the bottom of the roasting pan, place the meat on top of the vegetables and pour in the red wine. Roast the meat for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F and roast for 60 minutes longer. Scatter the garlic cloves on the bottom of the pan and add more red wine if the bottom of the pan is dry.
Insert a meat thermometer in the center of the roast to check the temperature. Continue roasting, checking every 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 120°F, which will provide two medium-well end cuts, medium-done slices on each side of the roast, and a center that’s medium-rare.
When the roast reaches the desired temperature, place the roasting pan on the stovetop. Remove the meat to a cutting board to rest for about 30 minutes.
While the roast is resting, add the wild mushrooms to the pan with the roasted onions, garlic, and pan juices. Sauté the mushrooms over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the roast has rested, cut away the rib bones from the meat by placing the knife blade at the end of the bones and cutting down along their length, carefully following the contour. Once the bones have been separated, slice the meat crosswise into thick slices.
Serve the roasted bones and wild mushrooms alongside the prime rib. To make your menu even more festive, cook a few special side dishes like Yorkshire Pudding, Scalloped Potatoes and Green Beans with Caramelized Pearl Onions.
This Thanksgiving, we give thanks for the love and health of family and friends, delicious food and of course, football.
As Erma Bombeck once said, “Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Reader Comments (8)
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you too. What a delicious dinner you will have if you cook the roast. I'm not in charge this year so may have to have your roast on other than Thanksgiving. Much Love to You.
BEAUTIFUL, JUST LOVED IT AND NOW I'M DROOLING.
What a wonderful menu suggestion for the holidays. You make prime rib sound so easy!
What a gorgeous roast! My family might lead a revolt if I served this on Thanksgiving, but it would be perfect for a Sunday dinner.
Thanks Janet! It is easy and delicious and the leftovers, even better.
Wish you could join us!
Thanks Jean. Happy Thanksgiving to all the Darlands!
I know. It's always a dilemma...turkey or not. The roast is definitely for a special occasion though. Might be good at Christmas. Happy Thanksgiving!