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Sous Vide Prime Rib

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 9, 2018

Time

Sous vide: 16 to 24 hours; active cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus at least 24 hours salting time

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Sous Vide Temperature

133°F/56°C

Sous Vide Prime Rib

Ingredients

1 7-pound first-cut beef standing rib roast (3 bones)Kosher salt and pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Before You Begin

Look for a roast with an untrimmed fat cap ideally ½ inch thick. We prefer the flavor and texture of prime-grade prime rib, but a choice-grade roast will work. Serve with Mustard-Cream Sauce or Mint Persillade, if desired. Note that this recipe requires salting and refrigerating the roast at least 24 hours before cooking. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

  1. To remove bones from roast, use sharp knife and run it down length of bones, following contours as closely as possible; set bones aside. Cut slits in surface layer of fat on roast, spaced 1 inch apart, in crosshatch pattern, being careful to cut down to, but not into, meat. Rub 2 tablespoons salt over entire roast and into slits. Place meat back on bones (to save space in refrigerator), transfer to plate, and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 24 hours or up to 96 hours.
  2. Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 133°F/56°C in 12-quart container.
  3. Separate meat and bones; set aside bones. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear sides and top of roast until browned, 6 to 8 minutes (do not sear side where roast was cut from bone). Place meat back on ribs so bones fit where they were cut, and let cool for 10 minutes. Tie meat to bones between ribs with 2 lengths of kitchen twine.
  4. Season roast with pepper and place in 2-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until roast is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 16 hours or up to 24 hours.
  5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat broiler. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable spray. Transfer roast, fat side up, to prepared rack and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Crumple 12-inch piece of foil into 3-inch ball and place under ribs to elevate fat cap. Broil until surface of roast is browned and crisp, 4 to 8 minutes.
  6. Transfer roast to carving board and discard ribs. Slice meat into ¾-inch-thick slices. Serve.

Sous Vide Prime Rib

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

Sous vide: 16 to 24 hours; active cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus at least 24 hours salting time

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Sous Vide Temperature

133°F/56°C

Ingredients

1 7-pound first-cut beef standing rib roast (3 bones)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Ingredients

1 7-pound first-cut beef standing rib roast (3 bones)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Ingredients

1 7-pound first-cut beef standing rib roast (3 bones)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

In the land of celebratory roasts, the prime rib stands as king. But cooking this cut of beef properly is a challenge. And when you're dropping upward of 100 bucks on a quality rib roast, you're going to want to cook it well. Luckily, sous vide allows you to do just that. We start by removing the ribs to expose all sides of the roast before salting it and letting it sit overnight. The salt slowly moves toward the center of the meat, enhancing the beefy flavor while dissolving some of the proteins. Presearing the roast built flavor before it went into its low-temperature bath. After 16 to 24 hours at 133°F/56°C, the roast's connective tissue had broken down, producing a buttery texture. A flash under the broiler crisped up the fat cap to create a nice crust.

Before You Begin

Look for a roast with an untrimmed fat cap ideally ½ inch thick. We prefer the flavor and texture of prime-grade prime rib, but a choice-grade roast will work. Serve with Mustard-Cream Sauce or Mint Persillade, if desired. Note that this recipe requires salting and refrigerating the roast at least 24 hours before cooking. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

  1. To remove bones from roast, use sharp knife and run it down length of bones, following contours as closely as possible; set bones aside. Cut slits in surface layer of fat on roast, spaced 1 inch apart, in crosshatch pattern, being careful to cut down to, but not into, meat. Rub 2 tablespoons salt over entire roast and into slits. Place meat back on bones (to save space in refrigerator), transfer to plate, and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 24 hours or up to 96 hours.
  2. Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 133°F/56°C in 12-quart container.
  3. Separate meat and bones; set aside bones. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear sides and top of roast until browned, 6 to 8 minutes (do not sear side where roast was cut from bone). Place meat back on ribs so bones fit where they were cut, and let cool for 10 minutes. Tie meat to bones between ribs with 2 lengths of kitchen twine.
  4. Season roast with pepper and place in 2-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until roast is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 16 hours or up to 24 hours.
  5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat broiler. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable spray. Transfer roast, fat side up, to prepared rack and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Crumple 12-inch piece of foil into 3-inch ball and place under ribs to elevate fat cap. Broil until surface of roast is browned and crisp, 4 to 8 minutes.
  6. Transfer roast to carving board and discard ribs. Slice meat into ¾-inch-thick slices. Serve.

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