National Prime Rib Day

Enjoyed at a restaurant or made at home, being roasted in an oven, grilled, or smoked, prime rib is celebrated today on National Prime Rib Day. Also known as beef bone-in rib roast or standing rib roast, prime rib is made from the beef rib primal cut, which is what gives it its name. A side of beef is cut into nine pieces, each piece being a primal cut, with one being the prime rib. The prime rib has seven rib bones attached to it, the sixth through twelfth ribs of a cow. Prime rib is usually roasted bone-in and then sliced for serving. It is served with au jus and sometimes also accompanied with steak sauce or fried mushrooms or onions.

"Prime" is also a legal name as graded by the USDA. The USDA prime designation is based on the amount of fat in the meat and the age of the cow; because of this, USDA prime is flavorful, tender, and moist. Known as marbling, the fat adds flavor and moisture. The muscles in this part of the animal aren't used much, and younger cows have more tender meat. To be designated USDA prime, the animal must be between 9 and 30 months old, although most are less than 24 months old. While USDA prime meat may be used to make prime rib, and USDA prime is the most flavorful, tender, and moist meat, the name prime rib has nothing to do with USDA prime, and prime rib is often made with USDA choice meat. At restaurants and in meat cases at grocery stores and butcher shops, prime rib is more likely not to be USDA prime than to be USDA prime, since prime rib made with USDA prime meat is very expensive.

Prime rib also differs from ribeye roast and ribeye steak. Ribeye roast is the centermost part of the prime rib, the tenderest part, and the part with the most flavor. Ribeye steak is smaller, being a sliced piece from ribeye roast.

When prime rib is prepared bone-in, with the meat sitting on the rib bones, it is easier to roast and there is added flavor and moisture. Some who make prime rib have butchers cut the meat from the bone, but then have them tie it back to it, so it can still be roasted bone-in, with the bone easily being removed afterwards by cutting the string.

Prime rib is typically seasoned with kosher salt the day before roasting and sits in the fridge overnight. When taken out it is seasoned with pepper and other herbs, and brought to room temperature before being roasted, which takes a few hours. Prime rib is generally roasted in the oven. It may be cooked at a high temperature for a short amount of time to make a brown crust filled with flavor, and then roasted at a lower temperature for a longer period of time to reach the desired doneness. It may also be slow-roasted first and then seared at the end, which is known as the reverse sear method. Usually between these two stages, when the temperature is five degrees below-desired doneness, the steak is tented in foil and left to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

How to Observe National Prime Rib Day

Sink your teeth into some prime rib today! Roast it in the oven or make it on a grill or in a smoker. There are countless ways to make it. Pick up your meat at a local grocery store or butcher shop or buy it online. Some stores offer sales on prime rib today. If you don't feel like cooking, enjoy prime rib at a restaurant such as a steakhouse or supper club. Some restaurants offer prime rib specials for the holiday, so make sure to ask about them. If you run a restaurant, offer a prime rib special today.

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