Slow cooking a prime rib?

[watchdog56]

I was out of town and we go to a resteraunt that says they slow cook their prime rib overnight. They run a special on Saturday night only for this. Let me tell you it is the best and most tender prime rib I have had in about 30 years when a resteraunt where I live used to do it. The sizes are 12 oz, 18 oz, and 24 oz. I usually get the 18 oz and they are about 1 1/2 inches thick and perfect medium all the way through. It melts in your mouth. I asked them if they sell their rub or if they would tell me what was in it and they said they do not sell it and it is  a secret. When I do a prime rib in the smoker at 225 it takes 3-4 hours when I pull it at 135.  Does anyone know how this can be cooked overnight and sit most of the next day until supper time and still have it the way you want it? I would think even if they cooked it at 150 it would take maybe 6-7 hours.

[Ka Honu]

They probably have an oven that can cook at a very low temp or they sear hot and then turn the oven off.  Most of us can't get our home ovens below 150-170^oF so you need to go a different route. The definitive "how to cook perfect prime rib" for us normal people is here at seriouseats. If you don't want to read the whole article you can go directly to the recipe (link at start of article).

If you want it smoked, cold-smoke on the Bradley for 40 minutes the day before, refrigerate overnight, and follow the seriouseats.com recipe.

[watchdog56]

If they cook below 150 isn't that the danger range for meat?

[tskeeter]

The rule of thumb is no more than four hours between 40F and 140F.  That said, the primary contamination risk for whole muscle meat, such as a rib roast, is the surface of the meat.  The interior of the meat would be virtually contaminant free.  Since the surface of the meat would rise above 140 pretty quickly, many would consider the food safety risk of long cook times to be minimal with whole muscle meats.

Ground meats have different risks because the grinding process distributes any surface contaminants throughout the meat.  That's why ground meat is considered safely cooked at about 152 degrees while a rare steak is considered safe at 125 degrees.

[Johnny]

When you get your plate has the prime rib been cut off a large roast? Or a separate pc that has been seared? I'm guessing it may have been cooked over night "sous vide"
Just a thought 🙂

[watchdog56]

I am assuming it is cut off a roast.  It does not look like the edge is trimmed in any way. I am not familiar with the sous vide way of cooking but you might be onto something.

[Ka Honu]

You'd need one hell of a container & sous vide circulator to cook what I assume are several rib roasts per day. And then you have to dry them off and sear them whole before slicing (after slicing for steaks). Not practical for any restaurant kitchen I've ever seen.

I'll stick with the low-temp roasting theory - that's how delis, their vendors, and smart restaurant chefs have been doing it since before I was a young turtle.

[Zekee]

My advice is to cook the prime rib roast at 200°F for about 3 hours. At the 3 hour mark, check the internal temperature until it reads 115°F. (Continue cooking and recheck the temperature every 15 minutes until it reaches 115°F). It is delicious. I use this recipe when I cook at home for the holidays or at the restaurant where I work. Prime rib has become a specialty of the house for our restaurant. Perhaps this blog can help you https://www.westgateresorts.com/blog/10-historical-nyc-restaurants/. Many restaurants have prime ribs on their menus, and maybe you will find some better recipes. Good luck.