Earlier, I promised a recipe that includes a blow torch, so here I present Chef Thomas Keller's Prime Rib Roast recipe from the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook.
A big standing rib roast is always an impressive main dish for a special occasion dinner, and a recipe from world-renown Chef Thomas Keller makes it even more so. Throw a blow torch into the mix and now your prime rib roast truly is a masterwork.
What You Need for Thomas Keller's Prime Rib
The beauty of this recipe is that in terms of ingredients, you actually don't need much more than:
- center-cut prime rib
- salt
- gray salt, black pepper, and horseradish cream for serving
For tools and equipment, you need:
- roasting pan with rack
- blow torch
- meat thermometer.
You don't even really need a roasting pan with a rack because the bones in the rib roast can serve as its own "rack" in a large enough cast iron skillet or other baking dish.
You do, however, absolutely do need a meat thermometer and blow torch.
Blow Torch for Thomas Keller's Prime Rib
Do you really need a blow torch for prime rib? Of course not. You can achieve a similar effect as in more traditional recipes by blasting the prime rib roast in a high heat oven or set it under the broiler for a few minutes before the regular roasting. But then you wouldn't be making The "Thomas Keller Prime Rib."
This is Chef Keller's head note that introduces his Prime Rib Roast recipe and explains why you want to use a blow torch:
"I cook rib roast in a very low oven to ensure that it is a rosy medium-rare from the very center almost to its outer edges. But we like the dark caramelized surface, for flavor and for visual appeal, which is typically achieved through roasting at high heat.
We discovered that if you start by giving meat a quick heating using a blowtorch, though it won’t look particularly brown after the toasting, it will develop a beautifully browned surface even in that very low oven."
What Kind of Blow Torch and Where to Get One
How I got my fat, little gel-manicured hands on an industrial-strength power welder propane-fueled blowtorch I cannot tell you. Just know that Chef Keller recommends the propane-powered blow torch in his recipe, as opposed to the weak "chef's torches" that might as well be a butane lighter.
The point is that I torched a giant round of meat, roasted it, and rubbed down my body with the crispy, curly, caramelized ruffles of fat that came out in the end. I actually did not do one of those three things. It's up to your imagination to figure out which. I do understand now, though, the primal fascination with shooting fire.
"Be sure to store your torch in a safe place."
~
Chef Thomas Keller, Ad Hoc at Home
"Be sure to store your torch in a safe place." Oh, that TKells. Always considering safety first.
You can find propane blow torches at most hardware stores, and online for under $50. Consider it a kitchen investment. You can also use the blow torch for caramelizing sugar on crème brûlee, toasting meringue and marshmallows, and of course, flash browning meat and fish.
If you make it to the very end of *this* post, you might find a little video that helped my sanity last night. You are 100% welcome to provide, encouraged to comment with, and in fact, I ain't too proud to beg for, your feedback.
After wielding the power that is a blowtorch, my ego could use a good reality check.
For a full Prime Rib Roast 101 "primer," check out this post, which has a traditional-ish recipe for Prime Rib, information about quality and grades of beef, grass-fed vs others, aging, and ideas for how to serve prime rib.
Thomas Keller's Prime Rib Ingredients Notes, Resources, and Substitutions
It's a short list, so get the highest quality ingredients you can afford.
- Prime Rib. A full prime rib roast is made up of seven rib bones and the attached meat. Because the prime rib is the star of the show and there is literally nothing else except salt and pepper to season it, get the highest quality you can afford.
- How Much Prime Rib? Chef Keller's recipe calls for a 2-bone section, about 4.5 pounds, to serve 6 people. My tendency is to err on the side of generous/leftovers, so I generally allot a little more than what this recipe calls for, 1 pound of bone-in prime rib per person, or about 1 bone per 2 people.
- Kosher salt. Use this kosher salt in the dark red box.
- Sel Gris/Gray Salt. This is a fancy sea salt with larger crystals that you serve at the table alongside the prime rib.
- Sherry Vinegar for the Horseradish Cream. If you don't have sherry vinegar and don't want to buy an entire bottle to use once and never again, you can use white wine vinegar, Champagne vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar. Just don't use distilled white vinegar, which is too acrid.
Tools and Equipment for Thomas Keller's Prime Rib
- propane blow torch, or...
- smaller, butane-fueled blow torch
- 17x13 inch roasting pan with rack, or...
- cast iron skillet
- instant-read thermometer, the best
- leave-in thermometer with temperature alarm, the one everyone in the Delicious Dynasty (fam) has
What to Serve with Prime Rib
Chef Keller serves this Prime Rib Roast with a Horseradish Cream (recipe follows).
I also like to serve any prime rib "au jus," with a thin pan sauce made from the roast drippings that collect in the pan (the "jus"). But since he didn't include any jus or gravy here, I'll leave that recipe over on the Prime Rib 101 post.
The best side dishes to complement Thomas Keller's Prime Rib are ones that keep things simple. Think traditional Prime Rib side dishes from that famous prime rib restaurant that include Yorkshire Pudding, creamed corn, creamed spinach, and different kinds of potatoes.
Try these:
- Caesar Salad or an Iceberg wedge
- "Burnt" Charred Broccoli Recipe
- Roasted Mushrooms
- Creamed Kale, like creamed spinach, but with kale!
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe
- Ultimate Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Whipped Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Of course, you can't lose by choosing any vegetable or side dish recipe out of Chef Keller's Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook. All the recipes are listed here!
Thomas Keller's Prime Rib Roast Recipe Using a Blow Torch
Ingredients
Ingredients for Prime Rib Roast
- 1 2-bone center-cut rib roast —about 4½ pounds, trimmed of excess fat
- Kosher salt
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Gray salt or coarse sea salt
Ingredients for Horseradish Cream
- ½ cup very cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ¼ cup drained prepared horseradish
- ½ teaspoon fleur de sel plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper plus more to taste
Instructions
Directions for Prime Rib Roast
- Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 275°F.
- Put the roast on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Hold a blowtorch about 1 inch from the roast and turn to lightly brown the fat on all sides; the idea is to start the fat rendering and to torch the meat just until the surface begins to turn gray. Season the roast generously with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to the oven, with the meat toward the back of the oven, and cook until the roast registers 128°F in the center. The total cooking time will be about 2 hours, but begin to check the temperature after 1½ hours. Remove from the oven and let rest in a warm spot for at least 30 minutes for medium-rare.
- To carve, cut the meat away from the bones. Separate the bones and put them on a serving platter. Cut the roast in half through the center, turn each piece cut side down, and slice straight down into slices that are about ½ inch thick. Arrange the meat on the platter and sprinkle with gray salt and pepper.
- Serve with the horseradish cream on the side.
Directions for Horseradish Cream
- Put the heavy cream and vinegar in a medium bowl and whisk until the cream holds a soft shape. Whisk in the horseradish, salt, and pepper.
RJ Flamingo says
Hahahahahaha! Love the video - that was truly awesome! And kudos to you for being able to maintain a lovely figure while blogging about food. :-D
SallyBR says
PRICELESS!
Loved everything, particularly the final bit of the candle....
I am planning to make it, glad to know it worked well for you.... I know this will sound a bit funky, but my husband's torch will come in quite handy :-)
(nice dress!)
Tangled Noodle says
Congratulations, Margo (as I secretly plot how to intercept the book before it reaches your mailbox)! I'll console myself with this recipe and will definitely be picking up a torch at the local hardware store. Love the ensemble but how did you avoid welder's-headgear-hair?
Seriously, though, this is a great recipe - I wonder if I can convince family to forgo the traditional turkey for prime rib roast? Who could possibly object?
MyLastBite says
LOVE the video!
Is that the dress you wore to Jonathan Gold's party??
Sarah J. Gim says
RJFlamingo: are we so sure that it's ME in the video?!?! ok, it is. and dont think i didn't strap myself down with a corset and use trick lighting in the video :D
Sally BR: there is NOTHING funky about: "my husband’s torch will come in quite handy." a little freaky maybe, but certainly not funky. and yes, i love the candle, too! though i was hoping to get the taper kind that people use on the dinner table. obviously i didn't have any because like, WHO has romantic candlelit dinners at home by herself?!
Noodle: or you can be like our crazy family and have turkey AND ham AND a rib roast.
MyLastBite: it is! the dress was all of like $100 so I didn't have to worry about accidentally setting it on fire or something. all those sequins. disco. fire. burn, baby burn!
Annie says
Your timing on the song with the video was excellent--an eternal "flame" and the torch goes on....cracked me up big time! Great vid!
Ninette says
You are hysterical! Love the shoes. Thanks for running the giveaway, writing funny stuff, and making a tongue-in-cheek -- or rather flame-on-beef -- video!
Sarah J. Gim says
Annie: thanks!
ninette: you're welcome for the giveaway, and hopefully there will be many more to come, especially during the holidays!
Annie says
Very well done! congrats to the winner.
StreamingGourmet (Amy Wilson) says
Hilarious video! I'd love for you to join my site StreamingGourmet and post it there. You can just paste in the Youtube link address and the site will embed it for you so you don't have to upload and encode it. All the best. Cheers, Amy
Sarah J. Gim says
Annie: well, no, actually, it was quite rare... ;D
Streaming Gourmet: thanks for the invitation!
Adri says
The video was amazing. I had to just laugh at the song choice!
Sarah J. Gim says
adri: thank you! did you like the song choice?! it wasn't my first choice. i actually thought to use the theme song from flashdance. even though the song itself has nothing to do with "flaming" or "torching," there are scenes from the movie that would have been perfect because the main character was a WELDER.
eternal flame aint bad either, though. that's one one of my (and many others' i'm sure) signature karaoke songs
Genevieve says
Wow. I am blowtorched away...
As a co-worker for Lawry's The Prime Rib, I agree that whipped cream horseradish is a must. I would also recommend some creamed corn to pair with the dish. Check out our recipe here:
http://www.lawrysonline.com/theprimerib_beverlyhills_recipes.asp#Corn
Torch on.
Genevieve
Seefoxrun says
Awesome. Just awesome.
gourmetp says
Hehe that funny video made a good start to my Saturday!
A woman who cooks in a dress, the guys would love it I'm sure ;)
Sarah J. Gim says
Genevieve: thanks for the recipe! makes up for the slightly shill-y comment ;D
seefoxrun: thanks! nice to see/read you again...
gourmetp: sadly, it was all for show. the dress yes, but cook? hell, no.
Charles says
First time here and I will be back. Absolutely captivating. You're very talented and creative. Will make the roast for sure.
Sarah J. Gim says
Charles: Thanks for stopping by...How awesome will it be to whip out a giant blowtorch during the holidays to make this?!
Charlotte says
That was such a fabulous video that you put together....but funny, witty and quite tasty!!!
Anonymous says
Wow. Sexy!
curiousgravy says
I made this for Christmas Day dinner and it was so amazingly good and easy. I will never use another method for cooking prime rib. I can't wait to have my out of state family visit so that I can wow them with this. Thanks for sharing.
Marlowesfu says
Okay, Thomas Keller might be a real food genius.
I tried his ideas for lobster from the “French Laundry Cookbook”and later
used leftovers to make his macaroni and cheese for my partner's Mother’s day –
pheeeeenominal. Today the blowtorch roast beef from “Ad Hoc at Home” (I don’t own
it, memorized instructions at Chapters.) It makes no sense but it is amazing to
cook a rib roast that way. I had a roast half the size – it wasn’t as warm as a
bigger piece of meat might have been, but every millimeter from surface down was
done to the same level. My four-year-old scarfed down an adult share.
Might buy “Under Pressure” as a gift to myself when my PhD is done.
M