Dry aging a prime rib is a labor of love that I have to thank my mother for undertaking with me. We bought a beautiful prime rib at the local butcher intending to freeze for a week then eat it for New Year’s Day dinner. But when the sweet little old butcher heard our sacrilegious plan for his beautiful hunk of prime rib he intervened and insisted that we dry age it at home. After a quick primer from the butcher and checking with both Alton Brown and Guy Fieri (he may have strange hair but he has good step-by-step directions for this process) on the web, we began dry aging at home. My mother bravely took custody of the large roast and gave up her fridge to the endeavor. If you are going to spend $100 on meat might as well admire it in your fridge for a week or more while it ages. The smell of aging meat may last longer in your refrigerator than the leftovers but a dry aged prime rib is a really a special meal and worth the effort. We now make one of these roasts at least a few times a year, it is always the favorite dinner of anyone invited to join us.
Dry Aged Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 1 Large prime rib not too well trimmed
- 1-2 packages of cheesecloth
- Large roasting pan with rack
- Olive oil
- Garlic salt
- Thyme
- Black pepper
- Salt
- New box of baking soda
Instructions
-
Get your roast home and rinse and dry it very well. Wrap the roast loosely in 3 layers of cheese cloth and place it on the rack in the roasting pan in your refrigerator. Replace the cheesecloth on the roast every 24 to 48 hours. Let the roast age for 7-10 days. Once you finish aging the meat put the new box of baking soda in your fridge to deodorize.
-
The roast will look and feel like cured meat on the outside, and smell kind of funky after a week.
-
The dry exterior now needs to be cut away, you can easily tell the parts you want to cut away from what you want to keep once you start.
-
The dry outside will be gray or brownish the meat you want to eat is red and healthy looking.
-
Coat the trimmed beef with olive oil to stop it from continuing to oxidize. Crust the outside with garlic salt, thyme, pepper and salt or whatever spices you like best. In our family you have to keep the prime rib simple or there would be mutiny at the dinner table, so garlic and thyme is the tradition. Allow the meat to rest on the counter until it comes to room temperature.
-
Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees, I use the convection setting in my oven to help form a nice crust on the meat. Roast for about 20-30 minutes per pound or to your preferred internal temperature. I like about 115 degrees for the center of the roast. Remove from the oven and let rest about 15-20 minutes before you carve. A prime rib dinner is about having the meat be the star, so we serve with green salad and bake potato. I fry up good bacon to make my own bacon bits and dice fresh chive for the potato fixings to make the potatoes almost as special as the roast.
I bought a SteakAger and I love it. It totally changes the way I think about grilling my steaks the flavor is incredible.
I did not make this, but I give it a 5 star for watching John do it all. It was refreshing hear him say, unless you’ve got extra money, time and a refrigerator on hand, it’s probably not worth it… Way to go!
Our 39th anniversary is coming up. I have a spare frig in my garage so it will go in there. I have my own dry rub which we all love so that’ll be done.
We live in the mountains and lose power too frequently, by fire or wires down. To remove unwanted scents from refrigerators and freezers, first a cleaning with water & baking soda. Then place a bowl full of charcoal inside. Usually it takes five days and fresh as new.
Years ago, maybe 50 – 60, my ole south grandmother would dry age prime rib, roasts and steaks by salting them real good and hanging them in the smoke house (no fire) in burlap sacks for 7 – 10 days in the fall of the year when they butchered steers. Have never tasted anything as good since then, coast to coast and even in Europe.
I have tried your recipe and others – not one comes close. Thanks for the effort but no cigar.
if you would like a perfect, evenly done medium rare roast you have to go to this link. It is by far the best way to cook a prime rib.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/12/the-food-lab-how-to-cook-roast-a-perfect-prime-rib.html
I’ve done it now three times and it consistently comes out the same. I pull the roast at 128 degrees, which I know sounds a little high, but there is very little residual cooking when you cook it at such a low temperature. It takes a little courage to do it with such an expensive cut, but I guarantee it will be worth it.
Thank you!
Thanks Michelle for this post! I’ve done this recipe for the last two years, family and friends have enjoyed it as well. This year we will enjoy it for New Years! I just wanted to thank you 🙂
In the process of doing a bone-in rib roast. It’s been in my refrigerator for five days now wrapped with cloth and resting on a rack. I’ve checked and rotated cloth everyday and it looks like it should. One key part is to key it Dry and keep a decent airflow. I’m going to use Guy Fieri’s rub roast recipe. Can’t wait to cook and eat. Oh yeah going for 10 day dry aging.
After we were too rushed to cook our prime rib for Christmas Eve, I dry aged it in our spare refrigerator in the garage for 7days until we could all get together again on New Years. It was amazing! Everyone immediately recognized a difference in the tenderness and in the taste. It’s the only way to go!
It is such a great meal a total treat every time we make one, glad you had success with yours.
Not only did I buy one full 7 rib prime rib , my friends bought the same 7 rib. Now all three have been aging since December 18th in my spare fridge with mini fan circulating the air. Going to age to 28 days.
I’m trying this for the first time! I have a 19.70 prime wish me luck.
Good luck!! Enjoy it and Merry Christmas.
Easy to do and OH yes what a big difference in taste and texture. Strongly recommend. Dont let the looks or smell scare you. Just trim away, and your spices and enjoy a tremendous meal
I am nervous that it will spoil. Do you have tip or advice?
@scott above is right its going to look and smell a bit funky, but that is the point. Just trim away all the gross parts and then you will have the most delicious beef roast ever!!
I’am doing mine this year but i’am going for 21 days and I never have used cheese cloth
have been itching to do this and have every intention for new years! thanks Michelle
Have you bought your prime rib yet? Please tell me how it goes.