# Recipe: Prime Rib encrusted in Rock Salt in Dutch Oven



## alaskansmokesignals (Nov 9, 2009)

Get a nice 5# prime rib; if larger adjust times. I prefer Angus and bones in but I buy what's on sale. I got this Angus one for $7.27/# and was happy.

Spice it up. Be creative from your spice cabinet and don't spare the spice. If you're at a loss what to do here do your first one with garlic powder, paprika, pepper or tarragon pepper or Mrs. Dash. Pat the spices in, triple wrap in plastic and fridge for 24 hours if you have the time.

Put 3/4" of rock salt (I buy it by the 50# bag; its really cheap; get food grade) in the bottom of the dutch oven. Lay the roast in, fat up.



Continue to fill dutch oven with rock salt, pushing the roast away from contact with cast iron.





When its full, cover and put into oven preheated to 350F while at the same time lower the oven temp to 225F. Leave it alone for 3 hours.

Test it with an internal instant thermometer; you're looking for about 140 for Medium Rare. Don't pull it until you have that.

Let Dutch Oven sit out for 30 minutes. Pull the roast from the salt, scrape the salt off and serve. You'll be surprised that its not all salty; just juicy/flavorful/wonderful.


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## beer-b-q (Nov 9, 2009)

Thanks for the qview It looks great...


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## mballi3011 (Nov 9, 2009)

I have seen that recipe kind of on the food network. They didn't do it in the cast iron dutch oven but just on a cookie sheet and incrusted it in salt. A friend of the wife made it for us and it was very good but they didn't like heir meat as rare as we do so. It is amasing how little of the salt you taste but the flavor of the meat was very deep to say. It's hard to put in words but it was so rich an juicey with a flavor of just really good beef flavor. But I will try it one day. Tahnks for reminding me.


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## bbqhead (Nov 9, 2009)

I heard about this many years ago with briskit, but I thought some one was pulling my leg. guess I was wrong.  ok it still don't add up!


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## fire it up (Nov 9, 2009)

No finished sliced pics?
You're such a tease!  Great recipe though, hope the salt isn't that expensive with how much you have to use.


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## alaskansmokesignals (Nov 9, 2009)

Uh.... camera?.... Fork? .... camera? .... Fork? ..... I CHOOSE FORK! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






It really was some of the best we've done; sorry, should have taken pictures *after *eating way too much at the table tonight. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I don't remember how much I pay for the salt, but no, its cheap. I buy it from a grainery type of place that sells bulk to canners - lots of people can, here in Alaska. I bought 2 50# bags almost 2 years ago for cheap and still have half a bag; though I also use that to salt and smoke more than a hundred (likely more like 200) pounds of salmon per year too.


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## twinfallsid (Nov 9, 2009)

I bet you could do the same with 1/4 inch ceramic beads, instead of salt.

Looks great, Steve.


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## raceyb (Nov 9, 2009)

It's all about the plated food shot. I like seeing the prep too, but I LOVE seeing whats on the plate.


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## alaskansmokesignals (Nov 9, 2009)

Second time around you just can't maintain that medium rare, so make up for it with a nice St. Diane's demi-glace plus red wine plus lime atop it, with green onions on top of that.


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## grouper sandwich (Nov 9, 2009)

That looks and sounds delicious with one exception. 140* for medium rare? That seems more like medium-medium/medium well than medium rare. I rarely let mine go past 125* and prefer to pull them at 118*. 140* is going to be pushing 155-160 after a 20 minute rest. Some may like it than done, but 140* is not going to give you medium rare.


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## alaskansmokesignals (Nov 10, 2009)

You're right.

I didn't want to complicate the recipe, and don't usually put times into mine when its just for me. I documented this prime rub to post. Here's what really happened:

- The roast was smaller than I thought, or something because it was at an internal temp that was too high; it would be done way before dinner.
- So I pulled it at 3 and a quarter hours or so, and it sat stovetop while I worked on the sauce that was to accompany. (a St. Diane's demi-glace)
- After getting the sauce done over an hour later the prime rib was still getting doner and doner but ever so slowly. I bumped it a big with a 200F oven for 10 minutes to make sure it wasn't cooling inside.

Weird technique but it came out really nicely; the doneness of the inside vs. the outside was more the same than any prime rib I've ever done, since it coasted so slowly for so long at the end.

It *was *slightly overdone and was at about 140F final; but it wouldn't have been if I hadn't done the coast thing while I prepped the sauce. That's why I documented it how I did. But you're right and nice catch.

And now you have.... the rest of the story....


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## jirodriguez (Nov 10, 2009)

We do this every year at Christmas, but we use a large pyrex pan. 

I do a mix of fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper - give it all a whirr in the blender, rub it on the prime rib and let sit for at least 3 hrs (or overnight). For the salt coat, I buy 2 or 3 boxes of kosher salt, put the salt in a large mixing bowl, add 2-3 Tbs. eac  of fresh chopped rosmary, and fresh thyme. Then add just enough water to make the salt like fluffy snow. Put about a 3/4" bed on the bottom of the pan, place the roast in the center, then pack the salt mix all around the roast till you have a 1/2" shell over the entire roast.

Makes an awesome prime rib. :)


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## alaskansmokesignals (Nov 11, 2009)

JI, I've thought many times about trying a regular salt instead of rock salt. It's supposed to make a casing that after cooking you have to crack to get into your roast... But my wanna-do list is larger than my can-do list, so this remains on it.

Can you say more about this way?


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## erain (Nov 11, 2009)

just to add... "regular" salt to most people is table salt, and is iodized and a finer grain. you want to use kosher, or canning/pickling salt not regular table salt.


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## jirodriguez (Nov 11, 2009)

Yup definately want Kosher salt, the regular table salt is way to fine. But yes the Kosher salt ends up forming a rock hard shell around the roast that basically acts like a mini dutch oven. It also seems to cut down your cooking time as well. But there is one major drawback to salt packing a roast - no drippings! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 So making that rich meaty gravy is out.


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## mistabob (Dec 23, 2009)

I've seen people do that before but with Lowry's Seasoned Salt.  I have yet to try it, but they both look delicious!!!  *drools*


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## hoity toit (Nov 7, 2015)

Awesome dude


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