# Prime Rib vs Rib Eye



## 357mag

What is the difference between prime rib and rib eye? In other words, if I have a whole uncut rib eye, would that be the same as a prime rib?


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## eman

(from let's talk steak) The difference between the Rib Eye and the Prime Rib is the way it’s prepared. The Rib Eye is cut from the rib section before cooking, while Prime Rib is cut from the Rib Roast after it has cooked. They are both from the rib roast.

 and just because it's called prime rib does not mean that it is prime grade or even choice.


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## mballi3011

First off prime rib and rib eye are the same cut of meat like bob (Eman) says. If youbuy a bone in or bone out it's the same meat. So of can get it for a good price go for it. We cam get it in fla for maybe 5.99lb.


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## pops6927

standing rib roast








rib eye roast







They are both cut from the same cut; the standing rib roast has the rib and backbones left on, the rib eye roast has them removed.  The body of meat is the same cut, just how it's trimmed or not trimmed.

sorry, had to edit it... gotta have some cooked pics... yummm...


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## Bearcarver

eman said:


> (from let's talk steak) The difference between the Rib Eye and the Prime Rib is the way it’s prepared. The Rib Eye is cut from the rib section before cooking, while Prime Rib is cut from the Rib Roast after it has cooked. They are both from the rib roast.
> 
> and just because it's called prime rib does not mean that it is prime grade or even choic


As far as I know > What he said.


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## pit 4 brains

But in order to be "prime rib", doesn't it *HAVE* to be from a prime grade beef? Otherwise it would just be choice rib or choice rib eye, no?. It usually carries a price tag as if it were cut from prime grade beef.

I know some meatcutters will label cuts of meats with a little spin to get them to sell. Like a London broil is preperation for flank steak but you see a round steak in the package..


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## Bearcarver

Pit 4 Brains said:


> But in order to be "prime rib", doesn't it *HAVE* to be from a prime grade beef? Otherwise it would just be choice rib or choice rib eye, no?. It usually carries a price tag as if it were cut from prime grade beef.
> 
> I know some meatcutters will label cuts of meats with a little spin to get them to sell. Like a London broil is preperation for flank steak but you see a round steak in the package..


Yes actually, but most people, including me call it "Prime Rib" in general, kinda like everybody calls kitchen counter top laminate---"formica", even if it's not "Formica". 

If you look closely, "Pops", that sly fox didn't get caught in that trap. He was wise enough to call it "Standing Rib Roast".


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## eman

Pit 4 Brains said:


> But in order to be "prime rib", doesn't it *HAVE* to be from a prime grade beef? Otherwise it would just be choice rib or choice rib eye, no?. It usually carries a price tag as if it were cut from prime grade beef.
> 
> I know some meatcutters will label cuts of meats with a little spin to get them to sell. Like a London broil is preperation for flank steak but you see a round steak in the package..


If you read the last line of my original reply , It states that, It doesn't have to be prime or even choice to be labeled prime rib.

 I buy most of my beef and pork from one butcher at one store. they sell mostly angus choice beef. I can get choice grade from them for a better price than select grade at other places.

 then you have winn dixe and albertsons who offer (certifed beef)  or (WD Brand) for very high prices but can't (won't) tell me what the actual grade is???


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## pit 4 brains

> If you read the last line of my original reply , It states that, It doesn't have to be prime or even choice to be labeled prime rib.
> I buy most of my beef and pork from one butcher at one store. they sell mostly angus choice beef. I can get choice grade from them for a better price than select grade at other places.
> 
> then you have winn dixe and albertsons who offer (certifed beef)  or (WD Brand) for very high prices but can't (won't) tell me what the actual grade is???


 I'm not arguing here. I understand that sliced rib roast is commonly known as prime rib, my point is that it isn't really prime rib unless it's infact _prime rib. _

_  _My Albertson's here is an LLC store and they only carry choice meat. I've never seen them label a rib roast, either standing or not, as prime rib. I can, however, go to Midwestern Meats nearby and select from a wide variety of prime cuts and in fact, get a prime rib, If I have 80-90 dollars in my pocket.


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## tigerregis

There's enough meat cut identification on this site, if the search function is used.

When I went to meat cutting school we learned a primal cut rib has seven bones. The short ribs and the chine bone are removed. Now you have a full rib. Next you trim as much as required.

Then one either bones and rolls it or cuts the the chuck end two bones roast off. That is a standing rib, the rest is prime rib because it is the first five bones. Confused yet? The counting of bones reverses as soon as the primal cut is removed from the front. A rib-eye is the fully cap removed dorsal major muscle which is the same muscle as a loin steak. A rib-eye is a cut and is identical to a NY strip. That is the reason it is called a Delmonico. There are regional differences in nomenclature and cutting but, you cannot have a rib-eye bone-in. That is a rib steak.

You can argue all you like but, that is the way it is. A dead give-away for standing rib is short bones. When buying a prime rib roast, look for long bones and a large eye.


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## 357mag

Wow. That was a lot of information. Thanks all.


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## pit 4 brains

Ok, then I guess a prime rib doesn't have to be from prime grade beef. I was misinformed somewhere. I'll be getting the chicken at the next lousy wedding I go to for sure.


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## pops6927

Grading is optional.


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## eman

If a rib roast is cooked properly , Most folks wouldn't know the difference in choice or prime. Unless they saw it b4 it was cooked and knew what they were looking at.


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## smoke_chef

tigerregis said:


> There's enough meat cut identification on this site, if the search function is used.
> 
> When I went to meat cutting school we learned a primal cut rib has seven bones. The short ribs and the chine bone are removed. Now you have a full rib. Next you trim as much as required.
> 
> Then one either bones and rolls it or cuts the the chuck end two bones roast off. That is a standing rib, the rest is prime rib because it is the first five bones. Confused yet? The counting of bones reverses as soon as the primal cut is removed from the front. A rib-eye is the fully cap removed dorsal major muscle which is the same muscle as a loin steak. A rib-eye is a cut and is identical to a NY strip. That is the reason it is called a Delmonico. There are regional differences in nomenclature and cutting but, you cannot have a rib-eye bone-in. That is a rib steak.
> 
> You can argue all you like but, that is the way it is. A dead give-away for standing rib is short bones. When buying a prime rib roast, look for long bones and a large eye.


Awesome contribution. Thanks!


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## smokingohiobutcher

eman said:


> If a rib roast is cooked properly , Most folks wouldn't know the difference in choice or prime. Unless they saw it b4 it was cooked and knew what they were looking at.


Well said!  GOOOOO EMAN!!!!!







SOB


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## Bearcarver

So, does this mean we could have a "Prime" standing rib roast in one hand, and a "Select" Prime Rib in the other hand.

And the "Standing Rib Roast" would be a better piece of meat than the "Prime Rib" ???

Hmmmm

Bear


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## eman

Bearcarver said:


> So, does this mean we could have a "Prime" standing rib roast in one hand, and a "Select" Prime Rib in the other hand.
> 
> And the "Standing Rib Roast" would be a better piece of meat than the "Prime Rib" ???
> 
> Hmmmm
> 
> Hmmmmmm.
> 
> Now your jumping from select to prime. Thats 2 grades up. some could tell the difference ,some couldn't , Raw it would be very easy to see and yes the stander would be a better piece of meat. but i've eaten lower graded cuts that were fantastic and some choice and even prime that i would have a hard time feeding to my dog. All in the preperation.
> 
> Bear


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## Bearcarver

eman said:


> Hmmmmmm.
> 
> Now your jumping from select to prime. Thats 2 grades up. some could tell the difference ,some couldn't , Raw it would be very easy to see and yes the stander would be a better piece of meat. but i've eaten lower graded cuts that were fantastic and some choice and even prime that i would have a hard time feeding to my dog. All in the preperation.


Yup,

I used to say, "I never met a Prime Rib that I didn't like".

Then I had it at a restaurant near Lake Wallenpaupack, PA. It sucked, had a nasty back taste.

Then about a month later I had a Prime Rib at a different restaurant near Lake Wallenpaupack. It sucked too, with much the same back taste.

I thought my taste buds were destroyed. How can this be? Two Prime Ribs that sucked?

So I was telling a buddy of mine about it. He was a retired meat cutter, who bought a restaurant. Was featured in "Fine Dining" magazine.

He said, "That's an easy one to explain!" Those two "so-called restaurants" got their pre-cooked, pre-seasoned "Prime Ribs" out of the back of the same delivery truck. They might have even used the same model Microwave to heat them up.

My Taste buds are fine, and since that, I have not met another Prime Rib that I didn't like.

THE END

Bear


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## smoke_chef

Okay... so, I can be a little slow sometimes. This... is one of those times. One of you guys that totally get this bottom line it for those of us who don't. Let's say I want to make what my family perceives as smoked prime rib. The traditional steak house version of prime rib. Let's also say I can't afford the $100 hunk of meat. What exactly do I tell my butcher I'm looking for? I think from what I've read there is a cut in the butchers case called "prime rib roast"? But then I think I read that there are other cuts called by different names that when cooked the same way will have equal or better quality? Then, the whole with bones... without bones throws me. All the prime rib I've ever had did not have bones. They have the dude in the big hat and white coat carving it off a hunk right in front of you. Maybe that wasn't prime rib? Pops picture of a rib eye roast is what I've always thought prime rib was?


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## pokey

Bearcarver said:


> Yup,
> 
> I used to say, "I never met a Prime Rib that I didn't like".
> 
> Then I had it at a restaurant near Lake Wallenpaupack, PA. It sucked, had a nasty back taste.
> 
> Then about a month later I had a Prime Rib at a different restaurant near Lake Wallenpaupack. It sucked too, with much the same back taste.
> 
> I thought my taste buds were destroyed. How can this be? Two Prime Ribs that sucked?
> 
> So I was telling a buddy of mine about it. He was a retired meat cutter, who bought a restaurant. Was featured in "Fine Dining" magazine.
> 
> He said, "That's an easy one to explain!" Those two "so-called restaurants" got their pre-cooked, pre-seasoned "Prime Ribs" out of the back of the same delivery truck. They might have even used the same model Microwave to heat them up.
> 
> My Taste buds are fine, and since that, I have not met another Prime Rib that I didn't like.
> 
> THE END
> 
> Bear


I used to own a place on that lake. Lovely area, bad restaurants. When I first started going there (in '83), I was referred to a "gourmet" Italian restaurant. I ordered veal parmigiani, which turned out to be a ground veal patty with sauce and squares of melted cheese on top that had orange edges, looking suspiciously muenster-like. The area may have changed, but I never did find any fine dining there.


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## Bearcarver

Pokey said:


> I used to own a place on that lake. Lovely area, bad restaurants. When I first started going there (in '83), I was referred to a "gourmet" Italian restaurant. I ordered veal parmigiani, which turned out to be a ground veal patty with sauce and squares of melted cheese on top that had orange edges, looking suspiciously muenster-like. The area may have changed, but I never did find any fine dining there.


Yup, We finally found that all the restaurants around the lake were below grade. We ended up regularly going to The Newfoundland Inn for a large assortment of very good beer & sammies (cheesesteaks etc). That was only about 10 or 15 minutes from our boat dock at the lake. This was in the late 70s to early 80s too.


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## pokey

On our way up we used to stop at a place called the Walpack Inn on the Jersey side of the Delaware River. It was a little out of the way, but was a nice spot. They had home-made whole-grain bread with a thick crust that was to die for.

To get back on topic, we did a rib-eye roast in the smoker. Cooked at 325 until internal temp was 120 - we like it rare. It was the best I've ever had. Why eat out when you can make food like this at home.


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## eman

Smoke_Chef said:


> Okay... so, I can be a little slow sometimes. This... is one of those times. One of you guys that totally get this bottom line it for those of us who don't. Let's say I want to make what my family perceives as smoked prime rib. The traditional steak house version of prime rib. Let's also say I can't afford the $100 hunk of meat. What exactly do I tell my butcher I'm looking for? I think from what I've read there is a cut in the butchers case called "prime rib roast"? But then I think I read that there are other cuts called by different names that when cooked the same way will have equal or better quality? Then, the whole with bones... without bones throws me. All the prime rib I've ever had did not have bones. They have the dude in the big hat and white coat carving it off a hunk right in front of you. Maybe that wasn't prime rib? Pops picture of a rib eye roast is what I've always thought prime rib was?


Boneless rib roast or boneless whole ribeye (same cut i think) are used for prime rib .

 Bone in rib roast or standing rib roast  is what bone in ribeyes are cut from but can be cooked as a roast.

 I am not a butcher, So i may be a little off on some of this statement. But i don't think i am.


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## pops6927

What you tell your butcher is that you want a whole boneless rib eye (or whatever size you want in lbs.).


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## smoke_chef

Thanks eman... Thanks Pops... Thanks to 357 for getting this thread started. It was a good one! I look forward to posting my q-view of a boneless ribeye / prime rib.


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## tigerregis

Always ask for your cut to come from the loin end. The chuck end has lots of tougher muscle surrounding the eye.


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## beefmeister

O.K, the term "Prime Rib"  has NOTHING to do with the USDA grade of beef the prime rib came from.

Prime Rib = standing rib roast. Here is the important part, to whit:

prime rib refers to the primal cuts of beef. The primal cuts are the large cuts of beef that smaller cuts are derived from.

From Wikipedia : The *rib*  contains part of the short ribs, rib eye  steaks, prime rib, and standing rib roasts.

A Prime Rib Roast could be USDA Prime, Choice or Select, but they are all sourced from the primal rib section.

A USDA inspector at the slaughterhouse making a cut between the 7th & 8th rib on a half a side of beef will determine THE GRADE OF WHOLE ANIMAL.


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## venture

As always, please refer to Pops post.  The term "prime rib" has nothing to do with the quality grading of the meat.  It is just a marketing term.  It is a standing rib roast.  The USDA places no requirement on the quality grade for it to be called so called "prime rib". 

Listen to Pops and you will never go wrong!


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## 2013

There is quite a bit of reference online (USDA for one) that "Prime" doesn't have anything to do with the meat grade (Prime/Select/Choice/Etc.) when describing the cut of meat referred to as Prime Rib. The "prime" in Prime Rib refers to the area of the cut: ribs 6-12. Rib Eye roast/steak is cut from the next section of the rib cage and is not as tender as the Prime Rib cut even though they look the same and are very much different in price. Hope this helps... Happy New Year!!


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## demosthenes9

2013 said:


> There is quite a bit of reference online (USDA for one) that "Prime" doesn't have anything to do with the meat grade (Prime/Select/Choice/Etc.) when describing the cut of meat referred to as Prime Rib. The "prime" in Prime Rib refers to the area of the cut: ribs 6-12. Rib Eye roast/steak is cut from the next section of the rib cage and is not as tender as the Prime Rib cut even though they look the same and are very much different in price. Hope this helps... Happy New Year!!


;Your information is flawed in that "Rib Eye roast/steak" also comes from ribs 6-12, as others have discussed here.   Prime Rib is a Ribeye Roast.


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## venture

The nomenclature is expertly covered in Post #4.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## beefmeister

perfect.JPG



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## ak1

Nice pics.

So, what's your point?


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## beefmeister

Ha ! no point, just gotta luv naked beef !!


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## sarnott

Thanks for all the great information. I learned a lot and now I want to go to a short meat cutting school so I can learn more (if there is such a thing)! Now I have a question that, on this forum, is somewhat embarrassing.

A few week ago, I planned on smoking a rib roast (well, half of a rib roast, about 4 pounds). Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate so I had to cook it inside and to tell the truth, it came out awesome. I rubbed it with OVOO and rubbed it with kosher salt, two colors of pepper, garlic and onion. I roasted it at 500 degrees for 22 minutes, then turned off the oven for about 2 hours. I kept my Maverick probe in the roast to watch the temperature because I didn't trust the recipe and timing but it came out perfect.

My question is, I really wanted to smoke it. I was thinking about searing the second half at 500 degrees in the oven again, then putting it in a 225 smoker until done but was wondering if the searing would stop the smoke. I also considered reverse searing it by smoking it a while, then putting it in the 500 degree oven to reverse sear it but just didn't know which way would work best. For rib roasts, I like some smoke but let the spices and rubs add most of the flavor but what is the best way in a smoker to get a great crust with a medium rare, juicy interior and a light smoke.

Thanks and, if you are ever stuck cooking inside, this approach from Chef Ron Lock is exceptional. 

   http://chefronlock.com/recipes/roas...ction_type_map=["og.likes"]&action_ref_map=[]

Thanks,

Scott


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## Bearcarver

sarnott said:


> Thanks for all the great information. I learned a lot and now I want to go to a short meat cutting school so I can learn more (if there is such a thing)! Now I have a question that, on this forum, is somewhat embarrassing.
> 
> A few week ago, I planned on smoking a rib roast (well, half of a rib roast, about 4 pounds). Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate so I had to cook it inside and to tell the truth, it came out awesome. I rubbed it with OVOO and rubbed it with kosher salt, two colors of pepper, garlic and onion. I roasted it at 500 degrees for 22 minutes, then turned off the oven for about 2 hours. I kept my Maverick probe in the roast to watch the temperature because I didn't trust the recipe and timing but it came out perfect.
> 
> My question is, I really wanted to smoke it. I was thinking about searing the second half at 500 degrees in the oven again, then putting it in a 225 smoker until done but was wondering if the searing would stop the smoke. I also considered reverse searing it by smoking it a while, then putting it in the 500 degree oven to reverse sear it but just didn't know which way would work best. For rib roasts, I like some smoke but let the spices and rubs add most of the flavor but what is the best way in a smoker to get a great crust with a medium rare, juicy interior and a light smoke.
> 
> Thanks and, if you are ever stuck cooking inside, this approach from Chef Ron Lock is exceptional.
> 
> http://chefronlock.com/recipes/roas...ction_type_map=["og.likes"]&action_ref_map=[]
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Scott


Sarnott,

There are a number of ways to do a Prime Rib, including both of the ways you mentioned.

Below is what works best for me:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110433/prime-rib-new-best-ever

Bear


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## beefmeister

I'm glad to see Chef Lock uses Herbs de Provence as do I along with cracked Black Pepper, Kosher Salt, granulated garlic, a touch of Lawrey's Season Salt and a hint of Cayenne. I rub the beast with peanut oil or EVOO and season heavily.

I slow roast at 225 or 250 in the smoker or in the oven on convection (depending on mood and time constraints) to an internal of 118.

Let rest AT LEAST 30 minutes loosely tented w/foil. I don't sear at 500 at the beginning or the end. With the heavy amount of herbs and seasonings, the exterior turns out beautifully browned and crusty.

Damn the cholesterol, full speed ahead...

P.S. try making your own au jus sometime...umm,umm


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## whtplainssmoker

I've done a prime rib a couple of times in the smoker and it came out great both times.  The first link below came out a little better.  Even color throughout the roast. 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...-pulled-pork-and-smoked-sausage-lots-o-q-view

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...-smoked-angus-rib-eye-roast-with-rib-eye-view


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## sarnott

Thanks Beefmeister,

I couldn't agree more about homemade au jus, I use Chef JJ's recipe and it comes out great every time!


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## fiddlermike

From all of the previous statements, it seems that the question of where the cuts of beef for "Prime Rib" or "Rib Eye" come from has been answered: They're both from the same cut & basically the same thing (the "Prime" in Prime Rib coming from the word "Primal Cut").

The other question that has been bandied about seems to be "What is considered to be "Prime Quality" beef?

It's been a few years, but the last time I looked, Beef grades are BASICALLY (for home & restaurant use) categorized by the USDA into (3) Grades (in raw form, at time of processing), based upon several factors, including (but not limited to) texture, fat marbling, feeding & genetic history (which breed) of the critter.

1): PRIME GRADE: The top 10% (in quality) of beef on the market. This is what you pay BIG bucks for in high-end restaurants & specialty butcher shops. Best flavor & tenderness.

2): CHOICE GRADE: The middle range, 70-90% (in quality) of market beef. This is what you normally (make sure to check) get in the local super market. Less flavor & tenderness than PRIME.

3): SELECT GRADE: The lower range, 50-70% (in quality) of market beef. Less flavor & tenderness than CHOICE.

There are other, lesser grades used for other purposes.

There are other processes involved (Dry or Wet Aging, etc.) to enhance the final product, but they don't have anything to do with the original USDA Grade.

My percentages may be currently off (like I said, it's been a while) but that's the basic info on USDA graded beef (unless the USDA came out with some different standard grades when I wasn't looking).

Mike


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## worktogthr

I know this is an older thread but thanks to my obsession with cooking and this site, I am fairly knowledgable about beef grading.  So the other day, I emailed a local supermarket that I really love.  I wasn't complaining just explaining that I know that what they are labeling as "USDA Inspected" Prime Rib is in fact select.  Especially because it is by far the cheapest rib roast around and this is not a big chain that has enough buying power to get a really low price. I've purchases them and they eat more like an eye round which is great if cooked right, but much leaner.  I just asked that they be honest to their loyal customers who might be less knowledgable about beef grading and label it appropriately so people don't think they are getting a better product than they are.  Unfortunately, I didn't buy my rib roasts from them this year for 5.99/lb.  but instead went to a larger chain and bought a beautifully marbled choice strip loin for 4.99/lb.  Bought the whole 12 pounder... Have some roasts and reverse seared steaks in my future!  Bonus...  They originally weighed it incorrectly at check out since their was no barcode from the butcher... I made them aware of that and the manager gave me the incorrect price to thank me.  Saved just shy of 10 more bucks!


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## ak1

You may know about beef grading, but...

A Prime rib is called that because it is cut from the Rib Primal of a Cow, Not because it has been graded as Prime. The proper term actually is a standing rib roast, but colloquially called a Prime Rib roast.


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## worktogthr

AK1 said:


> You may know about beef grading, but...
> 
> A Prime rib is called that because it is cut from the Rib Primal of a Cow, Not because it has been graded as Prime. The proper term actually is a standing rib roast, but colloquially called a Prime Rib roast.



True enough but they use that label in my opinion to mislead, not because it's a primal cut.


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## demosthenes9

worktogthr said:


> True enough but they use that label in my opinion to mislead, not because it's a primal cut.



Or, perhaps its because this roast was called Prime Rib more than 25 years before the advent of the USDA grading system and the grade of "USDA PRIME" ?

Here's an illustration from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer, 1894 

(_Charles Ranhofer (November 7, 1836 in Saint-Denis, France – October 9, 1899 in New York) was the chef at the famous Delmonico's Restaurant in New York from 1862 to 1876 and 1879 to 1896. Ranhofer was the author of The Epicurean (1894), an encyclopedic cookbook of over 1,000 pages, similar in scope to Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire_.)













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The USDA grading system didn't come about until after 1925.


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## ak1

worktogthr said:


> True enough but they use that label in my opinion to mislead, not because it's a primal cut.


That is your opinion, and you may choose to believe it or not. Don't let facts get in your way.


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## beefmeister

Demo9, awesome...I love history. The Epicurean is something worth acquiring, as is Gastronomique which I should have purchased when i first laid eyes on it...c'est la vie

No, French I don't speak, and Spanish very poorly...


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## worktogthr

Demosthenes9 said:


> Or, perhaps its because this roast was called Prime Rib more than 25 years before the advent of the USDA grading system and the grade of "USDA PRIME" ?
> 
> Here's an illustration from The Epicurean by Charles Ranhofer, 1894
> 
> (_Charles Ranhofer (November 7, 1836 in Saint-Denis, France – October 9, 1899 in New York) was the chef at the famous Delmonico's Restaurant in New York from 1862 to 1876 and 1879 to 1896. Ranhofer was the author of The Epicurean (1894), an encyclopedic cookbook of over 1,000 pages, similar in scope to Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire_.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 20140707-001-beef%20chart.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> __ demosthenes9
> __ Dec 22, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The USDA grading system didn't come about until after 1925.






AK1 said:


> That is your opinion, and you may choose to believe it or not. Don't let facts get in your way.



I just got served haha.  The thing I don't like about the particular market I mentioned is that they will label certain cuts choice in the circular and the select cuts "USDA Inspected".  Call a spade a spade!


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## dwhite1031

I know this is an old thread but I read with interest the posts regarding the term "prime" rib.  The term prime in prime rib does not refer to do with the grade or quality.  Prime rib is one of the nine primal cuts of beef.  Thats where the name prime rib comes from.  For the longest time I also thought it meant the grade of the cut until the butcher at our local Market Street & Wikipedia educated me.













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__ dwhite1031
__ Aug 1, 2015


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## beefmeister

Check out the Texas Tech Meat Science website. They had/have a great powerpoint presentation on beef grading as well as the principles of ageing a carcass, like ossification, fat color, esp. abdominal fat and other factors.

This is where I learned that there are three grades of Prime and three grades of Choice.

Fascinating stuff for any carnivore...


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## donnar

I too live in Fla and recently my husband drove a hour away to get a real nice prime rib roast for Christmas dinner at $5.99 a lb. I didn't realize that Prime Rib roast was the same meat as rib eye steak. The reason we bought it was because we both just love rib eye steak we get when we dine out. It is usually our favorite. This rib roast was a huge disappointment to us let along out guests. It was chewy, hard not tender it was even difficult to cut. It was the worse rib steak we ever had. I was wondering if it was the same steak as prime rib and I have read it was so I am shocked to learn that. This roast ruined our Christmas dinner. I am hoping that if we buy it again from someplace else that it takes and cut and chews much better then that one did. We have been making roast and steaks all our lives (and we are in our 60's) never had we have such a awful experiance.


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## Bearcarver

DonnaR said:


> I too live in Fla and recently my husband drove a hour away to get a real nice prime rib roast for Christmas dinner at $5.99 a lb. I didn't realize that Prime Rib roast was the same meat as rib eye steak. The reason we bought it was because we both just love rib eye steak we get when we dine out. It is usually our favorite. This rib roast was a huge disappointment to us let along out guests. It was chewy, hard not tender it was even difficult to cut. It was the worse rib steak we ever had. I was wondering if it was the same steak as prime rib and I have read it was so I am shocked to learn that. This roast ruined our Christmas dinner. I am hoping that if we buy it again from someplace else that it takes and cut and chews much better then that one did. We have been making roast and steaks all our lives (and we are in our 60's) never had we have such a awful experiance.


Sorry to hear that, Donna!!

Here's what they should look like (14 of them):

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/138992/prime-rib-calendar-my-favorite-smokes

Bear


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## beefmeister

Sorry to hear about the bummer rib roast. Although at $5.99/lb i bet it was USDA Select or No Roll.

Reminds me of a rib-eye steak I purchased from a really small meat market in Denton Tx. The ones in the case weren't thick enough for me so I asked him to cut one.

He had to open a cryo-vac'd new one and he was kinda frustrated about it. When he presented the steak it was a deep ruby color, I figured it hadn't had enough time exposed to oxygen.

I was in a hurry and didn't check out the marbling either.

It was the same color when i got home and when I prepared to grill it. It was absolutely the toughest piece of meat I EVER tried to eat.

I theorize that the animal was not allowed to complete the rigor process and was cut in to primals too soon after slaughter.

I've never seen a more ruby colored piece of meat since.... but if I do, I'll know


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