Prime Rib, "Prime" over "Choice"

[beadyidgirl]

I couldn't afford the "Choice" cut of prime rib... So I got "Prime".

What can I do to optimize the fact that of course the meat is going to contain more fat...

Help??

 

[Andy M.]

"Prime" is the top grade. "Choice" is the next grade below Prime. "Select" is the lowest of the top three grades.

A prime grade standing rib roast will have more intramuscular fat. That's the little white lines of fat within the red meat. Lower grades will have less intramuscular fat.

More intramuscular fat is a good thing because it results in a more tender and juicier roast.

External fat is what is around the outside of the red meat.

Whether a standing rib roast has more or less external fat is more dependent on which end of the standing rib you got your roast from. One end has more fat and the other end has less.

You can trim of excess external fat but leave some fat all around to keep the roast from drying out during cooking.

 

[beadyidgirl]

Thanks, ya, switch that!

 

[Bigjim68]

Although prime rib is technically a grade, prime rib roast has come to mean a cut of meat. I believe that a lot of prime rib served in restaurants is actually choice or standard grade. Cooking techniques are the same.

Costco prime grade beef is a good buy. I just cut up a boneless rib primal cut. IO bought it in Cryovac and aged it for around two weeks. The one I bought had been packed two weeks earlier, a month total aging. Cost was around $8.50/lb. No waste. It was not that much higher in price than choice. At the same counter, ribeye steaks were 12 bucks. A lot of difference for 14 knife cuts.