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I am planning to cook my fifth prime rib on Sunday and hoped I could get some input from more exprienced people than myself. My first four prime ribs were very satisfactory as far as taste was concerned, but I had some obstacles.

I didn't know to ask the butcher to cut off the chine and the tie them back to the roast during cooking. I only learned that last night. In the meantime, I've already bought a boneless rib roast, but for some odd reason, it was priced way below the bone-in versions.

I got a 9.5-lb. boneless roast for $44.73. As soon as I got home, I cut it in two halves, re-wrapped one part and placed it in my deep freezer.

Here are my problems . . .

I've looked at nearly 100 recipes for prime rib on the Internet, and they all call for "searing" by cooking the roast at 450° or thereabouts for several minutes, then removing the roast from the oven and lowering the temperature to something much lower (they all vary, depending upon the recipe). I've always just done the following:

Prepare semi-ground rosemary leaves, lots of minced garlic, semi-ground peppercorn, crushed red pepper, seasoned black pepper, cumin, tarragon, crushed fennel seed, oregano and seasoned salt (in diminishing quantities).

I melt 1/2 stick of Land-O-Lakes butter and mix with 2 cups of a decent Cabernet wine along with minced garlic and a few dashes of Liquid Smoke and soak the meat in this mixture for several hours (preferably overnight).

The next morning, I will inject a few small garlic cloves then roll the roast vigorously in my spice mixture, trying to embed as much as I can into the meat, particularly the recipes side. Once I'm satisfied with that, I sprinkle the roast with my liquid wine/butter marinade and place on top of a roaster pan that will catch all my drippings (which will be my au jus, of course).

I place the roast in my oven at 225° and just forget about it for about 4 hours for a 4.5-lb. roast. Then I begin basting it a bit with the last of my marinade. After another 1-1/2 hours, I insert a meat thermometer. Once the center of the roast reaches 140°, I'm ready to eat.

However, I never have enough drippings to make really authentic au jus and I find I have to cheat by buying that instant stuff in the envelopes. It's good, but not as good as authentic au jus.

Should I do the "searing" method instead of my all "slow-roast" method? I can't see how that would increase the au jus?

One thing I hate is how butchers cut almost all the recipes off meat before they put it in the case for sale. I know, health-conscious people today demand leaner meat cuts, but it really cuts down on the taste. Besides, I have no cholesterol concerns. Cutting the recipes off should be the responsibility of the cook or the chef, not the butcher.

I would appreciate direct replies to my e-mail address at

allendavis58@sbcglobal.net

as well as here on this page.

I appreciate any and all suggestions and help, especially if they come before 9:00 am EST on Sunday, because that's when I'm cooking this rascal.

I just cooked my very first deep-fried turkey on Thanksgiving day, and as good as that was, I haven't been able to get my mind off preparing this prime rib.

Thanks for any replies.

Allen

I should've stated that I purposely didn't post exact amounts on what I use for seasoning because I think everyone has their own tastes.

I happen to be hooked on rosemary with prime rib, but I grind it a bit before I use it. Rosemary leaves, to me, are like splinters or pine leaves, and I hate when they get lodged between my teeth or puncture one of my gums. I don't like the taste of my own blood when I'm eating.

I'm also very interested in what seasonings other people use when they prepare prime rib.

Allen