Trader Joe's Boneless Prime Rib Roast

Behold, the most expensive thing I can get my hands on at Trader Joe's. Clocking in at just shy of $50 for this one package is nearly four pounds of beefy goodness. However, beefy goodness is in the eyes of the beholder. How much you like this will be determined by how well you prepare this. So tonight's review is a little bit of cooking with a bit of commentary on this slab of meat.

Taste

In the world of beef, the USDA has determined that there are three grades of meat: prime, choice, and select. Prime has the most marbling of them all. And for those of you who don't like dry cuts of meat, you know how good a well-marbled steak with worth. It's the fat that brings the flavor of the beef (but you have your own role to play as well).

Just down from prime, is this slab right here: choice. There is a moderate amount of marbling, but it is tender and flavorful. So off the bat, this is well priced at $11.99 a pound. Go to Costco or another retailer and look for prime meat. You could easily be looking at double for the same size roast.

But the true magic beyond the quality of the meat, is in how the person chooses to cook it. 

I made this last year. And I was more than happy to get it again this year. This is a roast that likes to take its time. And while I haven't followed the recipe on the package exactly, there is a certain way to get that picture-perfect slices of the deeply roasted exterior with the familiar interior.

I ventured from the directions knowing full well that there would eventually be gravy served with this and I wanted some solid pan drippings. 

So I allowed this roast to come up to room temperature, which took about 2 hours.

So I took 1 stick of butter, softened to room temperature, 1 tbsp of granulated garlic, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp of black pepper, ½ tbsp of granulated onions and mixed that into the soft butter. Essentially, I made a compound butter.

I then spread that over the top of this roast, yup where the fat cap is. You'll see it if you look for it. I then used olive oil on the sides. I was afraid of both the olive oil burning. I also opted for granulated spices to ensure that those wouldn't burn either.

Once the roast was lathered up, into the oven it went for 20 minutes (again, I'm following what I saw). It melted the butter and developed a nice crust on the outside. And yes, leave the netting on. As an added bonus the butter stays on the meat better. Just sayin'.

After 20 minutes, I dropped the oven temperature down to 250F. Yup, I went for low and slow. Now, I'm a bit of an oddball and way too much into technology. I have a digital thermometer that is blue tooth connected. Trust me, if you burn a single roast, the thermometer pays for itself. I know I'm bad about walking away from something in the oven and having a moment of "What's that smell?"

So, not surprisingly once that thermometer came into my household, nothing has been overcooked since. My phone alerts me (yes, there is the Weber iGrill app which is connected via Bluetooth to the thermometer) when it is getting close to temperature. 

Speaking of temperature, rare is 120-125F, medium rare is 130-135F, medium is 140-145F, and medium well is 150-155F. The roast will go up about 5 degrees or so even after you have pulled it from the oven.

We like ours medium rare. If you noticed where I put the thermometer, I put it on the side. That's the best place to get a good read on how the center of the roast is doing.

Let it rest no less than 10 minutes. You'll be rewarded with a delicious prime rib roast that will look as pretty as any restaurant. Perfect for the holidays. How many did this serve? From this roast, I got 8 generous servings.

Overall

The only complaints that some might make are there are some fatty deposits within the meat. Nothing that can't be cut away. But much of the fat melts away into a super tender piece of meat.

Would I buy this again? Yes. No doubt.

Did you try it?  Let me know what you think in the comments section!

The Bottom Line

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