The day prior to cooking a prime rib, I generously rub the roast with some kosher salt and let it air dry in a refrigerator overnight on a rack placed over a drip pan. Just prior to cooking, I’ll add a little more salt and freshly ground black pepper.
That said, a couple years ago I must have been really bored, and decided to do something different. I know, changing what has worked well for a very long time can be dangerous. Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to come up with something of a combination rub and paste. The paste was kind of an impromptu thing I threw together on the fly with a few ingredients that we all like at our house.
I put the following in a bowl:
- 1 tbs kosher salt (I kept this low since I had already salted the roast somewhat the night before)
- 3 tbs freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbs Montreal Steak Seasoning (It’s a bit gritty so I ran it through a grinder to get it closer to a powder)
- 4 tbs fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 10 cloves garlic confit, minced
- 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbs Dijon mustard
I then added equal amounts of EVOO and red wine vinegar to the bowl until the mix had a paste consistency that could be applied to the roast with a brush. I started on the low end with ¼ cup of each, and added in small increments until I got a “paintable” consistency that didn’t run off.
The results were very good and a nice compliment to the meat. Subtle background hints of rosemary and the sweetness of the garlic confit. Not at all overpowering. I've repeated it several times since with equally good results.
