Bone-In Prime Rib with Shallot-Red Wine Jam & Black Pepper Gravy

By: Hugh Acheson

James Beard Award winning chef Hugh Acheson shares his recipe for a standing rib roast that adds flavor and visual appeal with the addition of a red wine shallot jam and rich gravy with a peppery bite. 

According to Chef Acheson: "The secret is in the length of time of roasting and the slightly lower roasting temperature. These two secrets result in the beautiful fat rendering away and crisping into the flavor that is a great roast. Don’t trim it before roasting, for that fat is your built in self baster."

 

Ingredients

Roast

  • 1 Double R Ranch Bone-In Prime Rib Roast  Buy Now
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Shallot Red Wine Jam

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 pound shallots (peeled and thinly sliced into rings)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (finely minced)

Black Pepper Gravy

  • 3 tablespoons AP flour
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Roast

Preheat the oven to bake setting at 375 degrees. Place the rib roast on a roasting rack over a roasting pan. Season all over with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt. Let the roast sit on the counter for an hour at room temperature.
Place the roast in the oven and cook for about 17 minutes a pound. That will mean 2 ½ hours for a 8 pound roast or about 3 hours for a 10 pound roast. You are aiming for 120 degrees internal temp.
So let’s say you are going for a beautiful rare roast. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WITH A GOOD INSTANT READ THERMOMETER REACHES 118 degrees I want you to crank up the oven to 500 degrees for just five minutes and once that time has elapsed take it out of the oven. Reserve pan drippings for gravy.
Rest it for at least 45 minutes.
Carve away. I love to separate the bones from the meat like a rack of ribs. Those rib bones go back in the oven for 20 minutes as you get everything carved up and ready to go.
To serve it I would have a couple of slices of the beef, a nicely re-roasted bone, a little shallot jam and some gravy. And some vegetables. Lots of vegetables.

Shallot Red Wine Jam

In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat melt the butter until it bubbles and froths. Add the cut shallots and the bay leaves.
Cook the shallots for twenty minutes and then add the sugar and the wine.
Lower the heat to medium low heat, stirring every few minutes, and cook until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 40 minutes to one hour. When the consistency is jammy and something you would be proud to show to your grade 7 home economics teacher, remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
When it has cooled to just about room temperature fold in the parsley. Hold at room temperature until ready to use.

Black Pepper Gravy

Remove the roasting rack to show off those drippings. Pour off the drippings, leaving ½ a cup behind in the pan. Scrape as much of the stuck on bits as you can and then add the flour to the pan, whisking it into the drippings to make a nice simple roux.
Cook for a minute or two over medium heat and then start adding the stock, a cup at a time. After the final cup goes in, bring the gravy to a quick boil and then season with the sea salt and pepper.
Remove from stove and place in a gravy boat. Keep warm near the stove.