After years of making a prime rib roast for the Holidays, I can safely say that I have learned a few secrets to a tender prime rib roast.  I'm uploading this blog right before Thanksgiving for good reason.  It's a subtle reminder to buy your prime rib roast for Christmas.  Over the years, I have analyzed the sales of prime rib roasts and in California, the prime ribs go on sale a week before Thanksgiving and a week before Christmas. If you want very succulent and tender prime rib, get your rib roast now and allow it to wet age until Christmas.

For the longest time, I didn't want to try wet aging because I knew it had to be in a very sterile, vacuum sealed environment, and I didn't want to risk not having a rib roast for Christmas because the meat spoiled or food poisoning all my guests.  However, I did a wet aged prime rib for the first time last year and it was so easy.   I realized that the beef suppliers do all the work for you.

What is aging meat?

The aging process allows the enzymes that are naturally found in meat to further break down the muscle tissue, in essence decaying the meat further, and in this process, the meat is tenderized.  Meat can be wet aged or dry aged (See link for my dry aging process.) With either the wet or dry aging process, time is needed to break down the muscle fibers.  As the name states, dry aging occurs in a dry environment and wet aging occurs in a wet environment.  

How do you wet age a Prime Rib?

It is SO embarassingly simple.  All you have to do it buy the entire prime rib in the cryovac package from the butcher.  How simple is that?  Allow that package to sit in your refrigerator until roast day and then break the cryovac seal and cut up the roast on roasting day.  Yes, it's a large roast but you don't have to cook the entire roast.  

Tips for wet aging a Prime Rib.

Prime Rib grade

You do not have to buy the "prime" grade for this rib roast, because you'll be wet aging the meat so it will tenderize itself.  I usually buy the "choice" grade which is the grade higher than select.

Pack date

The optimum time for wet aging is 60 days.  However, this is 60 days from the pack date.  It is important to know the pack date of the roast.  The pack date will not be found on the cryovac package but will be on the box in which the roast is packed.  Get to know your local butcher and ask him what's the pack date.  For wet aging purposes, you want the earliest date because that means it's been aging longer.  However, "fresh" meat at the grocery store has usually been packed about 30 days ago. 

Prepping the roast on Roasting day.

Cleaning the roast

Do NOT wash the roast under water.  Too much moisture will cause the roast to steam rather than roast.  Wipe the roast with clean paper towels to remove any fat bits and liquid. The drier the roast, the better!

Cutting the roast

I used to have my butcher cut my prime rib until last year.  I realized how easy it is to cut the prime rib.  You do need a sharp boning and kitchen knife.  The prime rib roasts are cut in such a way that a band saw is no longer necessary to cut through the spine.  A sharp kitchen knife can cut the correct size roast and the boning knife is necessary if you want to debone the ribs from the roast for a boneless roast or a Presidential cut.  The Presidential cut is where the rib bones are separated from the rest of the roast and then tied back together.  A seasoning rub can be placed between the ribs and the roast for extra flavor. 

Turn the roast rib side up and cut between the ribs.

If you want a boneless rib roast, save the bones for BBQ.  However, the meat between the ribs are delicious.  A Korean restaurant near my house cuts their own meat.  The pieces between the ribs are called rib fingers.  These juicy pieces have a unique texture and are so delicious. especially marinated Korean style.

Some of the ribs can be used to make beef broth for the au jus.

Cut the rest of the prime rib in 2" slices and individually vacuum seal these pieces for future BBQing.

Seasoning the roast

A simple seasoning of salt and pepper works well.  However, to kick it up a notch, you can always use Sammy Wong's Kitchen's All-purpose seasoning.  All the roast to come to room temperature and to season for about an hour.

Roasting the Prime Rib

I highly recommend the reverse sear roasting method for Prime Rib. 

Let me know if you tried wet aging your prime rib and how that tasted.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave your questions in the comment section.