Prime Rib: the symbol of the royal BBQ

Barbecued prime rib : Before cooking

We take the prime rib out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes beforehand so that it comes to room temperature. This way, it is spared a traumatic thermal shock for the flesh.

We salt it before putting it on the grill. Contrary to the rule that meat should not be salted before cooking so as not to risk drying it out, it is not the same story for thick pieces of meat. To ensure that the meat is perfectly seasoned throughout, it must be salted on both sides before being put on the grill. The salt will be trapped in the crust that will quickly form on the surface of the meat and will penetrate the meat as it cooks.

Barbecued prime rib : During cooking

How long do you cook prime rib? This is the debate that animates Sunday grillers. The average time is 8-10 minutes for blue meat, 12-13 minutes for rare meat and 16 minutes for medium rare.

The thickness of the piece may slightly vary these cooking times. And of course, since barbecuing is not an exact science, the eye of the expert is indispensable. You can also use a temperature probe for perfect control if you're worried about messing up your cooking.

In concrete terms:

Prepare a high intensity braise, sear it, then or move the cooking braises to a low-medium intensity braise, cook for 5-8 minutes (depending on the desired stage of cooking) before flipping and marking the second side, then reducing the intensity again.

Remember to grease the meat with a brush (or a few sprigs of rosemary/thyme) and oil during cooking to protect it from the high heat.

Barbecued prime rib: Checking for doneness

It is strictly forbidden to prick the meat! For any manipulation, we use a pair of tongs and we leave the juice of the meat where it must remain: in the flesh!

And to know if it is cooked, you use your hand as a marker. If you are right-handed, open your left hand, palm facing you, open but relaxed, and feel the meaty part under your thumb. This is the texture of the blue meat.

Do the same after joining the thumb and forefinger, and you will have the texture of rare meat.

Finally, when the middle finger touches the thumb, this is the texture of medium-rare meat.

All that's left is to put a finger on your prime rib to check the stage of cooking, and possibly extend it a few minutes.

Barbecued prime rib : After cooking

You can't serve a prime rib that has just come off the barbecue! The extreme heat will concentrate the juices towards the inside of the meat and the edges will be dry.

We let it rest as long as it has cooked, directly on a wooden board or on a plate turned over (to recover more easily the juice that will flow out), covered with a sheet of aluminum and a cloth. The juice will spread throughout the piece of meat, a treat!

A bit of fleur de sel, a few turns of the pepper mill, a little jar of béarnaise, homemade fries... and if it's not happiness, frankly, it looks like it.