The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

(Nandana) #1

would emerge hot, sizzling, and ready to carve—no need to
rest it, since the only part that was affected here was the
very exterior.
Family gatherings will never be the same. Now if only I
could find a way to expose the rosy center under my sister’s
crusty exterior, we’d really have something to celebrate at
the holidays!


WHAT ABOUT JUS?


There’s just one last question when it comes to prime rib:
what about a great sauce to go with it?
Most recipes will call for a pan sauce of some sort,
making use of the drippings that collect in the bottom of the
roasting pan as the beef cooks. But here’s the thing: my
technique is specifically designed to produce no drippings
whatsoever. That is, all of that moisture (and flavor) stays
inside the beef, where it belongs. Truth be told, because of
that fact, you really don’t need any sauce at all, but some
folks—traditionalists, let’s call them—absolutely need a
sauce with their meat. So, how do we get it?
The easiest solution I’ve found is to use some extra beef.
By searing off a few hunks of oxtails in a Dutch oven,
deglazing the drippings with wine and stock, adding some
vegetables, and then roasting the whole lot in the oven with
the prime rib, you can build a powerfully flavorful jus, with
the added benefit of having a pile of fall-off-the-bone-tender
braised oxtails to serve alongside that roast.

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