Dad's Prime Rib with Garlic Crust

My mother and brother are always raving about a prime rib that my father cooks on the barbecue. Although I've never been fortunate enough to be visiting when he's made it, they've each described it to me several times: Slow-cooked over indirect heat, this roast is covered in chunky garlic paste that eventually becomes a mouth-watering crust. I knew I was missing out on something special.

A little envious, and not the type of people who wait for a dinner party invitation to try a special dish, Jeff and I picked up a prime rib roast from the farmer's market and decided to make it ourselves.

We found out that we were already in possession of the recipe, since we own the same Weber's Real Grilling cookbook (from which my Dad, Master Griller, says that he gets 90% of his recipes, FYI. A good investment.) The paste is full of fresh flavours: the aforementioned garlic, as well as rosemary, basil, and dijon mustard. It looked amazing spread on the roast before it hit the grill.

The hardest part was waiting for the roast to finish grilling, while its tantalizing smell filled the air. You won't want to leave its side.

After 1-2 hours of grilling and about another half hour of resting, we finally sliced up the roast with anticipation. This prime rib is outstanding! The meat is perfectly tender and juicy, its level of doneness decreasing with every slice, and the outside crust is just beyond description. The recipe as written suggests serving it with a blue cheese dressing, but you should do the same as we did, and just ignore it. It needs nothing more.

Thanks for the inspiration, Dad! You're my grill hero.

Prime Rib with Garlic and Blue Cheese Dressing: The Recipe

From Weber's Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance

"1 bone-in standing prime rib roast, 5 to 6 pounds, trimmed of excess fat
6 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Dressing
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 medium garlic clove, thinly sliced
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Allow the roast to stand at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before grilling.

2. In a food processor finely mince the garlic, rosemary, basil, salt, and pepper. Add the mustard and olive oil, and process to form a paste. Smear the paste all over the top and sides of the roast.

3. Grill the roast, bone side down, over indirect medium heat (350°F to 450°F). with the lid closed, until cooked to desired doneness, 1-1/2 to 2 hours for medium rare. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and remove the bones. Loosely cover the roast with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature will rise 5°F to 10°F during this time.

4. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place the cream and garlic in a medium saucepan. Bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the cream coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stirring to help it blend into the cream. Season with pepper to taste. Carve meat into slices. Serve warm with the dressing.

Makes 6 to 8 servings"

Enjoy!