Many families enjoy prime rib for the holidays. At our mother’s house, a bone-in prime rib (a.k.a. standing rib roast) was always on the holiday table.

Jan Birnbaum, Executive Chef at Epic Steak, a steakhouse on the San Francisco waterfront (great view of the Bay Bridge!), shares this advice so that you, too can cook the perfect prime rib.

April 27th is National Prime Rib Day.

> Do you know your cuts of beef? See them all in our Beef Glossary.
 
 
START WITH THE BUTCHER

Frenched

Ask for an 8-bone (approximately 14-18 pounds), bone-in beef rib export*, bones frenched 2 inches. This will serve about 15-20 people. (If you’re having fewer guests, discuss your needs with the butcher.)

Fat Cap

Ask the butcher to cut the fat cap so that it has a half-fat layer that has been cut and lifted, and only the bottom is attached to the rib. This attached fat cap will provide a perfect pocket in which to pack the aromatics.
 
 
INGREDIENTS

Aromatics

Prepare the aromatics: In a mixing bowl, toss the following ingredients until combined:

 
 
PREPARATION

 
 
COOKING THE PRIME RIB

1. PLACE the meat into the oven with the bones facing front and the meaty part of the rib facing the back of the oven. Cook for 35 minutes.

2. LOWER HEAT. Turn the oven down to 350°F and cook for 40 more minutes.

3. TEMPERATURE. Make the temperature of the meat. For accuracy, use a quick read thermometer or digital thermometer and stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the rib.

4. REMOVE PAN. When the thermometer reads 80°F, remove the rib from the oven and allow it to sit out on the counter and rest for at least 35 minutes.

5. SLICE. Move the meat to a cutting board and cut the rack of bones as close to the meat as possible to remove them from the rib.

6. SEPARATE. Separate the rack into 8 individual rib bones, leaving the meat on the end of the bone. Discard the aromatics and cut the fat cap off.

7. Place the rib onto a roasting pan with a rack with the side of the ribs that had the bones.

8. VEGGIES. Add washed vegetables to the pan: blanched creamer potatoes, carrots, baby turnips, or another favorite.

9. OVEN. Return the rib to the 350°F oven and cook until a thermometer reads 115°-125° degrees for medium-rare, 130°-135° degrees for medium, and 145° for medium-well.
 
 
SERVING THE PRIME RIB

1. REST. Allow the cooked meat to rest for about 20 minutes.

2. SLICE. lice the rib into slices of desired thickness. Chef Jan recommends cuts of 1-1.5 inches thick (this will yield a 14-ounce slice and will provide 12-14 cuts.)

3. SERVE. Plate with some of the vegetables. You can deglaze the pan juices for gravy (“au jus”).
 
 
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*The export is butcher lingo for a bone-in prime rib with the cap removed (exported) that is used for a standing rib roast.

[1] Prime rib, a.k.a. standing rib roast (photo © Allen Brothers).

[2] Ready to go into the oven (photo © Meat N’ Bone).

[3] Pouring on the jus (photo © The Mercury Atlanta [permanently closed]).

[4] With a baked potato (photo © David Burke Prime).

In the U.K., it’s served with Yorkshire Pudding (photo © Gordon Ramsay Group).

While cheesecloth and twine may sound like an ordinary and unremarkable pair of items, they are more versatile then one might think. As with many kitchen tools, it’s all about how you use them.

Here are my favorite ways to use this indispensable pair. Neither is expensive, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t keep them on hand.

You can even package a twine dispenser and some cheesecloth as a gift for a budding cook.
  

Breathable Storage

You can use cheesecloth and butcher’s twine to wrap and secure meat or produce that will benefit from air circulation in the fridge. The cheesecloth keeps the food protected but allows it to breathe, even if wrapped tightly. The food may still susceptible to bacteria, so take care to store it properly and cook it to the proper temperature.

Hang Steaming

You can steam vegetables in any large stockpot, without a steamer insert. Bundle the veggies in a thin layer of cheesecloth and tie with twine to secure; then fill the stockpot a third of the way with water and set it to boil. Hang the bundle of veggies over the boiling water using a long skewer or slotted spoon laid across the top of the pot. Cover (it’s okay if you don’t create a perfect seal) and steam to desired tenderness.

Long-Term Draining

If you’re trying to drain something for a number of hours (e.g. overnight, like yogurt), leaving it in the sink isn’t always convenient. Instead, place the item in a bundle of cheesecloth, tie it securely with kitchen twine, and hang it over a bowl somewhere out of the way. Just make sure to use a bowl big enough that the drainage won’t spill over.

Poultry Stuffing

Scooping the stuffing from a roast bird is no the neatest task. You can fix that by bundling the stuffing in cheesecloth. Once it’s tied up and secure, push the cheesecloth pouch into the bird and cook as normal. Removing the stuffing takes mere seconds. You can also us this trick if you’re simply stuffing the bird with aromatics.

Sachet

It’s easy to infuse flavor into whatever you’re cooking: A sachet is one of my favorite things to make when poaching or braising. Simply pile your favorite aromatics (herbs, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, whatever) in the middle of a small piece of cheesecloth, gather the cloth together like a hobo stick, and tie with a piece of kitchen twine. Remove and toss when the cooking is finished.

Bundle up a half cup or so of confectioners’ sugar in a small amount of cheesecloth, tie with butcher’s twine, and drop into a glass or mug. Then, when you want a nice, even dusting of powdered sugar, just shake the pouch lightly over your pastry or dessert.

WAYS TO USE CHEESECLOTH

Basting

You can soak several layers of cheesecloth in wine, broth or any other flavorful liquid (even butter if you’re feeling naughty); then lay them over any bird or beast you plan to roast. The cheesecloth will help the roast to self-baste and stay moist. Keep an eye on it though, as you may want to rehydrate it depending on how long things are in the oven.

Making Greek Yogurt

Simply spread a cheesecloth over a colander and fill with plain yogurt. Refrigerate overnight, then press. It’s that easy to make Greek-style yogurt.

Straining

You can use one or more layers of cheesecloth to strain stocks and broths, keeping unwanted debris out. Using several layers will allow you to catch even the tiniest bits, and sometimes a cheesecloth can fit more comfortably over a receptacle than your own metal strainer.
Find cheesecloth in any kitchen gadgets department or online.

WAYS TO USE KITCHEN TWINE

Trussing

This one is the obvious no-brainer, and the first reason to buy kitchen twine. Remember when trussing, that form is far more important than function. It doesn’t how matter how pretty your trussing is; the objective is to hold your roast together so the meat cooks evenly.
TWINE TIP: Put your twine in a twine dispenser for neat dispensing.
  

Then we received a pizza dough recipe from from Bruno diFabio, whose pizza was just awarded the grand prize, Best Pizza, in the Worldwide Pizza Championship.*

DiFabio is now a six-time winner as the best—and also the fastest—pizza maker in the world.

You don’t have to be fast to try your hand at his excellent dough. Check out the recipe below—but don’t plan on enjoying it today. The dough has to sit for 15-18 hours; then each dough ball must be kept in its own container, refrigerated and covered, for 3-4 days before using.

Try it and see if this recipe—the best dough in the world—is worth the time.

Find more of our favorite pizza recipes.

Pizza dough, waiting to be rolled and baked. Photo by Mariha Kitchen | IST.

Ingredients: Phase 1

 
Preparation: Phase 1

1. ADD the dry yeast to the warm water. Stir slightly. Let stand for 2-3 minutes.

2. ADD the 2 cups of water and the yeast water to a large mixing bowl.

3. ADD the flour and mix only until the ingredients are blended. The mix will feel slightly dry and lumpy; this is OK.

4. COVER the bowl with a dish towel or cheesecloth.

5. LET STAND for 15-18 hours at room temperature. The dough will triple in size and give off an amazing aroma. This pre-fermented dough is called a biga.

 
Preparation: Phase 2

1. UNCOVER the biga and add half the flour and all the water. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

2. ADD sugar and mix until incorporated.

3. ADD salt and mix until incorporated.

4. ADD olive oil and mix until incorporated.

5. ADD the rest of the flour and mix until incorporated.

6. REST the biga for 10 minutes, covered. This should yield about 5 pounds of dough.

7. DIVIDE the dough into sections of about a pound each and roll them into balls. Each ball will roll out into a 13″ pizza. If you have more dough than you can use, you can freeze the balls, wrapped tightly.

TO MAKE THE PIZZA

1. PREBAKE the dough: Grease a 12-inch pan or large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal (optional).

2. ROLL the dough on a lightly floured surface (the counter top is fine) roll the dough into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to the baking sheet.

3. BAKE in a 425°F oven about 12 minutes or until browned.

4. REMOVE from oven; add sauce and toppings.

5. BAKE 10 to 15 minutes more or until bubbly.
Find more of our favorite pizza recipes.
*The World Pizza Championship is held annually in the town of Salsomaggiore Terme, in the province of Parma, Italy. oThe organizer is the Italian magazine Pizza e Pasta Italiana.

Green cardamom. Photo courtesy Suvir
Saran | Indian Home Cooking.

The shell of the pod has very little flavor. The small seeds inside are intense in both aroma and taste. You can buy cardamom whole (pods), shelled or ground, in black, green and white varieties.

If a recipe simply calls for “cardamom,” use the green variety, which has exotic floral notes. Black cardamom (actually brown in color) is stronger, smokey and resinous. White cardamom, preferred in Scandinavia, is green cardamom that has been sun-bleached for aesthetics; there is no difference in flavor.

Cardamom, often seen as an exotic spice in the U.S., is popular in numerous cuisines worldwide.

 
HOW TO STORE CARDAMOM

Store cardamom pods in a tightly sealed glass jar, away from heat and light. They can keep indefinitely.

WAYS TO USE CARDAMOM

If you have cardamom sitting in the cupboard, it’s time to break it out. The spice fits into any recipe that calls for allspice, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, mace, nutmeg, preserved lemon or rose. Start by adding a pinch, then more to suit your taste. Beyond curries and other international dishes, use cardamom in:

 
FOOD TRIVIA

Cardamom is the world’s third most expensive spice by weight, following saffron and vanilla. But in most cases, just a pinch is needed.

As with many spices, cardamom also has health benefits, which range from improving digestion to increasing one’s metabolism.

FEEL LIKE BAKING?

Make this cardamom cookie recipe from Martha Stewart.
 
Find more of our favorite spices in our Salts & Spices Section.

The Druids of Britain (think Stonehenge), circa 100 C.E., thought that mistletoe had magic properties: a cure for disease, a fertility aid, protection from witches and so forth. In a special ceremony held in late December or early January, priests would cut pieces of mistletoe from oak trees* and people would hang them in their homes.

Over the centuries, the custom of hanging mistletoe at home endured, and around 800 C.E. it may have become joined with a Viking legend.

In that legend, the god Balder is killed with a poison made from mistletoe (mistletoe is, in fact, poisonous). He is brought back to life by his mother, the goddess Frigga, who is able to reverse the effects of the poison.

Overjoyed, Frigga then kisses everyone who walks under the hanging mistletoe. Fast forward another 13 centuries: We’re still kissing people under the mistletoe.\

You can simulate mistletoe in a cocktail with a few mint leaves; but never let real mistletoe anywhere near edibles if you want to avoid acute gastrointestinal problems.

Enjoy a Mistletoe Margarita—just don’t use real mistletoe! Photo courtesy Hornitos Tequila.

Ingredients Per Drink

Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients except garnishes and sugar in a pitcher. Chill.

2. RIM the glass with sugar before pouring in the cocktail: Simply run a lime wedge around the edge of the glass and then dip the rim of the glass in a plate of sugar.

2. POUR and garnish each glass with 2 mint leaves and/or other garnishes. Serve on the rocks or straight up.
 
Find more of our favorite Christmas cocktails.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SOUR MIX

That specialty product called sour mix—also called Margarita mix, sweet-and-sour mix and whiskey sour mix—is simply a lemon/lime flavored simple syrup (also called cane sugar syrup), a sweetener that dissolves easily in cold beverages.

Simple syrup can be flavored. When it is citrus flavored, it is called sour mix or sweet and sour mix—sweet from the sugar, sour from the citrus.

Commercial products abound; but as with many prepared foods, you can make a better, less expensive version by just using sugar, water and citrus juice.

In fact, if you mix up your fair share of cocktails, you should always have some simple syrup at the ready. When you need sour mix, just stir in the citrus juice.

HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE SYRUP & SOUR MIX

†You’ve seen the three ingredients of natural sour mix in the recipe above. Here’s what’s in a commercial brand like Mrs. T’s: water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium hexametaphosphate, gum acacia, potassium sorbate (preservative), polysorbate 60, natural flavor, ester gum, sodium metabisulfite (preservative), calcium disodium EDTA (preservative), calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, yellow color 5, yellow color 6.