Stu's Old English Prime Rib

This is prime rib with drama. The roast gets rubbed with seasoning, nestled into a bed of dampened rock salt, then buried completely under more salt and blasted in a hot oven. The salt forms a rock-hard crust that seals in all the moisture.

When it comes out of the oven, you crack the salt shell open with a hammer. Underneath is the most impossibly juicy, fork-tender prime rib you’ve ever tasted. Every bit of flavor stays locked inside that crust.

It’s a technique that goes back centuries, and once you try it, you’ll wonder why anyone roasts prime rib any other way.

Chef Tips

• Use only coarse rock salt, never fine or powdered salt. You need chunks large enough that they won’t sift through a colander.
• Dampen the salt just enough to make it packable, like wet sand for a sandcastle. Too much water and it won’t form a solid crust.
• Use a non-aluminum roasting pan. The salt will react with aluminum and damage the pan.
• Time it at 15 minutes per pound for rare, 18 minutes per pound for medium. There’s no peeking once the salt crust forms, so trust the clock.