Prime Rib and Burgundy Mushrooms

My new go to meal for the holiday's comes direct from "The Pioneer Woman"  Aka Ree Drummond on the Food Network. Yum, Yum, Yum

Food Network has changed their Sunday Morning lineup and I really like the food that Ree cooks  and so I pay attention to her show more than several of the other shows.  Her latest creation is Prime Rib and Burgundy Mushrooms.  We made this for our Family Christmas Dinner and it did not disappoint.  The prime rib turned out very delicious and the crust was amazing but the surprise of the night was the burgundy mushrooms.  Everyone raved about how good they were and to be honest, they were fantastic.  Ree says to cook for 9 hours and although I thought it would be too long, they turned out perfect!

One of the things I like about this recipe is that it involves very little kitchen time while company is around.  The mushrooms are ready to go whenever and all you have to do is slice the prime rib.  Throw in a few salads and some crock pot cheesy potatoes and you are ready to go!

I didn't follow the exact instructions on how Ree cooks her prime rib.  There are a million different ways to cook a piece of meat, but I think when you are cooking one of the most expensive cuts of meat, you should do everything you can to maximize the flavor and minimize over cooking.  Here's a great article that summarizes why you should cook low and slow and then hot at the end.  I agree with it 100% and so I modified my cooking procedures.  This also ensures you don't overcook the meat. 

I cooked my prime rib in the oven at 200 degrees F and did not sear it before hand.   The roast was 12.6 lbs and it took about 5.5 hours to reach 120 degrees.  I then pulled it out and let it rest and tented with aluminum foil.  About 30 minutes before dinner I put it back in the oven at 550 degrees and let it sear and reach an internal temperature of 132.  Please note that when you go to sear the meat during the last 20 minutes the stove will get smokey.  I wouldn't recommend opening your stove door a lot.

Another thing, if you want great au jus, after slicing your roast add some water, beef bouillon, red wine to the bottom of the pan.  Put this back on your stove and scrape those delicious bits off the bottom.  For me, I think I used 2 beef bouillon cubes, 1 cup of water, and half a bottle of wine.    I think the au jus is more about finding the right flavor than following a specific recipe.  I kept adjusting the above ingredients tell I thought it tasted good.  Don't be chincy on the wine though, good au jus comes from good wine.