Here’s a little secret for you: Andy Reid’s perfect prime rib recipe (plus a bonus tip)
There’s this old line sportswriters like to share: We don’t root for teams, but we do root for people. We can get into the broader point at length some other time, but for now I’d like you to know why I root for Andy Reid.
He treats people with respect, but that’s not it.
He is uproariously funny away from football, but that’s not it.
His mind is endlessly creative, which makes for a heck of a watch on Sundays, but that’s not it, either.
It’s this prime rib recipe.
Reid has the taste and appearance of someone who should be trusted on these things, so I immediately took to my phone’s notes file when I heard him say he had the perfect way to prepare one of the best cuts on a cow.
The interview was on WHB’s Border Patrol a few years ago, and Reid did not come up with this on his own. But I also have to assume he’s studied this the way he does opposing defenses, so he had my full trust before I heard a word.
Anyway, here’s what you do. Get your oven to 500 degrees, and then cook the beef 5 minutes for every pound of the cut. When the time is up, turn the oven off, but keep the door shut. Leave it like that for 2 hours, then open the door and grab a perfectly cooked, medium-rare prime rib.
Astonishingly simple, right? In the interview, Reid doesn’t mention a few basics that you probably already know. But just making sure: The beef should go in at room temperature, and with a pat-down. I like butter and salt and a little pepper, but as the coach says, let your personality show.
And don’t cut the beef right away. Give it 45 minutes or so, or else you’ll lose a lot of juice.
Look, I have no idea why it works, and no idea if your oven holds heat the same as mine. All I know is that I’ve cooked this three times and eaten the best three prime ribs of my life.
So, thanks, Andy.
One last thing, a tip Reid didn’t mention: Line the bottom of your pan with sliced potatoes. These things will turn out DELICIOUS, but even if you don’t eat them they’ll soak up the drips of butter and fat, preventing them from smoking and burning.
The head coach isn’t the only one watching tape and striving for excellence, you know.
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.