Prime Rib Slow Cooking

Celebrate Labor Day with the best meat on the bone

Is it any wonder barbecue fans and outdoor cooks have a reverence for ribs?

Spareribs come from the section of the pig next to the belly, the area that gives us bacon. Beef ribs come from the area that gives us the standing rib roast.

Translation: That’s bacon on the bone. And prime rib on the bone.

Throw in the primal pleasure of gnawing and eating with your hands and you have the sort of laid-back experience that Labor Day cookouts are all about.

Ask legendary N.C. pitmaster Ed Mitchell of Wilson: Is there anything better than ribs? “Other than whole hog (barbecue), no,” he said, laughing. “But I love my ribs as well. You don’t have to get all prissy. Just grab them up and eat them.”

How to cook ribs – and which ribs to cook – gets more complicated. There are sparerib fans, baby back fans, even beef rib fans. While most rib experts stick with the low-and-slow method of cooking ribs on a grill, there are other types, including rib-boilers who stew their ribs before grilling them, and oven-finishers who cut down on the grill time.

Mitchell is unorthodox in his rib approach. He prefers an unusual high-heat method, turning the slabs directly over hot coals for 30 to 40 minutes to give them good color. Then he puts them in a combination of barbecue sauce and water, covers tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and heats them slowly so they cook in their own juices.

We stuck with the more common slow-heat method, but we tried it on four kinds of ribs that are commonly available in most supermarkets. Why are ribs such a pleasure? To explain it, we’ll use Spencer Tracy’s memorable description of Katharine Hepburn in the movie “Pat & Mike”: “Not much meat on her, but what there is, is cherce.”

SOURCES: Besides our own experience, we used information from “Steven Raichlen’s BBQ USA” (Workman, 2003); “Peace Love and Barbecue,” by Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe (Rodale, 2005); “The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue (America’s Test Kitchen, 2005); and “Serious Barbecue,” by Adam Perry Lang (Hyperion, 2009).

Steak and Mushroom Slow Cooker Soup

My freezer is a black hole.

Until I devise a better method of organization, I need recipes like this.

I recently found a package of round steak in the bottom of my freezer– slightly past its prime.  I bought it on sale with the idea of whipping up a fancy little dinner dish the next time I had company. Then I forgot about it.

Since I’m working some 12-hour days now, I decided to reacquaint myself with my slow cooker. It’s just what I need to prevent Chinese take-out overload when I come home too tired to cook.

This soup reminds me of the prime rib soup at Harrigan’s restaurant (long gone in our area).  It was one of my favorites along with their New Orleans potatoes and Cheesy Yeast Rolls.  Notice I didn’t use prime rib in this recipe because I don’t normally have such elegant leftovers like the restaurant evidently did.  But round steak will suffice, especially when cooking in a crock pot.  Prime rib couldn’t stand cooking all day anyway.

Fry bacon. Remove from pan, crumble and place in crock pot. Saute steak in remaining bacon grease over high heat until browned. Do this in small batches so skillet doesn’t cool down. Place browned steak in crock pot. Saute onions and mushrooms in pan. Add to crock pot. Add water, bouillon, Kitchen Bouquet, soy sauce, bay leaf and black pepper to crock pot and stir. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. Remove about 1 cup broth from soup and whisk yogurt or sour cream into it unto smooth. Add back to crock pot and stir. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Fall is in the air here in New Hampshire and my craving for soup always increases when the weather turns cool like this. Your soup looks absolutely delicious and the steak and mushrooms will definitely be a “husband pleaser”. I just pinned this soup to make very soon. I can see this being a regular meal in our home going forward. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe! Have a happy Thursday!

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