Buy This Cut Of Meat For The Most Satisfying Bite Of Prime Rib

If you've printed out a recipe for some slow-roasted prime rib roast, here's the most important "secret" you need to know to get the most satisfying bite: pick the right cut of meat. Not everything that the butcher hands you when you ask for a "cut I can make prime rib with" is the best. Instead, be specific. Ask for bone-in with the rib cap left intact.

Our Sara Kay recently interviewed Chef Brett Reichler, Director of Operations at Gallagher's Steakhouse in New York City, for his input on how to get the absolute best prime rib. He said that while a boneless cut might appear more convenient for slicing, you'd be sacrificing crucial elements that make prime rib extraordinary — the bones themselves.

The bones contain "a lot of flavor" that can help elevate the entire dish, plus, it also helps the roast maintain its shape as it cooks. The second, just-as-important element, is the rib cap. This is the name for the stretch of meaty, fatty muscle called the spinalis dorsi. When it's rendered down in the oven, it bastes your ribs and makes each slice much more succulent and rich.

If you've been buying pre-packaged meat or just going with whatever the butcher recommends — well, it's time to change that. Make your way to a local butchery or the butcher shop section of your local grocer, and tell them you want a bone-in cut explicitly, stressing that you want the rib cap to stay attached to the ribs. Don't hesitate to ask your butcher questions about what you're seeing — most will be more than happy to tell you about the cut if you ask nicely.

You'll also want to ask about the USDA grade of the beef cut. Chef Reichler mentioned that to get the best possible ribs, you'll want to aim for either Prime or Choice. Prime cuts will have superior marbling, tenderness, and overall flavor compared to Choice or ungraded options. If you want the best cut possible to really wow the family and friends when they gather for Thanksgiving, pick Prime. It'll offer superior marbling and tenderness, but Choice, despite being more affordable, will still provide a solid option with an impressive amount of fat to flavor the dish.

And if you haven't gotten one yet, now is as good a time as ever to get yourself a trusted local butcher. If you're nice and friendly, they can often source exactly what you need with advance notice — your holiday centerpiece will always arrive with both bone and cap perfectly intact.