Make Gourmet Prime Rib Just Like Thomas Keller With One Kitchen Tool

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We at Tasting Table will not deny that, to most of us, the thought of trying to cook like Thomas Keller will be a daunting prospect. But though you might not be able to whip up the Marlboro-infused coffee custard Keller prepared for an awestruck Anthony Bourdain, or his distinctive take on grilled cheese and tomato soup (which took "Anti Chef" host Jamie Tracey a whole month to recreate), you can nevertheless prepare a delicious prime rib like the French Laundry chef with the aid of a simple but effective culinary blow torch.

In a recipe from his 2009 cookbook "Ad Hoc at Home", Keller explains that he cooks his rib roast in a very low oven "to ensure that it is a rosy medium-rare from the very center almost to its outer edges." However, for reasons of both flavor and aesthetics, he also prefers the prime rib to have a darker, caramelized exterior, which when oven roasting would require a much higher temperature. His solution is to apply heat the surface of the meat with a blow torch prior to the prime rib going in the oven. Though it may not seem to have made much of a difference at first, Keller promises that "it will develop a beautifully browned surface even in that very low oven." As an accompaniment, Keller opts for horseradish in the form of a cream sauce, flavored with sherry vinegar and sea salt.

Keller isn't the only one to utilize a blow torch when preparing beef. Andrew Rea, host of YouTube's "Binging With Babish", has also employed the tool to bring color to steak after it has been prepared sous vide (cooked in a water-bath), so that it remains tender and juicy inside without looking "grey and nasty" on the outside.

So, if you're going to emulate Keller's technique, how should you go about choosing your blow torch and how should you use it? Your first choice will be whether to go for a propane or butane-fired torch. Keller recommends propane, noting that they are affordable, user-friendly, and easily available, but advises that you "avoid the smaller, butane-fired torches sold at gourmet shops," as he considers them less effective. Before purchasing a specific model, do you research. Both the RAVS Butane Torch Lighter and the Rösle kitchen torch come well recommended.

Once you have secured your torch of choice, familiarize yourself thoroughly with its instructions and controls before using it. When igniting it for the first time, hold it a safe distance from yourself, open flames, anything flammable, or children and animals. Make sure that the kitchen or area in which you are using your culinary blow torch is well-ventilated, and make sure the torch has completely cooled off before putting it away. Most culinary blow torches will have an adjustable flame control, so you should be able to achieve a fine level of precision when using it in the kitchen (though given that some degree of trial and error may be inevitable, err on the side of caution if you can). Once you are confident in using your torch however, prime rib is far from its only application, and you may soon find yourself using it on everything from seared tuna to a classic crème brûlée.