Herbes de Provence Prime Rib
A staple in French cuisine, herbs de Provence has been a term used to describe the dried herbs commonly grown in the countryside of Provence, France since the Middle Ages, but was not coined and sold as a specific blend combination until the 1970s. While I had trouble nailing down the exact origin of Herbes de Provence blend, one this is for certain: it is a robust aromatic blend of herbs that are relatively easy to grow and commonly found in kitchen gardens, and is unmistakably earthy, fragrant, and savory. Some say it reminds them of walking the countryside on a warm evening in the south of France. The flavor profile typically consists of rosemary, oregano, thyme, and sage, and may also have lavender, bay, fennel, basil, marjoram, or savory.
Herbes de Provence Prime Rib is the traditional dish we serve at our annual holiday party, so when I smell the traditional herbes de Provence seasoning blend, it immediately makes me think of those festive gatherings.
First, let's start with the flavor profile, the Herbes de Provence Finishing Salt.
Ingredients:
- flake sea salt
- rosemary, dried and chopped
- oregano, dried and chopped
- basil, dried and chopped
- lavender, dried buds
- thyme, dried, leaves only
- bay leave, dried and finely ground
- sage, dried and chopped
- fennel, dried seeds
To Make:
- Blend the dried herbs together, using your own preferred combination of each herb. For example, if you love sage and thyme, perhaps add more of that herb than the others. This is the time to craft the herb blend to meet your own preferences.
- Combine two parts flake sea salt to one part dried herb blend.
- Store in an airtight glass jar.
And here is the recipe for how my husband cooks our annual prime rib:
Ingredients:
- herbs de Provence finishing salt (amount depending on the cut of meat)
- prime rib cut (cut to fit the number of people around the dinner table; three ribs will feed approximately 8 adults)
Kitchen Supplies:
- meat thermometer
- oven
- roasting pan
To Make:
- Bring your rib roast to room temperature (3-4 hours depending on size; the goal is for the entire roast to be the same temperature for cooking consistency.)
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and move the oven rack down.
- To prep the meat, first rub the surface with extra virgin olive oil and then generously coat it with the herbes de Provence salt blend.
- Place the meat, ribs down, in the roasting pan and insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. Be careful that the thermometer does not touch bone.
- Calculate your cook time by estimating 5 minutes per pound. Refer to the label the meat came in to verify weight. This sum is the number of minutes you will cook your roast at 500 degrees F. Cook the meat uncovered.
- After the determined time, turn the oven off but do not remove the meat. Leave the meat inside the oven to rest while the temperature naturally falls to room temperature. Do not open the door of the oven for two hours.
- After two hours and when the meat thermometer reaches 125-135 degrees F, remove it from the oven and let it rest uncovered until the internal temperature drops to 120 degrees. Cut and serve.
Note: Prime rib is traditionally served medium rare (pink in the middle.) If you have a guest who prefers their meat more well done, serve them the outer most pieces.
