Thomas Keller's Classic Prime Rib Relies On An Unexpected Kitchen Tool

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If you're aware of Thomas Keller's reputation in the culinary world, you know that the man is widely considered a genius when it comes to food. As the only American-born chef (to date) to rack up multiple restaurants with three Michelin stars, he stands as a preeminent living authority on all things gustatory in the United States. Case in point: we previously covered Keller's recipe for pasta dough, which contains no fewer than seven egg yolks.

In one of his bestselling cookbooks, "Ad Hoc at Home," Keller divulged his secret to the perfectly bronzed prime rib that's still pink and juicy on the inside: "We discovered that if you start by giving meat a quick heating using a blowtorch, though it won't look particularly brown after the toasting, it will develop a beautifully browned surface even in that very low oven," he related (via The Delicious Life). 

Note that this blowtorch is not a commonplace chef's torch, the likes of which are relatively petite and might also be used for caramelizing sugar on a crème brûlée. Keller was using an honest-to-God, capital-B Blowtorch, like the sort you would use for construction. We'll settle for a compromise, like the well-rated ThermoMaven propane torch, which is stronger than its butane-powered brethren, but not quite as unwieldy as what you might find at Home Depot. As quoted, Keller passes the torch over the exterior of the prime rib before cooking. It doesn't immediately caramelize, but this step will ensure that it gets scrumptiously brown in the oven as the inside cooks to medium-rare under low heat.

Keller's prime rib method follows our advice for how big a prime rib should be for your dinner party, advising about a pound of meat per guest. His core recipe, meant to serve six people, uses two of the seven bones of the full standing rib roast. Of course, you could scale the preparation up or down, depending on the size of your soirée. 

Spring for the best grade of meat that you can afford, as Keller's prime rib is adorned with only sea salt (he also adds a horseradish cream at the end). Note that Keller typically doesn't season with pepper because it could burn. You'll also want to check up on our tips for how to properly trim prime rib before putting it in the oven. Tastes vary as to how much fat you "should" leave on your beef; some folks adhere to the maxim that fat equals flavor, while others dislike the texture. At the very least, you should trim down the fat cap and remove the silverskin from your meat.

A dedicated butcher is more likely to have high-quality heritage beef that would do Keller's prime rib justice, or you could even order it online and have it delivered. You don't need many fancy tools or accoutrements to pull off this legend's beef; just your blowtorch and a meat thermometer. Technique is the name of the game when cooking like Thomas Keller, and (responsibly) using a blowtorch in the kitchen is objectively fun to boot.