Is Prime Rib Better Than Steak?

At meat-focused subterranean dining destination The Cut, head chef Nikhil Bhanot makes a mean steak – among the best in Sydney. And yet the star of the menu is an often overlooked cut with a cult following: slow-cooked prime rib.

Also known as a standing rib roast, prime rib is cut from a cow’s upper-rib section. According to Bhanot, it’s meatier and packed with more flavour than its better known counterpart.

“It’s the king cut of the beef-eating world,” he says. “Aside from the tenderloin, it’s probably the most tender piece of beef you’ll find.”

The Cut sources its prime rib from Grainge Angus Beef, which grain feeds its cattle in the Riverina region of New South Wales. “We always source premium produce and give it the respect it deserves,” says Bhanot, “which means giving it minimal but careful treatment.”

That includes removing the bone and rubbing the outside of the cut with Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. This keeps the moisture in and adds flavour to the crust. Then it’s ready to cook.

Low, slow, steady as you go
Unlike steaks, which are grilled or fried for shorter periods at higher temperatures to sear the exterior, prime ribs benefit from slower cooking methods. In The Cut’s kitchen whole ribs – weighing roughly seven kilograms each – are roasted on a rolling grill bar in the oven for four hours until medium rare.

There’s no option for how well-done you like it – each piece is cooked whole, and the roasting starts well before service. Years of experience back Bhanot when he says medium-rare is the way to go.

“Anything under that and it will become chewy and lack flavour,” he says. “Anything over and it becomes tough and dry.”

All the bells and whistles
Eating the signature rib is an experience. At The Cut, the mammoth piece of roasted meat is wheeled out of the kitchen on an antique, silver-plated mahogany art-deco trolley from the 1930s.

The domed lid opens to reveal the whole prime rib in all its glory, atop an aluminium board that keeps it at just the right temperature. Though the presentation might be grand, the way it’s served is pretty simple – with veal jus, horseradish cream and a choice of mustard. Bhanot suggests side dishes of corn with chilli oil and farro and creamed spinach sprinkled with pecorino.

The making of a classic
The dish has been so popular since it debuted at The Cut’s opening nine years ago, it’s even spawned a spin-off – the French Dip. Featuring thinly sliced prime rib and caramelised onion sandwiched in a crusty baguette, the dish comes with a bowl of rich veal jus for dipping. It’s available on both the bar menu and full a la carte menu. But the prime rib remains, after nearly a decade of service, the main attraction.

“Very few steakhouses serve it,” says Bhanot. “[They] prefer to stick with the ubiquitous steak. Ours also looks really cool on the carving trolley. Our guests love the old-fashioned theatre. I don’t think you can find [anything else like it] in Sydney.”

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with The Cut.