How to Butcher Beef Rib Roast

Prime rib steaks are made from standing rib roasts.

A standing beef rib roast is a holiday treat for many families. These are cut from the rib section of the cow, usually still have the bone in, and are typically cooked as a roast. In restaurants, a standing rib roast is used to make prime ribs steaks. A butcher can process these into boneless rib eye steaks. You can buy a standing beef rib roast already fully prepared in stores or buy a forequarter, or rib primal, and cut the roast yourself. Does this Spark an idea?

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Forequarter or side of beef
Meat saw
Safety apron
Solid cutting table
20 cm boning knife

Instructions

- 1
  
  Cut through the cartilage in the breastbone of your forequarter of beef with the meat saw. This cut should be parallel to the backbone. This removes the foreshank and briskets.
- 2
  
  Remove the first five ribs and all attached meat from the forequarter. These are your chuck roasts.
- 3
  
  Remove the short plate from the rib by cutting 18 to 25 cm from the inside edge of the backbone with the meat saw. This cut should be parallel to the backbone. The short plate is excellent for stewing meat.
- 4
  
  Remove the featherbones of the vertebrae from the roast. Cut with your boning knife along the bone as close to the bones as possible.
- 5
  
  Cut into the ribs every 8 cm.
- 6
  
  Remove the yellow connective tissue from the outer covering of the muscle with your boning knife.
- 7
  
  Divide ribs from six or seven to the end of the forequarter into two or three rib sections. The meat and the ribs here are your standing rib roasts.

Tips & Warnings

You can package and freeze your meat. One side of beef is generally enough to fill a freezer.
Be sure to sanitize your surfaces before and after cutting meat.
If possible, wear protective gloves and a mask while cutting through the bones.