Quiz Show - The Rules Around Rare Prime Rib

We cook prime rib to an internal temperature of 105F, and hot hold it in an oven temperature of 140F from early in the morning until dinner service. Is this acceptable?

A: This is a good question. There are some rules I will list below.

1. Food Code Paragraph 3-401.11(C) allows whole-muscle, intact beefsteak to be served not fully cooked on the inside, even when not specifically ordered by the consumer, as long as the outside is cooked.

2. The code requires that beefsteak be labeled by the source as “whole-muscle, intact beefsteak". This means not tenderized, injected, pinned, mechanically altered or tenderized in the facility itself before cooking.

3. The outside must reach a temperature of 130F on the surface for 112 minutes. This could easily de done by searing the outside of the roast.

4. If you are using an internal thermometer and a 'smart' convection oven to cook your prime rib, you do not want to insert the thermometer until after the surface has reaches 145F or greater for 15 seconds or more before plunging into the meat or else you could be contaminating the center with what was on the outside.

5. The facility will need to determine if their time/temperature process meets the code and provide this to your inspector upon request.

6. If beefsteak is not labeled "whole muscle", then the food establishment must consider it to be injected, pinned, or mechanically altered, and must either be fully cooked to 155F or cooked to order for the consumer eating the steak rare.

The facility using this Alto Sham, puts the roast in a 400F convection oven for 10 minutes or until the surface reaches 145F or greater before inserting the thermometer and putting it into the Alto Sham.

Once the internal temperature reaches 110F the oven automatically reduces the heat to 140F and will hold it indefinitely at this temperature.

This procedure meets the code requirements of 3-401.11(C).

For more information please reference 3-401.11(B)(2) in the Oregon Food Saniation Rules.