Tonight was the night I finally cooked the Prime Prime Rib purchased at Christmas time. Our calender filled up and we couldn't find an evening to give it the center-stage it deserved. I put it in the freezer. 
I took it out yesterday.
WHAT?!
I consulted the Cooks Illustrated recipe for Grill-Roasted Prime Rib; read it over and over and began the process at 1:30 this afternoon. Oiled and salt-rubbed (no pepper as it burns on the grill; ironic) it sat on the counter for 90 minutes. Soaked, drained and foil-wrapped the hickory/mesquite chips; started the coals at 3:30 and the roast went on at 4:10...indirect heat.
For the next hour that magnificent hunk of beef slowly grill-roasted and developed the most gorgeous caramel, deep honey color exterior I've ever seen on anything.
At 60 minutes, the roast registered only 95 degrees. At 75 minutes: 105 degrees. I moved it directly over the waning coals, on to side one. Check 5 minutes later: gorgeous. On to side two. This is where everything went terrribly wrong.
Seems I neglected to remove the wasted, very dry, smoke chip packet. Within 5 minutes, the packet went up in flames and singed - SINGED - the entire roast: a PRIME PRIME RIB.
WHAT?! I was horrified.
What a waste. What a comeuppance.
I almost started crying.
But that would have been pitiful. How spoiled am I? Don't answer that.
I let it rest.
I turned my attention to the vegies roasting in the hothot oven. They were nearly perfect and provided the saving grace and precious moments of the meal.
Quinn was complimentary of the steak, although both she and Michael required ketchup. Which isn't all that unusual, but it was a PRIME PRIME. It deserved to go through life w/o the senseless dousing of ketchup, (Trader Joe's Organic, which is actually "healthy" ketchup, but still)
This is where it gets really good. Lovely. And triumphant. At the end of the meal, I challenged Quinn to a blind tasting test with the vegies. She was all for it, which in and of itself delighted me beyond reason. But she was freaking brilliant! She guessed most and actually fell in love with a few she had previously shunned and would never try. Then, THEN...she went all in on "2 level" and "3 level" combos! Guessing most, coming very close to those she missed.
This is what she ate: Fennel, Brocolli, Garnet Yam, Carrot, Parsnip, Onion, Golden Beet, Zucchini and Celery Root.
She turned 9...one week ago.
Culinary redemption. For now.
I'm gonna go have a spoonful of my Mexi-Mocha Chocolate Sauce. That's another post...
