Nothing quite says Merry Christmas in Texas like a prime rib served as the main dish of your Christmas meal! When it comes time to prepare your prime rib this holiday season, be sure to reference Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Path to the Plate’s tips and tricks to ensure that the meat is cooked thoroughly and properly.
With beef production being the largest sector of the agriculture industry in Texas, it is both fitting and appropriate that prime rib act as the centerpiece of the Christmas meal. According to Dan Hale, Ph.D. and meat specialist with Texas A&M’s Department of Animal Science, it is estimated that Texas produces approximately 60 million pounds of prime rib per year. Most commonly referred to as ribeye roast, beef rib roast or standing rib roast, prime rib is typically sold as both bone-in and boneless in stores. Despite its name, prime rib does not have to be from beef graded as USDA Prime — it is primarily from beef graded as USDA Select or USDA Choice. It should be noted that beef with higher USDA grades often produce a more desirable eating experience due to the higher amount of marbling present in the roast.
After purchasing, prime rib must be thawed and stored at a temperature below 40 °F to minimize the growth of bacteria. When cooking, it is traditionally prepared with a mixture of seasonings, then roasted under dry heat for 2-3 hours, depending on its size. When using a conventional oven to prepare your prime rib, follow these instructions:
• Preheat oven to 300 °F
• Season the outside of the roast as desired
• Cook, fat side up, to an internal temperature of 145 °F for medium doneness, which may take 20-25 minutes per pound. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature
• Let stand 15-20 minutes before carving
When determining how many mouths your prime rib will feed this Christmas, keep in mind that a full prime rib is seven ribs, meaning that it weighs anywhere from 15 to 18 pounds. A prime rib this size can feed a family of 16 or more people, depending on the size of their appetite’s. Smaller prime rib options are available, including those that weigh five pounds which can serve up to six to eight people.
Because lean beef cuts such as prime rib are considered nutrient rich with low amounts of calories and fats, Hale says this particular cut of meat acts as an excellent source of essential nutrients such as protein, Zinc, B12, Iron, B6, Niacin, and Selenium. Nutrition facts for 3.5 ounces of broiled USDA Choice (lean only) prime rib are as follows:
• 205 Calories
• 28.9g Protein
• 9g Fat
• 3.4g Saturated Fat
• 3.6g Monounsaturated Fat
In search of other ways to spice up your holidays or family mealtime? Head over to dinnertonight.tamu.edu or beefitswhatsfordinner.com to explore the wide variety of recipes offered for prime rib!
***
Real Christmas trees have positive impact on Texas economy
It’s a tradition in many households to have a real Christmas tree, filling the room with fragrant pine and the warmth of holiday spirit.
Every year in Texas, over four million real Christmas trees are sold, supporting farms and agricultural businesses across the Lone Star State.
Those sales also help boost the state economy.
A recent economic study conducted by the Texas A&M Forest Service found the Christmas tree industry adds substantial value to Texas’ economy. In 2022, the industry generated more than $714 million and supported nearly 6,000 jobs.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the Texas Christmas tree industry ranks second in the southern U.S. based on average annual employment and wages for 2022.
“The process of going as a family to pick out a tree is a fun activity that supports rural economies across the state,” said Dr. Aaron Stottlemyer, Forest Analytics department head for Texas A&M Forest Service. “There is a sense of pride in knowing that you have a Texas-grown Christmas tree.”
The traditional forestry industry accounts for $4.2 billion, noted Stottlemyer. Much of that is for lumber and building panel, but he added Christmas trees are a growing sector in Texas forestry.
The first Christmas tree planted in Texas was in 1935 in Jasper.
Since the 1970s, institutions like Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M University and Stephen F. Austin State University have worked to optimize the health and growth of Christmas tree species in Texas.
“Some species of Christmas trees are not grown in Texas because of the growing conditions down here,” Stottlemyer told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “The warm temperatures we have here make it difficult for some species to grow, but some varieties like Afghan pine and Arizona cypress do really well in Texas.”
Other varieties of Texas Christmas trees are the Virgina pine, eastern red cedar, shortleaf pine and Leyland cypress.
Harvesting Christmas trees is essential for the ecosystem and forest sustainability. According to Stottlemyer, the Christmas tree industry is crucial to fulfilling the trees’ lifecycle, expanding trees’ potential beyond their natural life and creating sustainable forests and economies.
“Christmas tree farms are essentially young forests,” Stottlemyer said. “They are able to provide us the same benefits as traditional forests by sequestering carbon, providing a natural habitat for wildlife, cleaning our water and providing recreational opportunities.”
After the holiday season is over, real Christmas trees can be repurposed and recycled for various uses, such as landscape mulch in yards, soil in gardens for erosion prevention, nest-building materials for birds and natural water habitats for fish and wildlife in ponds and lakes.