One of the most important relationships you need in life is with a butcher (unless you‘re vegan or vegetarian).

Ralph has two, and they are also farmers. One is at our local Friday farmer’s market with Ralf Stoffers (but we call him the ‘Lamb Guy’) and the other is with Günter Feddern who has a stand at the Saturday market held a few villages away.

Yesterday, Ralph went to the market and asked Herr Feddern (can’t call Germans by their first name until you mutually agree it’s OK 🤷‍♀️) what he had left good for grilling.

Because he knows Ralph by the meat he buys he replied, “I’ve got something special for you!” and reached into his meat display case and pulled out a sealed bag with a cut of boneless prime rib from under the other cuts. It was about 4 kg, but he cut it in half into a 1.5-2 kg piece for Ralph.

His only condition was, “Don’t overcook it – look, I can put my finger straight through. I hung it for 2weeks; it’s so tender!” Herr Feddern takes great pride in his meat, and also makes Aufschnitt (cold cuts) without any preservatives which we buy from him too. Ralph just looked at him and said, you know I would never overcook it!

It was a beautiful summer evening, so Ralph made this on our charcoal grill.

Ingredients:

• 1 prime rib roast (ours was around 1.5 kg boneless that fed us both + leftovers) Enough for 4.
• salt and pepper QB (or a mixed spice with both – Ralph uses Schuhbeck Steak-Pfeffer Würzmischung
• olive oil QB

Instructions:

1. Bring prime rib roast to room temperature (about 2 hours).
2. Rub in olive oil and seasoning on all sides.
3. Heat coals on charcoal grill on one side. When hot, sear roast on all sides above the charcoal then place on other side for indirect heat.
4. Keep coals burning – add charcoal as needed and mesquite for added yum factor.
5. Cover and let smoke for about 2 hours until it reaches a temperature of 125-130 degrees F. for medium rare (Ralph doesn’t use a thermometer, he can ‘feel’ when it’s done).

We enjoyed this roast al fresco with grilled onions and fresh corn on the cob – a real treat as it’s hard to find in Germany!

The next time Ralph was at the market he showed Herr Feddern the picture of the final result and he grinned for ear to ear, showed it to his son who is also a German trained butcher as well as the other customers in line while exclaiming “This is what happens when a good butcher and a good cook come together!”