Go outside your typical Fourth of July grilling menu this year with a bold, meaty, oven-roasted addition. I often describe prime rib as America's greatest gift to the world. Our beef is something special, and we should celebrate it as the true centerpiece of the dinner table every day (with Meatless Monday as the exception!). So why not make one of the tastiest beef cuts, prime rib eye, the focus of your Independence Day celebration? It's the perfect holiday for slow-cooked meat and grand presentations to celebrate the land of the free.

In this porcini-rubbed prime rib eye recipe, the porcini spice rub from "Molto Batali" (Ecco 2011) forms an immeasurable earthy component to the rub, making it rich and delicious. Equal parts of salt and sugar help develop the char and create a "steakhouse" caramelized crust. The red pepper flakes provide a bit of heat for those who like it hot.

When it's properly cooked, you are heroic; if it's overcooked, you are in the doghouse (at least with my boys) so be careful. This dish celebrates the flavors of the American melting pot and while it takes a little time, it is totally worth it for the ultimate expression of porcine succulence.

Now that you've found a recipe with a little more sophistication than hotdogs and hamburgers for your American celebration, you have to up the alcohol from flat college beers to what the adults really crave in the heat of summer. Serve this prime rib with one of those bottles of wine that has a cork instead of a screw top and you will have yourself one memorable Fourth of July meal.

Porcini-Rubbed Prime Rib Eye

Serves 8 to 10 as a main course

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes

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