House of Prime Rib Salad
The chilled, tableside-spun salad that opens every meal at San Francisco’s legendary carving-cart steakhouse — rebuilt at home from the owner’s own description of the original.
Before the prime rib cart even rolls up, House of Prime Rib serves a salad that’s become just as famous as the meat. It arrives nested in a bowl of ice, gets a dramatic spin at the table, and is doused in a dressing regulars have been trying to figure out for decades.
“What it is is that we need to make a yeast-based fermented base, and that takes at least a week to ferment. After you have the base, then we mix in the rest of the ingredients, from the canola oil to the egg yolk.”
— Joe Betz, longtime owner of House of Prime Rib, in an interview with OpenTableThe real dressing starts with a secretly fermented base — five ingredients Betz won’t name — before canola oil, egg yolk, apple cider vinegar, sherry, and the restaurant’s own housemade seasoned salt go in. The salad itself is simple: iceberg, romaine, and watercress lettuces, chopped egg, pimento, and sweet beets shipped in from Oregon.
A quick note before you start: the fermented base is a genuine, kept secret — no copycat recipe, including this one, can fully reproduce it. What you can get very close to is the texture and flavor profile: a creamy, emulsified dressing (built like a mayonnaise, not a thin vinaigrette) over the same crisp, chilled greens the restaurant actually uses.
Watch It Made
Quick Recipe Facts
Equipment
- Small saucepan (for boiling eggs)
- Mixing bowl and whisk (or a food processor for easier emulsifying)
- Large salad bowl, chilled
- Sharp knife and cutting board
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1/2 headIceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 headRomaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cupWatercress, tough stems removed
- 3 largeEggs, hard-boiled and chopped
- 1/4 cupDiced pimentos (jarred)
- 1/2 cupSliced pickled or canned beets
For the dressing
- 1 largeEgg yolk (pasteurized recommended)
- 3 tbspApple cider vinegar
- 1 tbspDry sherry
- 2 tbspUnsweetened applesauce
- 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
- 1 tspSugar
- 1 tspSeasoned salt
- 1/2 tspPaprika
- 1/4 tspGarlic powder
- PinchDried parsley flakes
- 2–3 dashesHot sauce
- 3/4 cupCanola oil
Croutons, tomatoes, and spinach show up in a lot of online versions, but they aren’t part of the traditional composition — the real salad is just the three lettuces, egg, pimento, and beets. Add them if you like, but know you’re customizing, not replicating.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Boil the eggs
Place 3 eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit 10–12 minutes. Cool in an ice bath, then peel and chop.
Prep the greens
Wash and dry the iceberg, romaine, and watercress thoroughly. Chop the iceberg and romaine into bite-sized pieces. Dry greens matter here — wet lettuce keeps the dressing from clinging properly.
Start the dressing base
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, apple cider vinegar, dry sherry, applesauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, seasoned salt, paprika, garlic powder, parsley, and hot sauce until smooth.
Emulsify the dressing
While whisking constantly, add the canola oil in a thin, slow stream, the same way you’d make mayonnaise. Keep whisking until it thickens and turns pale and creamy. Pour the oil in too fast and the dressing will break.
Chill everything
Refrigerate the dressing and the prepped greens separately for at least 20–30 minutes. Chilling the bowl and greens matters just as much as the dressing for that ice-cold restaurant feel.
Assemble the salad
In a large chilled bowl, combine the iceberg, romaine, and watercress. Add the chopped egg, pimentos, and beets.
Dress and serve
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat every leaf. Serve immediately — for the full effect, set the bowl over a larger bowl of ice at the table.
Recipe Notes
Dressing broke or looks curdled?
The oil was added too fast. Start over with a fresh yolk, and this time add the oil in a slow, steady thread while whisking non-stop.
Raw egg yolk safety
Use a pasteurized egg for the yolk if you’re serving anyone pregnant, very young, elderly, or immunocompromised.
Not a thin vinaigrette
If your dressing looks watery instead of creamy, you likely skipped the slow-drizzle emulsifying step — that’s what gives it the real texture.
The real secret stays secret
The restaurant’s fermented flavor base isn’t public. This version gets close on flavor and texture using known, verified components, not a guess at the fermentation itself.
Substitutions
Dry sherry
Sherry vinegar or a splash of extra apple cider vinegar works, though the flavor will be slightly less rounded.
Worcestershire sauce
Omit it, or use a vegetarian Worcestershire alternative — traditional Worcestershire contains anchovies.
Canola oil
A neutral oil like grapeseed or light olive oil works. Avoid strong extra-virgin olive oil, which will overpower the dressing.
Raw egg yolk
For an egg-free version, swap in 2 tablespoons of store-bought mayonnaise as your emulsifying base instead of whisking in oil from scratch.
Storage & Reheating
Dressing: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Whisk again before using, since it may separate slightly.
Assembled salad: best eaten right away. If needed, keep the dressing and greens separate and combine just before serving to avoid wilting.
Freezing is not recommended for either the dressing or the assembled salad — the emulsion won’t hold up, and the greens will turn limp.
What to Serve With It
This salad is built to open a steakhouse-style dinner — pair it with a big cut of roast beef or prime rib, mashed or baked potatoes, and creamed spinach for the full House of Prime Rib–style spread at home.
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
Based on 4 servings — not laboratory-tested. Most of the fat comes from the emulsified oil in the dressing; use less dressing per serving to lighten it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the exact House of Prime Rib salad dressing recipe?
No. The restaurant’s owner has said the real dressing starts with a yeast-based fermented mixture that takes about a week to make, with five ingredients he keeps secret, plus canola oil, egg yolk, apple cider vinegar, sherry, and their own housemade seasoned salt. This home version approximates the flavor and texture using that same egg-yolk emulsion structure, but it isn’t the fermented original.
Why does this salad have egg yolk and oil instead of a simple vinaigrette?
Because the real dressing is a creamy, emulsified dressing, similar in technique to mayonnaise, not a thin vinaigrette. Many online copycat recipes skip this step and end up with the wrong texture.
Is it safe to use raw egg yolk in the dressing?
Raw egg yolk carries a small salmonella risk. Use pasteurized eggs if you’re serving pregnant people, young children, older adults, or anyone with a weakened immune system.
What’s traditionally in the salad besides the dressing?
Iceberg, romaine, and watercress lettuces, chopped hard-boiled egg, pimento, and sweet beets. Croutons, tomatoes, and spinach show up in many online versions but aren’t part of the traditional composition.
Can I make the dressing without Worcestershire sauce?
Yes, you can omit it or use a vegetarian Worcestershire alternative. Traditional Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, so it isn’t vegetarian by default.
Can I skip the sherry?
Yes. Sherry vinegar or a splash of extra apple cider vinegar works as a substitute, though the flavor will be slightly less rounded.
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A Final Note
The real House of Prime Rib dressing has a secret at its core that no copycat, including this one, can fully claim to know. What this version gets right is the structure the owner himself described: a creamy, emulsified dressing over crisp, ice-cold greens, egg, pimento, and sweet beets. Chill everything, don’t rush the emulsion, and it’ll get you close.