Cook: Prime Rib
Prime rib…sounds so intimidating to try to conquer, right? Don’t let this hunk of meat scare you, it’s one of my favorite things in the world to cook. One, because it’s delicious (although my friends and I might like prime rib more than the average group of people) and two, because it’ll impress all your guests next time you have to host a meal. I’ve tried so many different ways to cook prime rib but the recipe below is my go to and the one that always gives me perfection. If you’re googling ways to cook prime rib, it’s the reverse sear method. I’ll be posting some side dishes to go along with this, inspired by none other than House of Prime Rib.
Where should I buy my meat?
This is where you should spend a little extra effort to find a prime rib that is high quality. Look for consistent marbling and a nice even fat cap around the top. This will give you that sizzling, brown, delicious crust.
Ask your butcher to cut the bones out and then tie them up with string. This way you can carve it much easier but the bones stay intact for flavor. You can save them for stock too! In general, always pick bone-in prime rib.
I like Costco and Whole Foods the best for finding my prime rib.
How much do I need?
Generally, 1 lb per guest will be more than enough. However, if I’m serving more than 10 ppl, anywhere in the range from 10-20 guests, anything over 12-14 lbs should do the trick. This will give you leeway if some people don’t eat meat, or some people eat 3-4 slices. Yes, there are people who can eat this much meat. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.
Ingredients:
Bone-in prime rib
Butter (room temp)
5-6 garlic cloves
Herbs (chopped and mixed into the butter - optional)
Kosher salt
Pepper
A really good meat thermometer - preferably one that stays inside and beeps once it hits your desired temp.
Directions:
Pull your rib roast out at least 3 hours in advance of cooking. You want the meat to be room temperature to ensure even cooking. Let it sit and then pat it dry so that a deep crust can build. You don’t want it to be wet. Once it’s dry and it’s at room temp season generously on all sides with kosher salt. Because prime rib is a higher quality of meat, you won’t need too much seasoning.
Heat your oven to 200° or 250° (you’re going to slowly roast this until it hits your desired temp - temps are listed below)
Stick a few garlic cloves in the tops cracks of your roast, slide some under the fat cap too. Then, generously butter the prime rib on all sides. For the butter mixture, you can mix it with herbs, crushed garlic and pepper, or you can skip the herbs/crushed garlic and just slather it on top. Totally up to you!
Place the roast, rib side down, and fat side up, in your shallow roasting pan. Put it in the oven, with a meat thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the meat, without touching a bone.
Cook until your meat reaches you desired temp*: For an oven set at 250° - plan for 3 1/2 to 4 hours of cooking time.
Rare: 120-125°F (49-52°C)
Medium-rare: 130°F (54°C)
Medium to Medium-well: 135°F (57°C)
Once you’ve reached the desired temp, take the roast out and make an aluminum foil tent around it. Let this rest for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour and a half.
While the meat is resting save all the juices from the meat to make au jus. I like to reserve it for au jus rather than gravy because in the Learn section, I’ll show you a great non-dripping gravy recipe that I think is better than a gravy using meat. Or, if your family is a bunch of fatties like mine, use the turkey drippings for classic gravy. Sorry for calling you out fam!
About 15 minutes before you’re ready to eat, crank the oven to 500° and remove the foil. Put the roast back in and cook for 5-10 minutes until a deep crust develops. Carve immediately after and dig in!
*temperatures taken from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s Food Lab website.
This is the buttered prime rib, ready for oven time. I recommend this type of meat thermometer. That way you don’t have to keep opening the oven to check temps.
Look at this deep brown crust! This is the color you’re aiming for.
Carve away!