A prime rib roast is the centerpiece of our Christmas dinner and it’s a welcome change. Triggered by an innocent remark, my wife lured me into a trap like Wile E. Coyote snookered by the Road Runner. Suddenly, I was responsible for the entire meal.
I did my homework with cookbooks and consulted with real chefs. I researched rubs, oils and herbs, but our favorite seasoning is a marvel of simplicity. Now it’s easy and always brings the complements.
What is a Prime Rib Roast?
Curiously, it doesn’t guarantee it’s prime beef. Prime rib refers to the origin of the cut within the animal and the 7 bone rib (#6-#12) is called the “primal cut”. The four longest bones are typically used for cuts like a tomahawk steak, or a bone-in roast. The best prime rib roasts are from well marbled prime beef.
The name is also used interchangeably with standing rib roast because it’s cooked with the ribs below, supporting the beef. With the ribs below and the fat cap on top it becomes self basting and results in juicier, tastier beef.
This is the most majestic cut of beef, befitting any important occasion and it has become our new, traditional meal.
Prime Rib Roast
Slow Roasted Standing Prime Rib Beef
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 65
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Order 8-12 oz per person
- 6 lb bone-in prime rib roast, from prime beef
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs – mince and reserve the leaves
- 4 additional whole, fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 TBL salt
- 3 TBL fresh, coarsely ground black pepper
- Horseradish sauce on the side
Note: Buy a sprig of rosemary at your garden center and plant it in a large flower pot. It grows like a weed and can’t be killed unintentionally. It will last forever and you will have a constant supply of fresh rosemary!
Instructions
- Mix the minced rosemary, salt and pepper
- Divide it in half and coat the roast on all sides, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight
- Remove from the fridge 4 hours before cooking and let it come to room temperature
- Pre heat the oven to 500 degrees
- Remove the wrap, pat the meat dry with paper towels and re-coat with the remaining salt, pepper and rosemary mix
- Spray your roasting pan with pam to ease the cleanup and place the roast bones down into the pan
- Smash the garlic and tuck it and the rosemary sprigs around the roast
- Flash bake for 30 minutes at 500 – there will be smoke!
- Reduce the oven temp to 320 and cook until the internal temp reaches 135, about 1-1/4 hours (12 minutes per pound) This yields medium well done end cuts, transitioning to medium rare in the center and please a wide range of guests. Adjust the temp up or down to your own preferences.
- Monitor the temperature. I use a remote probe that warns me when I’m near my target temperature and makes this almost foolproof. If you’re cooking too fast crack open the oven door to slow things down a bit.
- Remove the roast from the oven when you reach the target temperature and tent it under aluminum foil. Let it rest for 30 minutes and give the juices time to re-incorporate into the beef before carving
- Place on a cutting board, cut the ties with scissors and slice into 1/2″-3/4″ servings
- Serve with horseradish sauce on the side
Notes
Prime Rib Roasting Planner
To ensure dinner is on time I created this worksheet. Enter dinnertime at the bottom and work your way up to the start. Don’t forget to modify the cooking time for the actual weight of your roast!
Start Time __________ Remove from Fridge: 3 hours
____________ Preheat oven: 20 minutes
____________ Flash cook @ 500: 30 minutes
____________ Lower oven temp to 320: 12 minutes X _____ lbs
____________ Remove from oven to rest: 30 minutes
Dinnertime __________