The Most Tender Prime Rib Recipe (2024)

Prime Rib Roast

Recipe

Directions

1. Remove your prime rib from the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking time to allow the meat to reach room temperature.

2. If your butcher has not already done so, trim any thick pieces of solid fat from the roast, leaving the smaller areas of fat in place.

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3. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Next dry the prime rib thoroughly with paper towels.

4. Using a sharp knife, make series of ½ inch deep incisions across the top of the roast as well as the sides.

5. Prepare your rub: In a medium bowl combine concentrated beef base with garlic. Using the mixture, generously cover all the exposed meat. Then, sprinkle the roast with thyme, oregano, black peppercorns, and salt. Place the roast into a roasting pan, bone-side down.

6. Place your prime rib roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Roast until the meat has formed a brown crust and the instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 130 degrees F (medium-rare.) This will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

7. When the internal temperature of the roast reaches 130 degrees, take it out of the oven and cover with foil. Let the roast sit for thirty minutes before carving. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Allowing your prime rib to come to room temperature will ensure that your roast will cook evenly. When measuring the temperature of the prime rib, make sure that the tip of the insert-read thermometer is placed in the thickest part of the roast, not resting in fat or touching any bone for the most accurate reading.

Recipe By: Brittany Baxter

Prime rib roast is an outstanding centerpiece for your holiday spread. This elegant cut of beef is amazingly tender and moist. At first glance, a prime rib may seem intimidating to prepare due to its size and higher price tag. However, making a prime rib is not tricky and giving the roast additional flavor does not need to be overly complicated. We’ll discuss several ways on how to change the flavor of your roast, how to obtain your desired temperature, as well as some delicious side dish options to balance out your meal.

Cooking Times For Your Prime Rib Roast

Commonly, a prime rib roast is cooked to rare or medium-rare for optimal tenderness and flavor. Our prime rib roast is cooked medium rare, a temperature of 130 to 135 degrees. The center of the roast will be a notably pink color and become browner the closer towards the exterior of the crust. If you enjoy your meats, rare, medium, medium well or well-done look for the following temperatures when reading your instant-read thermometer:

Rare

• If you enjoy your prime rib rare, your thermometer should measure in at 120 to 125 degrees with a brilliant red center that becomes somewhat pinkish towards the exterior of the roast.

Medium

• If you’d like to have your prime rib medium, your thermometer should reach a temperature of 140 to 145 degrees. The beef will have a slightly pink center, with a brown exterior.

Medium Well And Well-Done

• Both medium well and well-done will have both brown centers and brown exteriors. A medium-well prime rib’s thermometer should read 150 to 155 degrees, whereas a well-done roast will read 160 degrees.

Enhancing The Flavor Of Your Prime RIb

Prime rib has an amazing flavor all on its own. The rich meat flavor coupled with varying textures between the center and the outer bark create a spectacular display on your palate. There are several ways, however, to add some extra flavor to your star ingredient. Using different spice rubs or creating an au jus to compliment the meat can turn your prime rib into an unforgettable dinner. Here are some ingredients that you can use to create a rub mixture to get you started:

Herbs

Adding herbs to your prime rib rub create dynamic flavors in the final dish that harmonize incredibly well with the overall meal. Try adding these herbs to your prime rib rub:

• rosemary
• tarragon
• parsley
• coriander
• cilantro

Spices

Spices create a stronger flavor in your rub. This creates more contrast between the prime rib’s crust and the tender meat inside. Here are a few spices that work well in prime rib rubs:

• onion powder
• black pepper
• sea salt
• garlic powder
• celery salt
• paprika
• chili powder
• dry mustard
• cayenne pepper

Other possibilities include pistachios and brown sugar. It’s possible to marinate a prime rib in red wine to create a unique flavor as well.

Prime Rib Au Jus

Serving your prime rib with au jus, a French term meaning, “with juice” is another classic method you can use to accompany your roast and add some flavor. This light gravy can be prepared quickly while your prime rib rests after cooking, using the prime rib’s drippings as well as additional stock. It’s possible to add some wine to your au jus as well for bolder flavor.

Side Dishes

With such a regal cut of meat, it’s important the sides you serve alongside the prime rib are up to par. Here are a few side dish ideas to complete your ultimate prime rib dinner:

• Yorkshire pudding with au jus
• seared Brussels sprouts (bacon and or cranberries optional)
• mashed potatoes
• candied sweet potato mash with pecans

Prime rib makes a great dinner option for any holiday or special event. It’s a special dish that almost no one regularly eats, making it worthy of a stunning holiday dinner.