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Prime Rib Roast Recipe

In this post I’m sharing a Prime Rib Roast Recipe.

Prime Rib or Beef Rib Roast, as you’ll likely find it labeled at the market, certainly falls under the special occasion meal. It’s a pricey cut of beef. You’ll find this delicious prime cut of beef gracing the Christmas table of many homes for holiday gatherings.

After all it has been just a month ago that we were stuffing our faces with turkey and you may want something different.  If you’re lucky enough to catch it on sale, as I did, a prime rib makes for a great special dinner for a loved one’s birthday too and perfect for dinner parties.

While it may be a more expensive beef product, you’ll be able to feed six or more people for the price you would pay for a prime rib dinner for two at a restaurant.

Never Overcook a Prime Rib

There is only one real rule to cooking prime rib. You’ll see this same rule no matter who’s recipe you’re looking at. Don’t overcook it! If it is over-cooked, it is pretty much ruined. A perfectly roasted prime rib should be medium rare to medium.

If that is too pink for your taste, this may not be the meal for you. I’m almost always a medium well girl when it comes to steaks, however I make an exception for prime rib. You spent all of that money on this fine choice beef so follow the simple cooking method to roasting it perfectly every time.

What is this secret method? A thermometer! It doesn’t have to be an expensive thermometer. Ideally one that can be inserted into your meat product with a line that extends outside of the oven door to a gauge that alerts you when you’ve reached your target temperature. A roasting thermometer is a handy kitchen tool and it will assist you in creating perfectly roasted meats.

meat roasting thermometer

Beef Rib Roast

One of the things I’ve found to be true in cooking is when you buy a quality piece of meat, whether it be prime rib or that choice steak cut from a butcher, there is no need to be fancy in your preparation. You’ve paid good money for an expensive prime product. It’s already good.

If it’s your heart’s desire to rub it down with truffle butter and herbs….well do what makes you happy…but honestly, all you need are salt and pepper. Seriously? I’m absolutely serious. A beginner cook with a prime rib, a thermometer, salt and pepper will create a dish that everyone will rave over. I’m not kidding.

It’s almost as if this fine beef does all of the work itself. The cook just assists it along in the process and serves with the right condiments. No one need know that it was easy. You can keep that to yourself.

What are the right condiments? Traditionally, prime rib should be served with horseradish and Au Jus. For the side items, I serve a perfect baked potato and perhaps a garden salad before the main meal.

Prime Rib, Beef Rib Roast

You’ll usually find that the beef rib roast comes either boneless or with the bones. I buy the bone in version. The bones are what rest upon the roasting rack and pull away from the cooked meat with no effort at all. You can freeze those bones to use at another time in making a batch of beef bone broth.

Prime Rib Dinner

Printable Recipe Card at the end of this post

Best Prime Rib Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need to make the perfect prime rib:

5-7 lb Beef Rib Roast (Prime Rib)

Vegetable Oil

Kosher Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Be sure to take the beef rib roast out of the refrigerator 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to cooking so that it comes to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 500°F

Prime Rib

Brush the entire roast with vegetable oil

Liberally salt and pepper all sides of the meat. You’ll want to add a little more seasoning than you might think. Don’t worry it’s not going to be too salty and that pepper will create a nice crust as it cooks. In the photo above you can see the salt crystals and pepper.

Place the roast, bone side down (if you’re using a bone in roast) into a roasting pan lined with a roasting rack.

Insert the thermometer probe into the meat, down toward the center of the roast.

Special Occasion Meals

Place the prime rib roast into the oven and attach the thermometer line to the thermometer gauge outside of the oven door. Set the thermometer to 125°F. That is the target temperature for this cut of beef.

The general rule is to round up your poundage. I had a 5.25 pound roast so I rounded up to 6. For each pound, you’ll roast for 5 minutes per pound at 500°F. So for this particular roast, that is 30 minutes. Set your timer.

After the cooking time is up at the high cooking temperature, turn the oven temperature down to 200°F. Continue to roast until your thermometer gauge reaches the target of 125°F.  This could take another hour and a half or so. Don’t worry, your handy thermometer will let you know when it’s ready.

When you reach the target internal cooking temperature, remove the roast from the oven. Don’t remove the thermometer probe yet. Juices will escape. Allow the roast to rest for 20 minutes. Set a timer.

Prime Rib, Perfectly cooked

Now you’re ready to carve and serve. I lifted my roast and used my fingers to pull away the bones. It comes away very easily. You now have a boneless roast for easy carving.

Slice in even sections and serve.

Prime Rib, Medium Rare

Look at the beautiful crust formed during cooking.

Other recipes you may be interested in:

Herb Roasted Turkey

Fine Dining Steak Dinner at Home

Let’s make this Prime Rib Roast Recipe!

Yield: 1 Prime Rib Roast

Prime Rib

Perfect Prime Rib served on a plate with a baked potato, au ju and horseradish cream

Classic prime rib dinner with all of the fixings is a special treat.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 5-7 lb Beef Rib Roast (Prime Rib)
  • 1 tbs Vegetable Oil
  • 3 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. Be sure to take the beef rib roast out of the refrigerator 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to cooking so that it comes to room temperature.
  2. Preheat oven to 500°F
  3. Brush the entire roast with vegetable oil
  4. Liberally salt and pepper all sides of the meat. You'll want to add a little more seasoning than you might think. Don't worry it's not going to be too salty and that pepper will create a nice crust as it cooks. In the photo above you can see the salt crystals and pepper.
  5. Place the roast, bone side down (if you're using a bone in roast) into a roasting pan lined with a roasting rack.
  6. Insert the thermometer probe into the meat, down toward the center of the roast.
  7. Place into the oven and attach the thermometer line to the thermometer gauge outside of the oven door. Set the thermometer to 125°F. That is the target temperature for this cut of beef.
  8. The general rule is to round up your poundage. I had a 5.25 pound roast so I rounded up to 6. For each pound, you'll roast for 5 minutes per pound at 500°F. So for this particular roast, that is 30 minutes. Set your timer.
  9. After the cooking time is up at the high cooking temperature, turn the oven temperature down to 200°F. Continue to roast until your thermometer gauge reaches the target of 125°F. This could take another hour and a half or so. Don't worry, your handy thermometer will let you know when it's ready.
  10. When you reach the target internal cooking temperature, remove the roast from the oven. Don't remove the thermometer probe yet. Juices will escape. Allow the roast to rest for 20 minutes. Set a timer.
  11. Now you're ready to carve and serve. I lifted my roast and used my fingers to pull away the bones. It comes away very easily. You now have a boneless roast for easy carving.
  12. Slice in even sections and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 298Total Fat: 23.9gSaturated Fat: 301gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 349gCholesterol: 72mgFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 19.2g
Perfect Prime Rib

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I hope that you enjoy this Prime Rib Roast Recipe! It is sure to make anyone feel special who gets to enjoy this perfect beef roast meal.

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Carlee

Friday 23rd of November 2018

Mmmm! That looks like a perfect Christmas dinner to me!

Julia Jordan

Friday 23rd of November 2018

Carlee, Thanks! It's so delicious. Julia

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