We want to ensure you cook this traditional holiday dinner main dish properly because it is pricey. Since you need to know everything about prime rib, from selecting your roast to slicing it, we prepared a very thorough guide. A magnificent, stunning standing rib roast is in the middle of the table.
The standing rib roast, often known as prime rib, is a stunning cut of meat. We use it whenever we want a truly jaw-dropping holiday roast. A well-prepared prime rib is flavorful, juicy, and not at all challenging to prepare. Additionally, it’s impressive: You’ll give the impression to your guests that you toiled for hours, but your little-kept secret is that it was easy, and your oven performed all the work.
What is Prime Rib?
A substantial chunk of beef with seven rib bones is known as prime rib. A side of beef is divided into nine pieces, each of which is referred to as a basic cut. One of the nine pieces is prime rib, and the other two slices are chuck and loin. The cow’s sixth through twelfth ribs are where the prime rib is found (and is not to be confused with Prime cuts of beef, a grade given by the USDA to beef with abundant marbling).
It is a common centrepiece for a Christmas table and other festive occasions. It is also known as a standing rib roast. The prime rib roast is a tender beef cut from the primal rib cut. Leave the rich marbling and fatty layer on the roast since they are what give this cut the distinctive and juicy flavour for which you are paying. You won’t ever eat turkey again after preparing the ideal prime rib roast dish for the holidays!
How Long should a Prime Rib be Cooked?
The cook time for prime rib depends on a wide range of factors. Is it a bone-in-standing rib roast? Is there any bone? Do you mean 4, 6, 8, or 14 pounds? What setting does your oven have? Use a convection oven, do you? (If you have one and aren’t using it, you should, as it will make roasting go more quickly; find out how in our piece What Is a Convection Oven?.) Here are some general timing recommendations, but remember to use an instant-read thermometer to determine when anything is finished cooking because every oven is different.
- Using a 225°F oven:
- 30 to 35 minutes per pound for medium-rare.
- Moderate: 35 to 40 seconds per pound
- 40 to 45 minutes per pound for medium-well
- Before serving, allow 30 minutes for resting, followed by 10 minutes of searing at 550 degrees F. (no resting is needed after the sear).
- Using a 325°F oven:
- 20 to 25 minutes per pound for medium-rare.
- Medium: between 25 and 30 minutes per pound
- 30 to 35 minutes per pound for medium-well
- Using a 350°F oven:
- 15 to 20 minutes per pound for medium-rare.
- Middle: 20 to 25 seconds per pound
- 25 to 30 minutes per pound for medium-well
Per Person, How Much Prime Rib is Required?
When purchasing a bone-in roast, choose 1 pound per person to ensure that there will be enough for everyone and some leftovers. Nearly half of the roast’s yield will come from the bone. Half a pound per person will suffice for a boneless roast.
How to Season for Prime Rib?
A roast is a substantial piece of meat and requires more seasoning than you might think. The day before roasting, sprinkle it with kosher salt and store it unwrapped in the refrigerator for the night. Before roasting, please remove it from the refrigerator and season with pepper and other herbs. If you want to add flavour to the roast as it cooks, you can insert small slices of garlic using the point of a paring knife.
What is the Recommended Cooking Temperature for Prime Rib Roast?
Take the roast’s temperature in the centre using an instant-read thermometer, making sure to keep the thermometer’s tip away from any bone or fat. When the temperature on the thermometer is 5 degrees below where you want the prime rib to be done, take it out of the oven. Tent it with foil and allow it to rest for 15–20 minutes; the extra cooking will raise the temperature by 5 degrees.
- 125°F for medium-rare
- Medium: 135 degrees F.
- Medium: 145 degrees Fahrenheit
How to Cook Prime Rib Roast Slowly?
One of the traditional methods for preparing prime rib is the reverse sear. To achieve a crisp exterior, roast the prime rib in the oven for a long period at low heat. The prime rib cooks through evenly and loses less fluid to the bottom of the roasting pan when prepared in this manner.
Spice up the beef heavily. Overnight, leave it unattended in the refrigerator.
For several hours, let it warm up to room temperature. Before cooking, allow it to sit on the counter for four hours. It’s crucial to bring the roast to room temperature in this situation since a cold roast will cook more slowly.
Slowly simmer the food. Place the roast in the oven and preheat it to 225 degrees F. For cooking times, go to the schedule above and take the roast’s internal temperature 30 minutes before it should be finished. Take it out of the oven when it reaches the proper temperature.
Rest it. Cover with foil and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes or up to an hour.
Sear it in reverse. The oven to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. The roast should be exposed and baked for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the outside has a good sear.
Slicing it When it comes out of the oven, you can slice it because it has already rested. The prime rib can be reheated before serving, thanks to the reverse sear time.
How to Cut Prime Rib?
Place a chopping board inside a half-sheet pan to trap all the roast’s juices. You don’t want the juice to spill over the floor since the grooves in your cutting board won’t be able to contain it all. Make your knives sharp. For your non-dominant hand—the one holding the roast steady while you slice—grab a pair of disposable gloves. Slice one slice for each individual, adding extra as necessary. It is considerably simpler to reheat or chop the remaining roast into thin slices for sandwiches if it is kept in one big piece.
It’s simple to cut a boneless prime rib roast into slices by using a long, somewhat sharp knife and pressing down only while cutting forward rather than backward. This will produce smooth, attractive slices rather than the ragged ones you’d get by sawing. Cut slices that are 1/2 inch thick.
A bone-in prime rib roast requires a bit more skill when first being cut into, but after that, it cuts similarly to a boneless roast. The roast must first be removed from the rib bones. Holding the bones in your non-dominant hand, slice downward along the contour of the bones with a thin boning knife.
You might have to go over a bump at the bottom. You will have successfully removed all of the bones when you are finished. Another occasion where seeing a rack of lamb will help with this is at this point. Then slice the prime rib roast like you would a boneless prime rib roast by placing it cut-side down on your board.
Can Prime Rib be Freeze?
An uncooked prime rib roast that has been properly wrapped can be frozen for up to a year. Four days before the roasting day, defrost in the refrigerator.
It’s okay to freeze cooked prime rib roast that has been tightly wrapped as long as storage is limited to six weeks. Before heating it again, let it defrost in the refrigerator for four days.
While cooked prime rib can keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, raw prime rib can only be stored for up to 3 days.
Which Steak Cut is Prime Rib?
Ask for a standing rib roast when purchasing prime rib. You’ll notice that name on the butcher counter. Unsurprisingly, the rib portion of the cow is where the standing rib roast is produced. Each side of a cow has thirteen ribs; the first five are referred to as the chuck, the middle seven as standing rib roast, and the last rib as the loin. Because a standing rib roast can weigh up to 25 pounds (i.e., it’s enormous), butchers frequently chop them in half. The first and second cuts are the names of the two pieces.
Which Prime Rib Cut is Best?
The first cut, also known as the short end or loin end, is taken from the standing rib roast’s back, close to the loin. Because it has less connective tissue than the second cut and is, therefore, more tender, it is more expensive and often regarded as the best cut. The front end of the standing rib roast, close to the chuck, is where the second cut—sometimes called the huge end—comes from. Some people love it since it is fatter than the first cut, even though it is a bit rougher and appears less consistent. The second cut will be slowly roasted, and the fat will add taste and moisture.
How to Prepare Prime Rib for Oven Cooking?
The greatest prime rib has a crisp outside and is juicy and tender on the interior. The reverse sear, done totally in the oven, is our preferred cooking technique. But first, a summary of The Best Prime Rib. We advise seasoning the prime rib in advance and resting it in the fridge for at least one night for optimal flavour. Then, rather than searing the meat at first, you’ll cook the roast slowly:
Roast it at 350 degrees F until the centre of the flesh reaches 120 degrees F. Place the meat fat side up on a rack positioned in a roasting pan. This will take around four hours for an eight-pound standing rib roast. Drying the surface with low heat prepares it for crisping up with high heat. The rib roast should be removed from the oven and left to rest for about an hour (the temperature will continue to rise as it sits). The rib roast should then be baked until the fatty skin turns golden brown in the oven, which you should do before serving. After 30 minutes of rest, start serving!
How do Prime Rib and Ribeye Differ?
The initial cut of the prime rib contains the ribeye muscle (ribs ten through twelve). The first cut has gorgeous, even marbling and seems uniform because of this. It is occasionally offered for sale at butcher counters as a portion of the initial cut of prime rib, or it may be carved into individual ribeye steaks (which can be found bone-in or boneless).
Is Prime Rib Considered Grade?
This is an excellent query. The name “prime rib” is a misnomer because the word “prime” is in it. The finest grade of steak, determined by heavy, even marbling, is not always prime rib (which makes for incredibly tender results). High-end butchers sell prime-grade prime rib at a price. Choice grade, the second-best grade with the least marbling, is also available.
Conclusion
The seven bones that run the length of a cow’s side and are sandwiched between the short loin and the shoulder chuck make up a beef rib roast, typically divided into two pieces. Usually, the larger end nearer the chuck is fatter, has more connective tissue, and yields a more erratic slice, but it is flavorful nonetheless. The smaller end is slightly less fatty but more uniformly tender and close to the short loin. Both can produce tasty results, depending on what you’re going for. The prime rib roast usually takes 12 to 13 minutes but can be cooked as per the choice.
