the best Prime Rib recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? ›

How do restaurants make prime rib so tender? The secret to restaurant-style prime rib is cooking the meat super slow at low temperatures. I recommend cooking prime rib at no higher than 200 degrees F. This cooks the meat very slowly, turning the fat into butter and rendering the proteins juicy and soft.

The length of time to cook prime rib depends on how rare you want the meat. Start by cooking your prime rib at 500°F for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 325° F and cook for 10-12 min per pound for rare, or 13-14 min per pound for medium rare, or 14-15 min per pound for medium well.

Place the seasoned rib roast on a greased roasting rack in a roasting tray. Cook for 4 to 5 hours or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the roast is 125-130°F for medium-rare prime rib, or 135-140°F for medium. Take out the roast and tent it with foil.

Searing is an important part of roasting a prime rib. Searing the roast first will kill the surface bacteria, which is a nice touch, especially when you are roasting at lower temperatures.

Rule #7: Season Well, and Season in Advance

For best results, salt your prime rib on all surfaces with kosher salt at least 45 minutes before you start cooking it, and preferably the day before, leaving it in the fridge uncovered overnight. Initially, the salt will draw out some moisture and end up dissolving in it.

You'll cook the prime rib low and slow in the oven, then crank up the heat at the end to achieve a crisp outside. This method has several advantages: the prime rib loses less juice to the bottom of the roasting pan and it cooks evenly all the way through.

The salt helps trap the heat to better cook the prime rib. “It conducts the heat and seals it,” says Betz.

Place the roast fat side up, bone side down, in a large roasting pan. Cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. This allows the heat to sear the roast, trapping the juicy flavors inside while the rest of the meat cooks. On average, each pound of rib needs 15 minutes to cook (i.e., a 4 lb.

Remove the beef roast from the refrigerator 3 hours before you start to cook it. Sprinkle it with salt all over and let it sit, loosely wrapped in butcher paper. Roasts should be brought close to room temperature before they go into the oven to ensure more even cooking.

Cook the prime rib for about 10-15 minutes bone side down first, then flip it over and roast for 10-15 minutes fat side down. Brown the sides for 10 minutes per side.

Is there a difference between prime rib and prime rib roast? ›

Butchery: Both rib roast and prime are primal cuts of beef; however, prime rib recipes call for the cut to remain whole, whereas a butcher typically divides a rib roast into individual ribeye steaks. The rib roast is generally a boneless cut of meat, while prime rib comes with the bone still in it.

Preparing the Prime Rib Roast

Pull the rib roast out of the fridge and let temper on the counter for three hours. USDA guidelines requires food not be held above 33°F (1°C) for more than 4 hours. A three-hour rest on the counter is well within time constraints.

Cutting a roast in half increases the surface area and reduces the distance heat has to travel to get to the center. This speeds the cooking process. In addition, when the center reaches the desired temperature, the outer layers will be far past that temperature. A smaller roast has less of a temperature gradient.

Turn the heat on the oven down to 250°F and continue to cook for approximately 12-15 minutes per pound of meat. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. I recommend removing it from the oven at 122°F, as the internal temperature will continue to rise 5-10 degrees as you rest the meat.

Keep the rib roast uncovered while you cook it to allow it to brown on the outside. You can also give it a little extra sear in a hot pan for a few minutes on each side after it's finished roasting.

For optimal flavor and texture, cook prime rib to medium rare or an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees F. Ideally, you want to remove the meat from the oven or grill when the temperature reaches 120-125 degrees F (rare) and let it rest for about 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.