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Our Perfect Prime Rib recipe takes a different approach than most other recipes you see online these days. But it’s a pro technique that results in a tender and juicy roast every single time!
Hi everyone – Jack here. I’d like to start off by suggesting that you forget everything you’ve learned about roasting a prime rib of beef.
In culinary school, two of the very first rules I learned were:
- NEVER salt a rib roast just before you put it in the oven to roast.
- ALWAYS cook the roast low and slow – and wait until the end to brown.
I know – this is completely counter to most other prime rib recipes these days, where experts have you start off by cooking the beef at a very high heat. But hear me out.
Back in school, our class roasted four very large, steamship rounds of beef. (Those are the giant sub primal cuts of beef you see a chef carving at a restaurant buffet line, with a large bone sticking out the top.) With such expensive cuts of beef on hand, there is no way our teacher was going to teach us the wrong way to cook them.
The same principles taught to us then apply to large cuts of beef, as well as the smaller prime rib roasts you would make at home – or for that matter, any roasted muscle meat.
First, we were taught to salt and season the roast the night before, and allow the roast to sit overnight, uncovered, under refrigeration. The salt draws out the moisture and then – only with time – it grabs the seasonings and infuses it back into the meat. (If you salt just before you roast, the same chemical reaction will happen, except the juices will be at the bottom of the pan, instead of in the roast where you want them to be.)
Second, always cook it low and slow – and wait until the end to brown. This guarantees the same doneness throughout, instead of the roast being red in the center and over-cooked towards the outer edge. If a prime rib roast is truly done right – only about 1/16th of an inch or so from the outer edge will be cooked more than the rest.
Why you’ll love this Perfect Prime Rib recipe!
- You’ll be following a time-tested, proven technique that yields professional results.
- You can feel confident that your expensive holiday roast will be cooked to perfection.
- The beef is cooked to a medium rare throughout – the ideal way to enjoy a prime rib dinner.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef Rib Roast – For the best results, choose a roast that says Prime on the label. Roasts can be sold with or without the rib bones protruding from the end. Either is fine for this recipe and it won’t affect the cooking method – just note that a boneless roast will cook faster than a bone-in roast.
- Seasonings – You won’t need much more than kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus some olive oil that will help the seasonings stick to the meat.
- Beef bones – Because this roasting method doesn’t leave much in the way of drippings (the juice stays in the meat), we like to roast off extra bones to make an Au Jus (a simple pan sauce) and Yorkshire Pudding. If you just want the beef by itself, you don’t need to purchase these.
- Red wine – Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon are all great options if you plan to make an Au Jus to serve with your prime rib. Most importantly, use a bottle you would enjoy drinking on its own!
- Kitchen Bouquet – This is a browning and seasoning sauce that enhances the color and flavor of gravies and sauces. It also acts as a thickener as well. Gravy Master is a popular substitute, but again, you won’t need this if you aren’t making Au Jus.
Chef’s Tips:
- If you’d like, ask your butcher to separate and tie back the bones – they will serve as the rack underneath the beef. Plus, the bones always add great flavor.
- Also, a boneless roast will cook faster, so use the internal temperature as a guide.
Special supplies needed
Roasting Pan – You don’t need the metal rack insert unless you are cooking the beef by itself, without the extra bones.
Probe Thermometer – The only way to accurately tell when your roast is perfectly done is by taking the internal temperature. An inexpensive probe thermometer like this stays in the meat the entire time it roasts. Set the desired temperature on the gauge, and the alarm will go off when it’s done!
Chef’s Tip – Allow the meat to sit on the kitchen counter at room temperature for one hour before putting the roast in the oven. This will ensure even cooking.
How do I make a Perfect Prime Rib?
- Coat the beef with oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a platter, fat side up, and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the prime rib from the refrigerator (the next day) and let rest on the counter for an hour.
- Roast the bones while the beef rests. (Do this about five hours before serving.)
- Place the roast on top of the bones, then roast until it reaches an internal temp of 125 degrees F.
- Transfer the meat to a platter to rest.
- Simmer wine, water, Worcestershire sauce, and browning sauce, along with the roasted bones, in a saucepan to make an au jus. After simmering, strain the liquid into a separate saucepan.
- Place the meat back in the oven to brown for 15-20 minutes.
- Rest the meat one more time before you slice and serve.
- Serve with hot Au Jus or our Creamy Horseradish Sauce.
Chef’s Tip – If you prefer your roast to be served at medium doneness instead of medium-rare, remove it from the oven when the thermometer reads 130-135°F. As it rests, it will continue to cook until it reaches a perfect 135-140°F when served.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should prime rib be cooked covered or uncovered? For this prime rib recipe, we leave it uncovered.
Do I need to use a roasting rack? We place the meat directly on the roasted beef bones. If you plan to skip that part, you will need to place a metal rack inside your pan first.
Will this recipe work with a boneless roast? Yes! The cook time will be less, but the finished internal temp (125 degrees F) will be the same.
Do I remove the bones from the meat? No, they can stay in, and additional bones are used to create the drippings for Au Jus and Yorkshire Pudding. Just to clarify – this recipe can be followed for bone-in roasts, or boneless roasts. If the bones are removed, ask your butcher to save them for you to use underneath while roasting the prime rib.
How big of a roast should I buy for only two people? A one-bone roast would probably be enough. They are usually sold in larger cuts, so ask the butcher to cut one down to size for you.
I don’t have a meat thermometer. How long per pound? As noted above, a probe thermometer (like this) is the very best way for you to know when your roast is done. However – generally – plan for about 30 minutes per pound at 250 degrees F. You’ll also need an hour out of the fridge beforehand, and another half hour to rest after.
What do I serve with Prime Rib?
- Yorkshire Pudding
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Blender Hollandaise Sauce
- Au Jus (included in the recipe below)
You might enjoy these other roast beef recipes:
- Top of the Round Roast
- Eye of the Round Roast
- Perfect Grilled Sirloin Steak
- Perfect Pan-Seared Steak
- Pan-Seared Sirloin Steak
This 5-star recipe originally appeared on A Family Feast in 2014.
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Perfect Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 1 3-rib bone-in Prime rib roast (about 6 1/2 to 7 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 pounds beef bones including meat and fat, such as necks, chuck bones, etc. I found neck bones on sale as well as some fatty rib pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1/3 cup red wine such as merlot
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon gravy color and seasoning sauce such as Kitchen Bouquette
Instructions
- Place the beef on a platter and coat with oil, salt and pepper and refrigerate uncovered overnight fat side up.
- Five hours before serving, heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Pull roast from refrigeration and let sit at room temperature while you roast the bones and fat.
- In roasting pan place beef bones and fat, salt, pepper and oil and roast 30 minutes.
- Turn the bones and fat and roast 30 more minutes.
- Reduce the oven to 250 degrees F and leave oven door open so the oven cools down to this new setting.
- Remove pan from oven and place the garlic over the top of the bones then place the roast over that, fat side up.
- Insert a probe thermometer into the fattest part of the roast and set alarm temperature to 125 degrees F for medium rare.
- Our 6 ¼ pound roast took exactly 3½ hours to cook to an internal temperature of 125 degrees F. It will continue to cook outside of the oven to the proper medium rare doneness.
- Remove beef to a platter and cover loosely with foil for 20 minutes to rest, no less.
- Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
- Place roasting pan with bones on stove top and add wine to deglaze.
- When wine has almost evaporated, add water, Worcestershire sauce and gravy color and simmer until liquid has reduced to about a cup to a cup and a half. Strain out solids and pour Au Jus into sauce pan to heat when needed.
- After the roast has rested for 20 minutes, remove probe and place roast back on roasting pan and into hot oven and brown for 15-20 minutes or until desired crispiness.
- Remove from oven, let sit five more minutes and carve.
- Heat Au Jus to hot and serve on the side or over the slices.
- Serve Creamy Horseradish Sauce on the side.
- With a three bone rib roast, three slices will have meat only and three will have bone in.
- One last note; your roast may or may not have the end of the rib bones protruding out of the end. Either way, no change to cooking method, just wanted to point out that it is sold both ways.
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Whitney Lance says
Tried the other recipes calling for high temperatures in the beginning and it always came out fine. Came across this recipe and tried it and I will never go back to any other way of roasting a prime rib. It was amazing!
Martha says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Whitney!
Dina says
Hello Martha,
This is a long time coming note to let you know I’ ve been using your perfect prime rib recipe and your creamy horseradish sauce for the last three years exactly as described and it’s been always a success. Our family absolutely loves it and requests it every year. This year is no exception with a 9 lb bone-in prime. Thank you so much for sharing such a prized winner and your generous tips for roasting such a perfect piece of beef. Dina
Martha says
Thank you so much for your note Dina – and we’re so glad your family is enjoying both the prime rib and horseradish sauce! Happy Holidays to you and yours.
JR WEST says
Good God this the right way to cook prime rib. Thank you. A question this time though, how many hours with salt on in the fridge? Asking if it’s okay to salt and refrigerate in the am for a late dinner. THANKS !
Jack says
I would say yes depending on the size of the roast. The basic rule is one hour per pound for salt to pull liquid from any meat then absorb it back in. But for a rib roast that is the same size in diameter, just long, it sort of doesn’t matter as long as the roast is evenly salted. So simple answer is yes, that would be fine.
Good luck and happy holidays,
Jack
JR says
Thanks for the response and the rule. We’ve made rib roast this way several times now, twice at the last minute without pre-roasting the bones, still DELICIOUS, and SO juicy. I like mine more well done, and a quick sizzle used to dry it out. Not this way, I’m also liking it a little more rare cooked this way.
JR WEST says
That should have read without the extra bones roasting before the whole roast.
Leslie A Gutierrez says
Just a quick question–if I want to cook to medium, how long and what should internal temp. be? Thank you
Martha says
Hi Leslie – We actually mention that right in the post! 🙂 If you prefer your roast to be served at medium doneness instead of medium-rare, remove it from the oven when the thermometer reads 130-135°F. As it rests, it will continue to cook until it reaches a perfect 135-140°F when served.
Hope that helps!
Transplant west says
We’re all social distancing, and not going out. In a mad dash through the store, I got a small rib roast, but no mushrooms or bones or anything else in the recipe and decided to cook the roast this way anyway. Skeptical about the slow cook then the short char at the end. I threw on some fresh garlic even forgot the salt and pepper and went for it. AMAZING. I don’t like too much red in my meat as a former vegetarian, and my family always says that’s why my portion is tough. NOT THIS TIME. AMAZING. I can guarantee you I’ll cook rib roast this way forever, probably other roasts as well and can’t wait to cook the bones and au jus in this article. Thanks much, we had a restaurant quality dinner, even if I forgot have the list. What a nice treat now.
Martha says
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Mark Lionelli says
Hello do you recommend covering the roost while cooking or leave it uncovered?
Martha says
Hi Mark – We roast our prime rib uncovered.
Amy says
Hello. Do you replace the rack in the roasting pan for the bones? Do you place the meat directly on the bones vs a provided rack during the 3.5 hours? Thanks!
Martha says
Hi Amy – We place the meat directly on the bones instead of using the roasting rack that comes with many roasting pans.
Pattie Finley says
A little confused do you remove the bones from the roast
Martha says
Hi Pattie – Sorry for the confusion…you’ll buy extra bones (your butcher can put them aside for you, but many supermarkets also sell packages of bones) but leave the bones in the actual roast. It’s an extra and perhaps unusual step but the bones give the juices for Au Jus or Yorkshire Pudding extra delicious flavor. (We explain a little more about it in the post above the recipe.) Hope that helps clarify!
Sarah says
Excellent recipe, as is, as written.
I used this recipe for Christmas, with a scant 7lb standing (bone on) prime rib roast.
Some notes that might be helpful for those wondering if you can really do this at home:
The beef was Select grade meat, not listed as Black Angus, purchased as a weekly special from my local grocery store. You do not have to hunt down a mysterious “restaurant”supplier or purchase only Prime grade and/or “Black Angus” branded, etc. Good quality with excellent technique will be more than worth it and result in top quality results.
I used a quarter size countertop convection oven, Oster French Door, with the convection off for the roasting and convection on for final “crust” crisping.
Timing listed was accurate for my oven, using a fairly generic digital probe thermometer I purchased online. Test it for accuracy in boiling water (212° F.)
I used some fresh prepackaged beef roast herbs (parsley, rosemary, and thyme) along with some dry spices and herbs.
Reheating here is room temp meat in a preheated glass dish of a bit of au jus, in a warm setting oven for a brief time, just to lukewarm. This method works well for those seeking their meat at Medium or more.
The only other method I would use to cook prime rib is the high heat and turn off the oven method, both equally good. This recipe excels for all ovens, including countertop and less than perfect ones., unlike the other method.
You won’t be sorry, you can do this, they’re leading you to Prime Rib Heaven.
Martha says
Thanks Sarah – Glad you saw good success with your prime rib!
June Moss says
Jack, I plan to use your Prime Rib Recipe on New Years Eve. It’s our 59th Anniversary…That was the only night of the year I was allowed to stay out late enough to slip away and marry the boy of my dreams…I was sixteen. I have always loved to be in my kitchen and am very excited to try your method for this 11lb. roast to share with our children and grandchildren. I will be serving your Yorkshire Pudding and Au Jus. Since this roast is large do I need any additional instructions? I’m Happy to have found your recipe and method for Prime Rib and can’t wait to check out your soup recipes.
June
Martha says
Hi, Jack here, first Happy Anniversary.
The timing isn’t much different, maybe a little longer to accommodate the extra volume in the oven using up heat. Give yourself an extra half hour. Worst thing that happens is that it is done early and sits out a bit longer before it goes in for the final browning. It’s sort of like baking one sheet of cookies and then baking two sheets of cookies. The two sheets will take longer to bake than a single sheet.
Wish you luck!
PS, my parents are still alive and just celebrated their 65th anniversary, they met at 16 as well.