The Most Tender Prime Rib Recipe (2024)

Prime Rib Roast

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1-ten pound prime rib roast
  • 1 1/2 cups concentrated beef base, paste
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons thyme, fresh
  • 2 tablespoons oregano, dried
  • 2 tablespoons dried peppercorns, whole
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Supplies

  • paper towels
  • knife
  • medium bowl
  • roasting pan
  • instant-read thermometer
  • aluminum foil

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.

  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

The Most Tender Prime Rib Recipe (1)

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

The Most Tender Prime Rib Recipe (2)

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

The Most Tender Prime Rib Recipe (3)

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

The Most Tender Prime Rib Recipe (4)

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.

The Most Tender Prime Rib Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to tender prime rib? ›

Let it REST, As with most meat, you want to let it rest after cooking to allow the juices to settle in the meat, making it juicier and more tender. If you cut into your roast without letting it rest, the juices will rush out then the meat will be chewy.

What is the most tender prime rib? ›

What's the Best Cut of Prime Rib? The first cut (sometimes labeled the small end or the loin end) comes from the hind of the standing rib roast near the loin. It's more expensive and generally regarded as the best cut because it has less connective tissue than the second cut and therefore is more tender.

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.

What is the prime rib cooking trick? ›

You'll cook your room-temperature prime rib at 500 degrees F for exactly that many minutes. (Twenty-seven minutes, in my case.) Then turn off the oven and wait 2 hours without opening the door. When the time's up, remove the prime rib and slice into the most perfectly medium-rare meat you've ever seen.

What does soaking prime rib in milk do? ›

But the acid in milk is so mild that you can soak beef in it long enough to tenderize it effectively, without damaging the proteins on the surface. The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins.

What should I put on my prime rib before cooking? ›

Mix garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme together in a small bowl. Place roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. Spread mixture over the top of roast; let roast sit out until it is at room temperature, no longer than 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

Why is my prime rib always tough? ›

Overcooking the Prime Rib

That's why prime rib is so expensive: it's a huge piece of extremely good beef. Therefore, it's important not to cook it beyond medium-rare. Going past that temperature means the roast will no longer be tender.

Should I sear prime rib before roasting? ›

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.

Is it better to cook prime rib at 250 or 325? ›

Cook the prime rib low and slow at 250°F until the internal temperature reaches 120°F, about 3 hours, depending on its size. Take the roast off the heat. Crank the heat up to 450°F or 500°F, then return the meat to the grill to crisp the exterior of the roast.

How does Ruth Chris cook their prime rib? ›

Our perfected broiling method and seasoning techniques ensure each cut of USDA Prime beef we serve arrives cooked to perfection and sizzling on a 500° plate.

Is prime rib better cooked slow or fast? ›

How to Cook Prime Rib in the Oven. Here, one of the most classic ways to cook prime rib: the reverse sear method. 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.

Why do you salt prime rib before cooking? ›

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

Should I season prime rib the night before? ›

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.

Is it better to cook prime rib at 325 or 350? ›

Prime Rib Roast, at room temperature (very important)

Sear the rib roast for 15 minutes at the higher oven temperature (450°F), and then turn the oven to the lower temperature (325° F) for the rest of the cooking time.

Do you use butter or olive oil for prime rib? ›

Season the Prime Rib

You can also use olive oil instead of butter and any dried herbs that you like. Spread the soft butter mixture all over the surface of the prime rib and then season the top generously with more fresh black pepper and salt. Don't be shy when seasoning the prime rib before roasting.

How do you keep prime rib from drying out? ›

Storing your prime rib correctly is crucial to your leftovers staying as juicy and tasty as day one. First things first, wrap leftover prime rib tightly in plastic wrap, preferably keeping it intact rather than slicing it. This will help keep as much moisture inside as possible.

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