I think making a prime rib is actually easier than cooking steaks, is usually fool-proof if you have a good meat thermometer, and the result is a pretty awesome meal for special occasions or when you crave prime rib! I decided to learn how to make prime rib a few years ago when I learned that I could actually acquire aged meat through the butcher/grocery store. Even though prime rib roast is usually $16/lb, at a minimum (at least in DC and in LA), it is much cheaper to make it at home than to eat it at Lawry's or at whatever steakhouse you like to go to. Hence, it is a good idea to learn if you like prime rib!
Credit: The first recipe or lesson on how to cook a prime rib I got was from What's Cooking America (http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/ClassicPrimeRib.htm). So I must give them credit for this recipe is adapted from theirs. They are great, please check their website out for more in depth information on how to make a prime rib.
Here's how I made my Rosemary-crusted Prime Rib Roast for NYE:
Ingredients:
-Aged prime rib/standing rib roast
-Fresh rosemary, you can also add other herbs such as sage and thyme
-Butter or butter substitute
-Beef broth
-Black pepper
-Salt
Other things you need:
-Meat thermometer (YOU MUST HAVE THIS! GET A GOOD ONE for a peace of mind!)
-Cooking twine (OR just make sure your butcher ties your prime rib for you before you leave the butcher/grocery store...they usually do that for you already)
Step by step:
1) Determine how much prime rib you need. The general rule of thumb to follow: each rib feeds 2 people. So if you have 6 people, you can get a 3 rib prime rib roast. I usually don't get less than a 2 rib roast regardless of how many people I am trying to feed because I like to have leftovers! :) Also, it is a little bit weird cooking a 1 rib roast...it's like a piece of steak instead...
2) Find a butcher/store that sells aged prime rib or aged standing rib roast. Purchase prime rib. Make sure to call ahead - some butchers/store won't have it unless you call.
3) Make sure to purchase your meat thermometer ahead of time, so you're not stuck with a crappy one from your local grocery store.
4) Before you are ready to put the prime rib in the oven, take the prime rib out for 2-3 hours so it can reach room temperature. This helps the prime rib cook more evenly.
5) Prepare the prime rib. Trim fat if fat exceeds 1 inch in thickness. LEAVE the fat on even if you don't want to eat it because it keeps the prime rib moist and tasty!!! You can cut the fat out later. Tie prime rib if the butcher didn't do it and you didn't figure it out till after you got home! It is important to tie the prime rib or else the outer layer of meat will pull away from the rest, resulting in very uneven cooking. Tying it keeps it all together!
When I left the butcher on NYE with the piece of prime rib, I realized the prime rib wasn't tied but I decided to ignore it. It wasn't till I was about to start cooking did I realize the importance of doing so, so I scrambled for oven-proof strings. I googled and saw that you could use unwaxed dental floss but I didn't have any :( What I ended up doing was cutting up an old 100% cotton t-shirt and making strings. It sounds kind of ridiculous but it worked! 6) Smear butter on both ends of the prime rib.
7) Chop up herbs and cover all areas of the prime rib with herbs except the bottom.
8) Stick in meat thermometer where it's just meat (not touching bones, not hitting the bottom). I usually stick the thermometer in at half the "height of the prime rib" , so the temperature is recording the internal temperature right in the middle of the prime rib (as illustrated below).
To make sure you understood where to put the meat thermometer, I decided to sacrifice my dignity and post my drawing on the world wide web...hope this helps!
9) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Once the oven is ready, place prime rib in for 15 minutes.10) Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. I check the oven every 15-20 minutes at the beginning. Towards the end, when it is about 15 minutes away from the estimated done time, I check every 5 minutes.
Approximate Weight | Oven Temperature | Total Estimated Time Only | Meat Thermometer Reading (Rare) | |
2 ribs | 4 to 5 pounds | 450 deg/325 deg F | 60 to 70 minutes | 120 degrees F |
3 ribs | 7 to 8.5 pounds | 450 deg/325 deg F | 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours | 120 degrees F |
4 ribs | 9 to 10.5 pounds | 450 deg/325 deg F | 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours | 120 degrees F |
5 ribs | 11 to 13.5 pounds | 450 deg/325 deg F | 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours | 120 degrees F |
6 ribs | 14 to 16 pounds | 450 deg/325 deg F | 3 to 3 1/4 hours | 120 degrees F |
7 ribs | 16 to 18.5 pounds | 450 deg/325 deg F | 3 1/4 to 4 hours | 120 degrees F |
11) Depending on how cooked you want your prime rib, take it out 5 degrees before it is "done." I usually like my prime rib medium rare, so I take it out at 120-125 deg F. Once you let it rest, it continues to cook for a little bit, so you want to make sure it turns out exactly as you like it and not over-cooked.
Beef Roast Cooking Temperatures | ||
Rare | 120 to 125 degrees F | center is bright red, pinkish toward the exterior portion |
Medium Rare | 130 to 135 degrees F | center is very pink, slightly brown toward the exterior portion |
Medium | 140 to 145 degrees F | center is light pink, outer portion is brown |
Medium Well | 150 to 155 degrees F | not pink |
Well Done | 160 degrees F and above | steak is uniformly brown throughout |
12) After you take the rib roast out of the oven, move it to a chop board to rest. Ta-Da!!!
A special shout out to West Virginia :)WARNING WARNING WARNING: Do not scroll pass step 13 if you can't stand the sight of rare-ish meat!!!
14) Slice prime rib however thick you want it and serve with your favorite side dishes. Horseradish mashed potatoes and garlic green beans were ours for NYE!
Ta-Da!!! Ta-Da!!!
New Year's Eve dinner is completed!
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