How to Cook Prime Rib: Best Prime Rib Recipe

Prime rib is a tender, well marbled cut from the rib section. It’s what you get if, instead of slicing through the ribs to get ribeye steaks, you leave them together as one big roast, anywhere from two to six ribs wide. The prime rib contains several different muscles, the largest of which are the longissimus dorsi (the rib “eye”), a tender muscle also found in the strip steak, and the fattier spinalis dorsi (aka deckle or rib cap). Also called standing rib roast or ribeye roast, don’t confuse prime rib with the USDA grade Prime, a quality rating. (Although it’s not a bad idea to buy a Prime-grade prime rib!)

Since prime rib is large and full of fat, it’s ideal for oven-roasting. The cooking will vary based on oven temperature, weight of the roast, and whether it's a boneless prime rib. There are a couple of different ways to do this:

• Stove-to-oven: Brown the roast and render the fat in a heavy-duty cast-iron skillet or roasting pan on the stovetop, then move to a moderate oven to finish cooking.
• Reverse sear: Roast prime rib in a low oven until it reaches the desired internal temperature, then crank up the heat and continue cooking until the roast is nicely browned.

Both methods can benefit from first rubbing your prime rib with a flavorful crust of minced garlic, fresh rosemary or other herbs, salt, and pepper. However you roast your prime rib, always let it come up to room temperature before you start roasting, which allows the meat to cook more evenly. For big roasts like prime rib, budget one to two hours.

A meat thermometer is a good idea when checking the temperature of a roast; if using an instant-read thermometer, remove the roast from the oven when taking its temperature. Prime rib should rest for about 30 minutes after cooking to relax the proteins and evenly distribute juices. The carryover cooking that happens during resting will increase the internal temperature of a steak by about 5°F, so keep that in mind when calculating internal temperature. For rare prime rib, aim for a final internal temperature of 120–130°F. Medium rare is 130–135°F.

If you choose to roast bone-in, you’ll want to remove it when it comes time to serve the roast. To remove the bone:

1. 1. Turn the roast on its side with a carving knife, following the curve of the bone as closely as possible.
2. 2. When you get to the end of the bone, hinge the bones outward and cut through the bottom to fully separate.
3. 3. Place the deboned roast on a cutting board fat side up and slice the deboned prime rib into thin slices as needed.

Since prime rib is a large and expensive cut, it’s ideal for larger gatherings. For a classic prime rib dinner, try serving:

• Au jus, which simply means “with juice” in French. It usually refers to a simple pan sauce made with the meat drippings from the bottom of the pan and stock and/or wine.
• With horseradish sauce. Whisk ½ cup crème fraîche, sour cream, or heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form, then fold in 1-2 tablespoons prepared horseradish and 1½ tablespoons freshly ground pink peppercorns. Season to taste with salt.

Crowd-pleasing side dishes include:

• Yorkshire pudding, popovers, or other sweet, fluffy breads.
• Creamed spinach, green beans, or asparagus.
• Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, or boiled new potatoes.