Prime Rib Roast

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Prime Rib Roast – a holiday showstopper meal that is perfectly medium rare with a gorgeous brown crackly crust on the outside. A mouth-watering, crowd-pleasing holiday dish!

What’s Christmas or New Year’s dinner without a good meat sitting pretty on the dining table? Aside from cakes, meat dishes get everyone in the holiday groove, too.

And this year I’m sharing to you what has been a family favorite , show stopper and crowd pleaser, even kids can’t seem to have enough of it.  It’s gone before you know it – no leftovers !  

This Prime Rib Roast is the perfect meat dish for the holidays or even on special occasions. It requires less ingredients and it’s as easy as marinating the meat with spices and seasoning and tossing it in the oven when you’re ready to cook.

However, it’s cooking time has been a tricky one to some though.

So what are the considerations of a perfectly cooked Prime Rib Roast?

First.The outside appearance should be as pretty as the inside. Perfectly brown, crisp, crackly crust exterior is the first standard for a heavenly made Prime Rib Roast.

Second. Browned crust shouldn’t mean overcook  gray dry interior edges. Yes, you read that right. You see the photos above? You can’t see an uneven color from the medium rare interior meat going towards the crust.

Third. Juice is life! Prime Rib Roast should retain as much juice as possible. It should be juicy and moist. I mean, does anyone fancy a dry and chewy meat? Nada!

It actually took me a couple of attempts before I figure out the best cooking time and techniques for this roast.

So in a nutshell, you have to roast the meat starting in a high temperature to brown the crust beautifully and then reduce the heat to slowly roast the inside of the meat to avoid dry edges and retain its juiciness.

Let your prime rib rest on a cutting board for 20-30 minutes lightly covered in aluminum foil  before carving it out.

Don’t forget the wines. Cheers to happy holidays, everyone!

Tips and Notes:

1. You need to use a  thermometer to guarantee that your  roast turns out exactly the way you want it. For an accurate reading, be sure to push the thermometer all the way to the middle of the roast, making sure the tip is not touching fat , bone , or pan – just the meat .
2. This recipe works for boneless prime rib or bone-in. Please take note that for bone-in prime rib, one rib equals  two servings.
3. Prime rib’s selling point are those couple of streaks of fat in its meat. To choose with the perfect prime rib to roast, go with the one which has more marbled streaks of intramuscular fat on it. This would mean that it’ll be juicier, tender and more flavorful.
4. Don’t hold back with your seasoning. Prime rib should be seasoned well at least 45 minutes before roasting it and preferably a day before to allow the flavor to be absorbed thoroughly.
5. As much as possible use an instant read digital thermometer to guarantee a perfectly cooked meat. If you want to go with medium-rare, aim for 115-120°F or 125-130°F internal meat temperature for medium.
6. Let it rest and cover it with foil before carving to improve its texture and juiciness.

5 from 5 votes

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Prime Rib Roast

Prime Rib Roast – a holiday showstopper meal that is perfectly medium rare with a gorgeous brown crackly crust on the outside. A mouth-watering, crowd-pleasing holiday dish!

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Servings: 7 -8 people

Calories: 802 kcal

Author: Immaculate Bites

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds (1.8 kg) prime rib roast
• 1/4 cup (33.6 grams) minced fresh Rosemary
• 2 tablespoons (4.8 grams) thyme
• 3 garlic cloves ,minced
• 1 tablespoon (6.8 grams) smoked paprika
• ½ -1 teaspoon (0.9 to 1.80 grams) cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon (1.80 grams) white pepper
• 2-4 tablespoons (29.57 mL) canola oil or any cooking oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 1-2 celery , chopped

Au Jus

• ½ cup (125.68 mL) red wine (more or less )
• 3-4 cups (750 mL-1000 mL) beef stock

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine rosemary, thyme, garlic, , paprika, cayenne  white pepper and oil

2. Salt and pepper prime rib then generously rub with herb mixture. Wrap tightly with saran or plastic wrap. Let it marinate over-night in the fridge for best results or up to 24 hours;
   

3. When ready to roast remove from the fridge for about 2 hours, to allow the roast to come up to room temperature.
   

4. Line roasting pan with foil paper if desired, then add onions and celery to the pan.
   

5. Position rack in lowest part of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Roast the prime rib for 30-45 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and roast until the desired internal temperature is reached. It's absolutely necessary that you use a  thermometer  to guarantee the roast turns out exactly the way you want it. For an accurate reading, push the thermometer into the center  of the roast, making sure the tip is not touching the  fat or  bone 
   

6. Check oven every 30 -45 minutes and add about ½ cup water or stock as needed to prevent the the roast pan from burning.

7. Also cover roast if browning too fast cover with a piece of foil to prevent the roast from burning .

8. Gently transfer the roast to a large platter, then loosely cover with foil and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes before serving. So the juices settle back into the meat.
   

9. Meanwhile if making au jus, skim the fat from the drippings; leaving about 2-3 tablespoons of fat.
   

10. Add stock and stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits in the pan.  
    

11. Transfer to a skillet, add red wine , if desired , followed by beef stock.
    

12. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5- 7 minutes. Sauce shouldn’t be thick; it’s very light sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, to taste .
    

13. Serve roast with au jus.
    

To choose with the perfect prime rib to roast, go with the one which has more marbled streaks of intramuscular fat on it (as seen in the photo above). This would mean that it’ll be juicier, more tender and flavorful.

Prepare the herbs and spices in separate containers.

Then in a small bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, garlic, paprika, cayenne and white pepper.

Season the prime rib first with salt and pepper.

Then generously rub with the herb mixture. 

Wrap tightly with saran or plastic wrap. Let it marinate overnight in the fridge for best results or up to 24 hours.

When ready to roast remove from the fridge for about 2 hours,  to allow the roast to come up to room temperature. Add onions and celery  to a roasting  pan. Position rack in lowest part of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Roast the prime rib  for 30-45 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and roast until the desired internal temperature is reached.

Note: Check oven every 30 -45 minutes  and add about ½ cup water or stock as needed to prevent the the roast pan from burning. Also cover roast if browning too fast with a piece of foil to prevent the roast from burning .