Best Prime Rib Recipe for the Holidays
Here’s how to make the Best Prime Rib Recipe without fail every single time you make it! It’s a wonderful recipe for the holidays! This really is the perfect prime rib recipe. Prime Rib is a very expensive cut of meat so you want to make sure you cook it right without fail. This is how you do it. I’m going to explain each step so that you can understand why you cannot skip steps.
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How to pick the perfect prime rib
You want to look for bright white-colored fat in the meat choices. You also want a piece of meat that has a really good amount of marbling. This of these layers of fat as the flavor bombs that will happen when you cook it. This is not the time to choose a lean cut of meat.
How to determine how long it will take to cook your prime rib roast
First things, first. Start by determining how long it will take to cook your prime rib roast. This is very important to know if you have dinner served at a certain time. We love to make prime rib roast over the holidays and especially at Christmas. We set a dinnertime. Knowing exactly how long the prime rib roast takes to cook will ensure you are on track with your dinner plans.
The cooking time calculation for a prime rib roast will be determined by how much the prime rib roast weighs. In my example, I have a 6 lb prime rib roast. For every pound, you want to cook it for 5 minutes. My 6 lb prime rib roast will cook for 30 minutes because I multiplied the weight by the time. My 6 lb prime rib multiplied by 5 minutes cooking time equals 30. 30 minutes cook time. You will cook your prime rib at a high temperature for 30 minutes. Cook it at 450 degrees to 500 degrees. I cooked this prime rib at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
After the cook time, you want to make sure you do not open the oven for exactly 2 hours no matter what size the prime rib roast is. Do not open the oven. If you open the oven, the heat will escape. The prime rib will continue cooking at a much slower pace as the temperature in the oven drops.
So, in total, my 6 lb prime rib roast will cook for 30 minutes and slow roast for another 2 hours making our total cook time 2 hours and 30 minutes total. This will yield a perfect medium-rare prime rib. To make sure you have cooked it perfectly, you will always want to check the temperature. Place a thermometer in the thickest part of the prime rib without touching the bone and wait for the it to stop. The internal temp should be between 120 and 125 for a medium-rare prime rib.
Start prepping your prime rib roast
Next, you want to make sure you remove your prime rib from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you cook it. Bring it to room temperature. You want to make sure the Prime rib is the same temperature throughout.
If the temperature is the same throughout, it will cook evenly. This is a very important step so don’t skip it. I’ve let it set out anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on the size. The bigger the prime rib the longer it takes.
Is it important to use butchers twine for the perfect prime rib
In short, the answer is no. Not when you use this technique. The butcher’s twine will help to keep the juices in and this technique allows for the juiciest prime rib already. I don’t use butcher’s twine. Another reason to use butcher’s twine is because to distribute the meat evenly to allow it to cook evenly. This is the main reason butcher’s twine is used to cook meats.
What is the prime rib roast serving size per person?
It’s important to note that this 6 lb prime rib roast with no bones will serve about 6 to 8 people. You want to usually figure a minimum of 1 lb per person when determining what size of prime rib you need per person.
If you have a bone-in prime rib, I usually figure one bone will feed 2 people. A 4 bone prime rib, which is fairly large, will feed 8 to 10 people.
Do I need to make a rub for prime rib?
We use a special prime rib rub and I will share that recipe below also. But, I do want you to know that you really only need salt and pepper to make this prime rib special. I use a prime rib rub because I love an outside crust and all the flavor it brings to the juices!
Bone In or Boneless prime rib
If you are looking for an easier way to carve your prime rib, then you should go with a boneless prime rib. I usually prefer to get a bone in prime rib because the bone adds a lot more flavor and it actually insulates the meat as it cooks. The flavor is the biggest difference. This recipe with the rub we used adds amazing flavor so you will be good with either one you choose.
Is there a cooking time difference bone in or boneless prime rib
Not enough to worry about when you use this cooking technique. I am using a boneless prime rib roast in this example because that’s the only cut of prime rib we had left at our local stores. The best way to make sure your prime rib roast is done to your liking is to always measure it with a thermometer not with cooking time. The final temperature will yield the result you want. Invest in a thermometer before anything else. It’s important.
Prime Rib Rub Recipe
- 3 tbs Dijon mustard
- 3 tbs Horseradish sauce
- 1 tbs course black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
Prime Rib Rub Recipe Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard and the horseradish sauce. Mix until fully combined.
- Brush the sauce onto the prime rib just before you are about to cook it.
- Sprinkle on the remaining seasonings. Do not cover the prime rib when you cook it.
- Cook it at 450 to 500 degrees (some ovens only go up to 450 degrees) for 5 minutes per pound of prime rib. Then turn off the oven and allow the roast to continue cooking for 2 hours. Don’t open the oven or else you will lose the heat.
- Read all the tips in the post above for all the cooking tips!
- Slice and serve.
How to make Au Jus from prime rib
You want to scrape up the little brown bits from the bottom of the roasting pan and use those for your sauce. Those brown bits are loaded with flavor!
Add 1 cup of beef broth to these brown bits. Then salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Serve along with the sliced prime rib.
Here are a few more photos we took while making the Best Prime Rib for the Holidays:
Best Prime Rib Recipe. (no fail technique)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tbs Dijon mustard
- 3 tbs Horseradish sauce
- 1 tbs course black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 6 lb prime rib
Instructions
- Bring the prime rib to room temp by removing it from the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before you cook it.
- In a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard and the horseradish sauce. Mix until fully combined.
- Brush the sauce onto the prime rib just before you are about to cook it.
- Sprinkle on the remaining seasonings. Do not cover the prime rib when you cook it.
- Cook it at 450 to 500 degrees (some ovens only go up to 450 degrees) for 5 minutes per pound of prime rib. Then turn off the oven and allow the roast to continue cooking for 2 hours. Don't open the oven or else you will lose the heat.
- Read all the tips in the post above for all the cooking tips!
- Slice and serve.
